header: 4-1 or 4-2-1??

[gera's240sx]

which one is better for KA??

[TDS]

Throughout my three years here, the difference that I hear time and time again is that 4-1 is good for top end power and 4-2-1 is better for midrange power. Obviously on a daily application if you want to feel anything at all, you'll probably stick to the 4-2-1. The best quality headers seem to be 4-2-1 anyways (hotshot , dc sports, obx). I hope this answers your question and maybe others will chime in.

[gera's240sx]

i read ur post to late i get a megan racing 4-1 header for $120, do u recomend to sell it and get a 4-2-1??

[Hype]

gera: It all depends on what kind of driving you do. Does the car see track time, or is it all street? There's no magic part X, just the right tools for the job. Hope it works out for ya.

[TDS]

Yes, if you already ordered the 4-1 header, then just keep it. the only reason I'd swap it out is if the fitting is very poor.

[wa-chiss]

Throughout my three years here, the difference that I hear time and time again is that 4-1 is good for top end power and 4-2-1 is better for midrange power. Obviously on a daily application if you want to feel anything at all, you'll probably stick to the 4-2-1. The best quality headers seem to be 4-2-1 anyways (hotshot , dc sports, obx). I hope this answers your question and maybe others will chime in.

Acually, I believe you are bass acwards. 4-1 is good for low-mid torque/hp while the 4-2-1 is good for top end. I can feel a drop in power below 3k but it's nothing too drastic (this may also be because I removed my secondaries). Definatly daily driveable, I drive mine daily. After 3k, you'll feel the difference right away. Revs more freely, definatly more power, and definatly louder.

[Hype]

I have no experience with headers on this car, but could it be that one works better for you because you're SOHC? Just an idea.

[asoomal]

Acually, I believe you are bass acwards. 4-1 is good for low-mid torque/hp while the 4-2-1 is good for top end. I can feel a drop in power below 3k but it's nothing too drastic (this may also be because I removed my secondaries). Definatly daily driveable, I drive mine daily. After 3k, you'll feel the difference right away. Revs more freely, definatly more power, and definatly louder.

it's the other way around.

[Bigvinnie]

I use the 4-2-1 header and I think my top end on my dyno looks excellent.

[nwcflip]

dude im sure your going to turbo it in the future so.....just bolt the header on for great sound and fuel economy. Do it, Do it bacardi and cola!

[gera's240sx]

good point.. i will keep it tnx bro

[goodsx95]

I just got the megan header with downpipe and test pipe. and added it to my n1 dual. I have to say I'm irritated. I bought this thing because my manifold and cat was starting to leak. (doesn't help that the *** that originally installed my n1 had to cut off the flange because whoever installed the cat welded the stock cat on instead of bolting it on. That weld kept breaking. Anyway, I finally got the megan stuff put on today and 1. It's obvious whoever designed it didn't have an egr or something because there's obviously no way to connect the bung without some modifications to the egr tube. 2. everyone knows about the bung on the 2nd o2 sensor is too big. Do aftermarket companies just make this crap up without an actual test car?! Whatever, the o2 thing is fixable and I found a cap to cap off the egr. (motor won't pass emissions anyway) But the thing that absolutely pisses me off is it completely ruined the sound of my car! It's WAY TOO LOUD and makes my beautiful n1 dual sound like a generic fart can!

It this primarily due to the missing cat? If I just go get a decent high-flow cat, will it be any quieter? I'm OK with a little louder but damn I'm embarrassed to drive that thing in traffic. Let alone drive anywhere near a cop. I don't like the added attention.

[goodsx95]

Well, that does it! After driving with all this stuff I just did to my car, after hearing a gurgling under the middle of my car, I look underneath. To my surprise I find a hole in my n1 dual's muffler! Wonder how long that's been there!s like it cracked and the metal has made a bit of a flap that now just blows crap through it while buzzing mad!

That tears it. I've pour my heart into this car for the last 8+ years as well as plenty of money. Now as soon as i fix one thing something else goes wrong! I'm putting it up for sale and tryin get a FB s13. Offers anyone?! I can't post in the classified because of some new spammer rule. I don't have enough posts yet.

[480sx]

Damn a hole in the muffler?!?! Idk you might just want to take it to the junk yard man that car is ruined.

[Ajax]

Don't get discouraged like that. You'll run into the same problems with any older car- sometimes you get lucky and your trouble-free, sometimes you gotta take care of things that go bad. I can understand getting frustrated- I've been there with a lot more on the line than a hole in the muffler.Just remember that modding a car is an expensive hobby, but its worth it if you enjoy it.

[Ajax]

Also- buying an even older car is going to give you even more problems, most likely.

[Overboost87]

Damn a hole in the muffler?!?! Idk you might just want to take it to the junk yard man that car is ruined.

lol, well said!

[Overboost87]

Well, that does it! After driving with all this stuff I just did to my car, after hearing a gurgling under the middle of my car, I look underneath. To my surprise I find a hole in my n1 dual's muffler! Wonder how long that's been there!s like it cracked and the metal has made a bit of a flap that now just blows crap through it while buzzing mad!

That tears it. I've pour my heart into this car for the last 8+ years as well as plenty of money. Now as soon as i fix one thing something else goes wrong! I'm putting it up for sale and tryin get a FB s13. Offers anyone?! I can't post in the classified because of some new spammer rule. I don't have enough posts yet.

lemme get this straight...you have your N1 dual exhaust installed, then somebody welds your stock cat on, then you buy a header, a test pipe, and a down pipe and install them. Then you get a hole in your muffler and now because of that you want to get rid of your car, for an s13 no less? First of all, why would you pay someone to install an exhaust, its like 4 bolts dude...second, just friggin' weld, or pay someone to weld the little metal flap hole in your muffler shut and it'll sound fine. If it still sounds weird then its the headers. Put the stock headers back on, but keep the test pipe, downpipe and the N1 and it will sound beast (after you weld the muffler)

[2FourTee]

Well, that does it! After driving with all this stuff I just did to my car, after hearing a gurgling under the middle of my car, I look underneath. To my surprise I find a hole in my n1 dual's muffler! Wonder how long that's been there!s like it cracked and the metal has made a bit of a flap that now just blows crap through it while buzzing mad!

That tears it. I've pour my heart into this car for the last 8+ years as well as plenty of money. Now as soon as i fix one thing something else goes wrong! I'm putting it up for sale and tryin get a FB s13. Offers anyone?! I can't post in the classified because of some new spammer rule. I don't have enough posts yet.

Wow. If you get discouraged THAT easily, I recommend you quit modifying cars. Seriously, I've had way more serious **** happen than a hole in the muffler, and I still love my car to death.

P.S. WHat the heck does "That tears it" even mean???

[Ajax]

P.S. WHat the heck does "That tears it" even mean???

"it" refers to butt holes.

[goodsx95]

Nah, when I bought the car it had a bad cat. The dealer told me to take it down the street to this "xyz" shop and get a new cat and bring him the receipt. He then wrote me a personal check for it saying there dealership used car deapartment should have caught it. What i didn't realize it that when they put the cat on, they welded it on to the factory exhaust. They didn't bolt anything on. Later I got the N1. Since I no longer had a flange on the cat, I had the n1 welded on. I was young and stupid and didn't think of the problems that would give me later on. So after half a dozen busted welds, (due to damn sportlines and gr2's) I actually spent money on coilovers and decided to fix what I had screwed up before. but instead of just being ok with a new cat, My stock exhaust manifold and cat were leaking pretty bad.... so I figured. screw it, not only did I have a flange made for my marred n1, I decided to replace everything from the head to the flange, and since I wasn't passing emissions, I decided on a cat delete. After all was said and done, I was REALLY hoping to be done with the exhaust issues. So when I found the hole in the n1 muffler, I lost it. I'm about to become a student after many years and won't have time or money to chase the problems anymore. SO I decided to put the car behind me.

[Canseri]

Hotshot to be installed in the next week 4-2-1 if it will only clear the transmission and steering column.

[brandon s13]

headers are kind of like restore bottles and redline waterwetter and lucas fuel injector cleaners. you cant hope for miracles in any one of these bottles, and you sure as hell cant hope for more than 4 hp out of a header. i have a 4-2-1 header and it sounds incredibly great, so im happy but im gonna be honest there is not a lick of difference in the power from what i can feel. maybe itl show a couple hp difference on the dyno but i cant tell a difference just off of feel

[gumby74]

I have used both the Pacesetter 4 into 1 and currently a 4-2-1, and I did notice a slight pickup in the midrange. Not a 8lb surge of boost, but it was something. What does bother me about the header though is the noise output. Even with my Blitz Realize exhaust and a 2.5" resonated test pipe, the engine itself is still louder than the exhaust output. Oh well. It is not generally obnoxious sounding, but it does detract frm the quiet rumble the exhaust gave the car.

[liquid_cool]

headers are kind of like restore bottles and redline waterwetter and lucas fuel injector cleaners. you cant hope for miracles in any one of these bottles, and you sure as hell cant hope for more than 4 hp out of a header. i have a 4-2-1 header and it sounds incredibly great, so im happy but im gonna be honest there is not a lick of difference in the power from what i can feel. maybe itl show a couple hp difference on the dyno but i cant tell a difference just off of feel

this is a great quote..you hit the nail on the head....a race style exahust is just that..for racing..ya they look good and sound great..but unless you fully build a motor out..its just that..another novel product to take your money ...all the above mentiond products are the same too! unless you have a built race platform..there really worthless and the results cannot be felt..

when choosing your header for a race aplication..you have to determine what rpm range you want your torque band at...this may sound strange..but with a little reaserch you can learn how custom headers effect an engines performance and how race teams use that info to target certian rpm ranges that work best for there racing styles....there have been legthy discussions on this subject here on the forums..and many different styles of header and catback combos discussed..if i was you i would reaserch what plans you may have for a build..or what rpm range you want the most out of your engine in...this should never be left up to others to decide..as the driver of your car or race car..its up to you to know where you feel most comfotable with the power band.

good luck

[Bigvinnie]

this is a great quote..you hit the nail on the head...

I disagree simply because its everything added to the engine that makes for "performance tuning".

Its just another method of modifying, and performance doesn't come for free.

No doubt ecu tuning and cam selections are the best methods of making power, and its also the most significant way to "tune an engine". Bolt on's although some being more expensive than others are still a direct method of modifying for what someone would want to achieve for a tune.

4hp here , 6 hp there, eventually all that stuff makes power, it may be costly, just as it is to internally build a race engine is costly.

[liquid_cool]

I disagree simply because its everything added to the engine that makes for "performance tuning".

Its just another method of modifying, and performance doesn't come for free.

No doubt ecu tuning and cam selections are the best methods of making power, and its also the most significant way to "tune an engine". Bolt on's although some being more expensive than others are still a direct method of modifying for what someone would want to achieve for a tune.

4hp here , 6 hp there, eventually all that stuff makes power, it may be costly, just as it is to internally build a race engine is costly.

i agree with you vinny...but..if your only adding exhust..and thats all you plan..i just dont see the point...but to each there own.