Header for 93-2001 Altima

[Simmsled]

Does anybody have a header on their Altima's KA? I have a leaky flex pipe and I am going to replace the down-pipe/flex pipe assembly soon hopefully. I can get the OBX header/pipe for 199 shipped. That is a really good deal considering that I was quoted 300 for a flex pipe from Midas. I know the Stillen one is sweet, but not for 400 bucks. The Hotshot is sweet as well, but too much money.

What do you guys think?

[Rev_D21]

I am going Hotshot in the spring. The OBX is nice looking but I dont know of anyone who has installed it yet. I wouldnt be able to get a non-salesman opinion at this point.I am switching over to a Hotshot CAI this coming week so I might as well go Hotshot Intake and Exhaust.

[Simmsled]

Yah, im just a broke college guy so im thinking about just going with the OBX. I have a Weapon-R filter (intake) on an adapter plate and the Greddy cat-back (exhaust). Hey rev, you think that i'd be ok with the factory gaskets if the OBX doesnt come with them?

[Rev_D21]

Yeh you should be fine.

[Altiman94]

the obx does come with them. There wa a guy on .net that had the obx and said it fit well. Who knows though.

[Asleep Altima]

ive got the hotshot. i didnt even want to see if id have problems or not. im very happy with mine.

[Simmsled]

how much of an increase in performance do you think the header adds... with having an intake and cat back?

[Altiman94]

5 whp maybe

[Simmsled]

so when they say that there is an increase of 12 to 16 whp, that really just means that going from a completely stock setup to just a header adds 12-16?

[Asleep Altima]

no, they usually are looking at the increase at the flywheel, since its going to be more sensational than the gain at the wheels. you have to be careful when you read what they say the gains are, they dont always put a "w" in front of "hp".

[soc_monki]

but stillen in their catalog claims 12-16 at the wheels for the KA header...anyone got a dyno of just a header-equipped KA?

i know 98Altimatic and Dom (from .Net) got around 140-150 HP and the same TQ numbers with intake/exhaust/header and add the pulley to Dom's car. thats a good 20-30 HP/TQ increase from stock with the mods (stock to the wheels is around 120-125 for a 5 speed).

that will give you something to chew on

but Asleep is right though...you have to think they probably had other mods besides just a header when Stillen did the dyno...intake/exhaust at least.

im personally going with Hotshot when i get one...

[SLOW KA_]

<---satisfied HS owner.

[Altiman94]

now that simmsled owns a honda, you decide to dig this thread up. Thanks.

[SLOW KA_]

^:D

[Asleep Altima]

there is one cause for concern on the altima though - check the part of the pipe where the flex pipe is. on my altima, its chaffing badly against the oil pan. make sure you guys dont have the same problem. i totally overlooked it before.

[Simmsled]

Well, I still have the Altima. I dunno when the Honda project will continue. We shall see. But I had to replace that flex pipe so I got the OBX header off of ebay.I have been installing my header in the past few days and keep running into wierd problems. I have to say that it looked pretty good out of the box though. ANYWAYS... I had to take an air grinder to the block to clear out a section to account for the OBX's improper fitment (a must on all OBX header installs on 93-01 Altimas). I had to grind down the flared flange at the flex pipe to get the whole thing to sit properly. I gutted my cat instead of getting a pipe to fit in the void between the header and the cat back. My biggest problem was the damned EGR tube that WOULD NOT come out. I cut the tube at the connection with the air grinder and went to Ace Hardware to find some plumbing to connect it to the header. I found a copper fitting that was 1/2 inch threaded to a 1/2 inch inner diameter sleve. I used the bench grinder to grind down the sleve to fit inside of the EGR tube and I will use a clamp to clamp it tight. I test fit it all and it will fit nice and snug. The threaded part of the adaptor will not thread into the header, so I got some JB Weld (hoo-yah!) and put it on the adaptor before setting it into the header....... I did that last night.

Tonite I am going to put it all together and I will let you know how it goes. I suspect that it will be a nice sound with the cat gutted out and flowing on thru the Greddy cat back.

BTW... the EGR tube, if you have to replace it, costs $54 from Nissan and is not a normal in-stock item.

[00_Altima MD]

well i went with the stillen headers and i went from a 16.4 to a 15.8 in the 1/4. and that was just w/ iridium plugs w/ stock wires and a ghetto rigged intake w/ a custom cat back with the resignators replaced w/ 2.25" piping. So i would have to say that it made a pretty good impression on me when i went to the track with it, and that was at like 130k miles on the engine and transmission.

[Simmsled]

cool. My car had a bad exhaust leak in the flex pipe so I think that I should get back lost horsepower/torque and then gain some. I am looking forward to driving it.

[Hotshot]

HiObviously I'm biased, but check here for more opinions.

Apparently OBX's copycat department was asleep at the wheel when they got ahold of our Altima header.

http://www.altimas.net/forum/s...tshot

Save yourself the hassle, Buy Hotshot. If you do have a problem, you can always call me and I'll walk you through it.

Thanks

JohnHotshot

[Simmsled]

Well, I was already too far along to package everything up and send it back. I finished installing the header last night and holy crap. The difference was immediately noticed.

My advice is this... if you have access to shop tools and have a place to work on your car for a couple days... then you can save money by buying the OBX. If you have the money or want to spend more than 198, then buy the Hotshot. I didnt know that the OBX required so much modification to fit. Had I done it again, I would of still bought the OBX because I still saved $200.

[Hotshot]

HIGood. Hopefully you only have to replace it once, otherwise it will have ended up costing you more than the real thing. Oh, and the Lifetime warranty from OBX, umm Yeah.OK. :help Good Luck.

JohnHotshot

[AZhitman]

John -

You receive my email re: sponsorship?

p.s. I need an S13 header.

[Importroller]

took me 3 hours to install my OBX 4-2-1 header on the car. and you are correct, you do have to grind down that lill piece on the block for it to fit, but that is why they call it modding. you need to modify things sometimes for other things to work. direct bolt ons are boring. But, I personally think its a good header for our cars, especially for the price. and my O2 and EGR setup fit perfectly in the OBX, I had no fitment issues with it. Im gonna use some header wrap though to cut down on the heat. that is the one thing I think the HS and Stillen have above the OBX, the ceramic coating keeps the engine bay cooler!

[zoomer0]

stillen is D best, also pipe dia is bigger. HS is total garbadge!

[ben_digt]

Hummm

I have a Hotshot 4-2-1 with the downpipe for sell soon!!!

It yours for 450$CDN (340$US)

I have it since May 2004

[Hotshot]

stillen is D best, also pipe dia is bigger. HS is total garbadge!

HINope, Stillen uses 1 5/8" Dia. Primaries, we use 1 3/4".Wrong twice in one post, wow.

Hotshot

[zoomer0]

i had bought hs and stillen, hs looks like it were made by a chimpanzi . when i swaped out the stillen for the hs, i noticed the lost in power imediatly.

[seansr_08]

I am pretty late on this but i have the obx set up too. But i have to admit it is a whole lot better than my first header!! I just got some 100 header off Ebay !! I had serious leaks between my head and the header, the holes didnt line up with my head, so i shaved the holes bigger on the header...let me say, lesson learned!Stay away from cheap Ebay headers!!But im all for OBX! The lil bit of grinding on the block is worth it!

[Rev_D21]

Cheap Chinese parts from Ebay usually suck the ballz.

[altimate KA]

i got caught with those cheap azz chinese headers and down pipe from ebay...my egr and o2 didnt fit..so now im driving with no egr.i learned my lesson...U WANT POWER U NEeD TO SPEND MONEY...i tried taking the cheap way out and it didnt work...im buying the stillen headers in a few weeks...and im putting in some brian crower cams also...if anyone did a cam job on there KA let me know