LOOK AT THIS MANIFOLD!!!

[JayPat83]

Top Hat performance is having these made in Japan. http://www.coreperformanceproducts.com

[bottombunk]

is it a t3 or t4 flange. do you know what size the wastegate flange is. how much is it.

[BoostFab]

wow nice...not bad price... hmm....look like a t4 flange

[rbsileighty]

Something about that collector bothers me... does he have some flow data... are they tuned runners or guess work?

With the history of the front facing manifold that use to be produced. I'm not sold until there is an explination behind the design... not trying to sound harsh, but 650 is a lot if the part is junk.

[JayPat83]

Intake manifold is $400. Exhaust manifolds are $650. If your asking if intake is tuned or flowed, you need to ask Mike at Top Hat about that. The exhaust manifold has a T4 flange but the incoming order will have both T3 holes and T4 holes i think. Again, check with Mike at http://www.coreperformanceproducts.com or [email protected]

[p00t]

At first glance it seems like some crazy speghetti creation, hell it even looks like the two middle runners just give up tryin to turn enough to fit to the turbo flange so they just run straight to the waste gate....

however upon closer inspection.... (wish they had more angles of the monstrosity)

The runners dont seem to be equal length, however they all seem to collect nicely on each side in a 3to1 collector. Also the two waste gate tubes seem to be in a perfect place, but the angle which they connect to the tubes I think is less than ideal... for the two longest runners the gas has to to a 270 to escape...(or try and navigate around a 70-90* degree tight corner, yikes!)

I think the only way you can get equal length is with these crazy things:



http://www.uniqueautosports.com/ <- these guys make them, they are in aussie country i think

[JayPat83]

this is as close to equal length you'll get for the money. i think equal length is gonna cost you around $1400 or so from FullRace

[Yellow4g63]

this is as close to equal length you'll get for the money. i think equal length is gonna cost you around $1400 or so from FullRace

$1400 if it was a inline 4. More for inline 6 check out there supra one I think thats $2300.

[Yellow4g63]

Top Hat performance is having these made in Japan. http://www.coreperformanceproducts.com

Looks like a Thin walled manifold special. Maybe it will hold up maybe it won't. They all kinda look the same



I would hold out for something made of cast. They will hold up longer in the long run.

[JayPat83]

These are no thin walled SS autojunk manifolds. You need to see one in person. Stainless steel disapates heat alot better than cast ever could. This means they wont crack as easy. The design looks like a HKS or Greddy copy of sort. You cant fight the design because its tried and true, so your right,the difference is in the thickness of the stainless steel. These are nice and beafy. I have seen it first hand. Ive noticed you knocking on Top Hat in more than one post,did you have a problem with Mike at some point?

[wawazat8402]

What is Mike's last name if you dont mind me asking?

[Yellow4g63]

These are no thin walled SS autojunk manifolds. You need to see one in person. Stainless steel disapates heat alot better than cast ever could. This means they wont crack as easy. The design looks like a HKS or Greddy copy of sort. You cant fight the design because its tried and true, so your right,the difference is in the thickness of the stainless steel. These are nice and beafy. I have seen it first hand. Ive noticed you knocking on Top Hat in more than one post,did you have a problem with Mike at some point?

Not that I know off. I had there mounts on my car before Mckinney came out with there mounts. That manifold dosen't look like it will last in a daily driver car. Maybe a weekend warrior but not daily driver it looks just too thin. When I say cast I mean like Sch 40 type material. like this see how thick that is? unless my eyes are playing tricks on me that manifold dosen't look any where the thickness of that.

[JayPat83]

Cast parts are inherently weaker due to gas pockets in the raw material used,thats why they are so thick. The manifolds dont need to be thicker because they are stainless steel. Cracks in manifolds are hardly ever due to weight stress but rather heat expansion. I have learned alot about metal so check it out.I see on your site(http://www.protech-fabrication.com/) you sell the log style manifolds made with boiler pipe. Those are sch. size pipe right? The weakest point is in the welds, and around the flange where the bolts go in. Welds will have small bubbles in them if sheilding gas is not at perfect pressure(It will never be unless computer controlled). The flange will crack at ends if not split for expansion(The reason the sidewalks are formed in squares and not one piece).Are you selling alot at that price? I see those kits on ebay sometimes. Im not trying to be a know it all or get you to buy stuff from Top Hat but this may be good info for people looking at buying a manifold for whatever.

Oh-Mike Sims, I had to think a sec.

[Yellow4g63]

Cast parts are inherently weaker due to gas pockets in the raw material used,thats why they are so thick. The manifolds dont need to be thicker because they are stainless steel. Cracks in manifolds are hardly ever due to weight stress but rather heat expansion. I have learned alot about metal so check it out.I see on your site(http://www.protech-fabrication.com/) you sell the log style manifolds made with boiler pipe. Those are sch. size pipe right? The weakest point is in the welds, and around the flange where the bolts go in. Welds will have small bubbles in them if sheilding gas is not at perfect pressure(It will never be unless computer controlled). The flange will crack at ends if not split for expansion(The reason the sidewalks are formed in squares and not one piece).Are you selling alot at that price? I see those kits on ebay sometimes. Im not trying to be a know it all or get you to buy stuff from Top Hat but this may be good info for people looking at buying a manifold for whatever.

Oh-Mike Sims, I had to think a sec.

I don't work for them or own the company. Yes they do sell alot of manifolds because they don't crack. They stand the test of time and have been proven. They are certified welders and know what it takes to not have the weld be the weak point like you said. If you weld it right it will brake everywhere but the weld. If you don't think it needs to be that thick you will understand when that manifold starts to crack from the weight of a turbo and the every day use. When I see a manifold that has a cheap price I get scared. Scared because I beleave that you get what you paid for. I wasn't tryin to be a prick but that top hat manifold will crack if it's used on a daily driver car. It's just too thin no way around it. And about that tophat manifold been made in japan.... I'll have to say China. No way your getting it made for that cheap in Japan and then shipped out the usa to only be sold for $650 is it? While you were looking over the webpage you forgot to check out this part of it http://www.protech-fabrication.com/about.html

[PurpleGodzilla]

I don't know who makes who or where it comes from...What I do know is that SS autochrome manifolds on Ebay are prone to crack. That manifold would constantly crack, not at the weld but at the metal itself..No mater how many braces you put on there, it would still crack. The metal itself (304 stainless steel) is too thin to handle the stress of the turbo or the wastegate itself.

In my opinion, I think they use the pipings from exhaust and try to make a turbo manifold with it. Exhaust pipings can handle the heat but can't handle the stress load.

I have a manifold made with the schedule 40 stainless steel from full race. It has been on my car (honda) for over 3 yrs. Not trying to rain on top-hat or advocate protech. However in my opinion, I feel that that protech could do a little better job in the collectors. The best collector that I have seen are from Burns stainless.

[Yellow4g63]

I feel that that protech could do a little better job in the collectors. The best collector that I have seen are from Burns stainless.

Hehe They have that handled now, the new design is a true merge collector made from sch 40 forged ss. The collecters pictured is an older design but still pulled good results.

[rbsileighty]

Just wondering why you are not just telling us about these manifolds... but really selling them.

You said that SS has better heat disipation than cast and you are correct... however a cast manifold is superior due to the fact it does retain heat => higher exh gas velocities.

What's the point in changing the stock manifold if there is no performance gain? I'm not saying there isn't one... but 1800 for a manifold is cheap compared to a 650 manifold that doesn't do anything.

[Carl H]

considering i picked up my hks ehxuast manifold and it was jethot coated for 550 shipped i think i will stay with cast manifolds.ive yet to see a cast manifold crack on a turbo engine, but have seen SS ones crack.the only tubular manifold i would buy would be from full race if i could afford it, their work is artwork.

[Bluefire]

All these damn manifolds are made in tawain.. On top of that a lot of the japanese companies are have there products made in tawain also, but charging a lot more because of the name. Sure you can spend 1500 on a nice japan made manifold... But I can guarantee that it will crack also. Maybe not as quick as the one pictured above, but it will crack also. In all honesty I would rather lose $650 versus $1500. And I'm positive they could lower the price a bit more, since I know how much these manifolds are actually made for. (Especially if they purchase over 50 units)

Anyways I think the major flaw is not the manifold, but the fact that aftermarket dp's are not made with a flex piece. I can only imagine how the exhaust acts like a huge crow bar on the manifold as it moves around from daily driving the car.

Personally I do prefer the cast design, like the HKS ones but they are pretty rare. Except for the one on ebay right going for $350... so that manifold might not really be a bad buy for people without a lot of cash

-Bluefire

[SeVa-S13]

Except it's a T4 flange. =\

[s13rb25]

m currently working with a company to try and get cast manifolds made for the rbs. ill bring the post i started back to the top but i need some input from all of you out there to help in the decisions such as top or bottom mounts, flanges...stuff like that. so post what you think.

[SHIFT_Lock]

Now I get my 2 cents in. This IS Mike @ Top Hat. These are the best RB exhaust manifolds for the money on the market. These are made in Asia and are alot thicker than SS autochrome manifolds. These are for sale right now so im not just talking, Im selling them. Although I do not lie, someone will doubt what i say or think im lying or whatever, this is why you do not hear from me on this forum. This is what i have learned through my 10 years experience. This is my techs screen name so excuse me for that.Bluefire is right,almost, 90% of these manifolds are made in Taiwan and they got there stuff together there. Again he is right about downpipes, they need flexes in them and most people dont use them(Including me).s13rb25 if you are working with a company,Top mount turbo with external waste gates and i will help you anyway I can. We need parts for RBs without having to jet set around the world to get them.These manifolds have 5/8 flanges instead of the 1/2 used on most copies,like SS autochrome.Ours uses alittle thicker pipe, but i dont remember how much exactly. The one shown is for a RB25 with a t4 and we will have the RB20 t3 models in mid Feb. and to sell them this cheap we must buy 50 at a time and make a smaller mark-up than I like( We do this to make money,Sorry) but we want to be the ones to have these to sell because we think they are worth having. Not everyone will love them like I do. Some peolpe like cast manifolds and thats cool because I want there to be lots of choices. If I find a cast manifold that I think people will like, I will sell it too. Most of all id like to say, If this manifold or any product that comes from my company is not up to the customers standards, I always have and always will take care of them. Our mounts took alot of flack due to an unknown dealer of ours but we have sold 32 sets to date and have had one set returned. All the post on 1 site and I had 1 email and 1 phone call from people saying they had a problem. Both were fixed.We are here to stay and want to support all you guys as best as possible. Please email me directly if you have questions and have a good Christmas.Thanks, Mike SimsTop Hat Performancehttp://www.southeastdrift.comhttp://www.corepe ... oducts.com

[burnin240sx]

I have held that manifold in my hands. it is the Best damn manifold i have seen. When i get one of my own you would have to pry it from my cold dead hands. Once you see it in person you see the quality and how thick it is you realize this manifold means bussiness.

[Bluefire]

Hey Mike do you possibly have any high res pics inside the ports of the manifold (where the tubing meets the flanges). I am interested to see the penetration of the welds as these tend to be the weak point of taiwanese made manifolds. If the welds look good, I would highly recommend this to anyone especially at the price its offered at...

-Bluefire

[SHIFT_Lock]

These are welded by a robot so you wont find a better weld. Stack of coins.

[SHIFT_Lock]

These are welded by a robot so you wont find a better weld. Stack of coins.

[yellow_jacket]

Do you know if Top Hat has done any test fitting of this manifold with a T4 in a S14?

[Bluefire]

any pictures on the backside of the welds?

-Bluefire

[burnin240sx]

I tested this manifold on a RB20 with a t3/t4 and it wouldn't fit. But that's an RB20 i'm sure you mean a RB25 in a s14

[PSSHHGOESMYSR20]

I'd normally keep quiet about this but after your comment of

" These are welded by a robot so you wont find a better weld. Stack of coins. "

I had to comment. So first off, Your robot needs to go back to welding school. We've delbt with robotic welding in the past and it's obvious that robot needs to be programmed correctly, I've seen novice welders lay down a better beed than that. The ripples are way too far apart, the ripples should not extend more than half the distance of the prior beed. It should look like this.



This is 304L sch 40 Forged steel and was welded by hand. 100% penetration and purged, the inside of the joint looks just like the outside.