My take on the stillen headers..

[opekone_1988]

So I went and got some stillen headers yesterday for my 2.5L Automatic Coupe and installed them today..Maybe some people are interested on some feedback and reviews.

Install time: 3.5 hrsNOTE: a breaker bar (used an 18" bar) and correct 6 point socket will be your best friend. Virtually impossible to do anything without the correct tools. Let all the exhaust bolt and nuts soak in WD-40 or similar for a bit.Also: you MUST remove the alternator.

Conclusion: It def does pull faster after 4k RPM..(You can feel it, unlike other placebo mods) its a bit quieter than what I hoped but then again im running stock. The exhaust tone changes very little.. so next step for me is an exhaust system.

[dldjros69]

Am i being anal but i think it is a ton louder especially in the higher rpms. (stock exhaust)

Louder and a hollow sound, but its towards the front of the car and not the back.

[JDRosenberg07]

Yeah peak torque is at 3900 rpm so that's when you'll really feel it. I'm waitin for some money to start rolling before I can get these.

But I have an exhaust and intake and my 2.5 will put me back in my seat at peak power already.. So I can't wait to get the headers. I just hope it doesn't make it too much louder cause my exhaust is already loud enough under load.

[noshift]

So I went and got some stillen headers yesterday for my 2.5L Automatic Coupe and installed them today..Maybe some people are interested on some feedback and reviews.

Install time: 3.5 hrsNOTE: a breaker bar (used an 18" bar) and correct 6 point socket will be your best friend. Virtually impossible to do anything without the correct tools. Let all the exhaust bolt and nuts soak in WD-40 or similar for a bit.Also: you MUST remove the alternator.

Conclusion: It def does pull faster after 4k RPM..(You can feel it, unlike other placebo mods) its a bit quieter than what I hoped but then again im running stock. The exhaust tone changes very little.. so next step for me is an exhaust system.

any chance of vids? flybys? in cabin? rev?

[crayzitalian3]

sOmEtHiNg????? please oh please post a video

[opekone_1988]

Well.. maybe because I had an intake installed before and compared, its just not as noticable as the intake.. I tested it out with the windows up and rolled down.. both in the street and freeway, took it up to 6k Red line and 100mph.. its bearly noticable to me.. It does sound a bit deeper but not much... it changes tone after 4k rpm's but nothing drastically.. unlike the intake, once you hit 4k rpm's you get a deep growl. I thought about sound clips or lil video but I dont think people will notice much diff.. but ill get one up tomorrow morning and see what people think.

[crayzitalian3]

any video?

[Unfkwthabl]

Does anyone know if the coupe will still pass emission tests with the stillen headers installed?

[dldjros69]

Does anyone know if the coupe will still pass emission tests with the stillen headers installed?

Not a chance.

the first time takes 5 hours to install, after that it will take you 3 hours to take it apart and put it back on. the next time if you still have your care you could prolly do it in less than 2 hours.

I can take my intake off blind folded.

[opekone_1988]

I concur.

[opekone_1988]

dldjros69... did you ever get rid of your Check engine light? I never cut the 2nd part of the header install and extend the wires.. and now after 50miles got the check engine warning..

[crayzitalian3]

are you seeing any problems with the headers after installation? my neighbors are giving me the hardest time about installing it telling me about all these problems im going to see like exhaust leaks, valve damage??, and other stuff like i need to shave the thing down 10,000ths or something.

is it safe to install these things? im getting mad i feel like chuck norrising everybody in the f***ing face

[dldjros69]

dldjros69... did you ever get rid of your Check engine light? I never cut the 2nd part of the header install and extend the wires.. and now after 50miles got the check engine warning..

Well i have the BD tuner so that deletes the code. But funny thing since i got the BD tune downloaded i have ran about 200 miles and the CEL has not come on.

are you seeing any problems with the headers after installation? my neighbors are giving me the hardest time about installing it telling me about all these problems im going to see like exhaust leaks, valve damage??, and other stuff like i need to shave the thing down 10,000ths or something.

is it safe to install these things? im getting mad i feel like chuck norrising everybody in the f***ing face

No issues and no foreseeable issues.

Well there could be a possible exhaust leak if you dont change the header gasket, but mine looked brand new. When i take it off next year for inspection, i will get a new gasket.

Valve damage from what? having to do less work?

Shave what?

10,000ths of an inch, my math could be off but that is really small



Stop messing with these guys and take it to a muffler shop. They will install it in less than 3 hours, less than 300 bucks.

If you talk to one of the guys who arent the boss and tell him u will pay in cash they usually cut u a deal.

[opekone_1988]

na, youre good.. no problems and no need to shave anything.. gaskets are very good and sturdy... no need to chhange them when you install the headers.. even asked the rep at Stillen and said the same, no need to replace anything.

[crayzitalian3]

sounds good, i will be installing hopefully this week once the flange arrives, this really reputable mechanic shop is going to do it for me.

[dldjros69]

The stillen site has posted a dyno chart

http://www.stillen.com/product...o.pdf

Hmmm is all i have to say

[CoupeVQ35CVT]

The stillen site has posted a dyno chart

http://www.stillen.com/product...o.pdf

Hmmm is all i have to say

Funny #s...

176 hp and 160 tq stock? Is that at the wheel? Really? Damn... I thought stock the #s were more like 175 hp and 180 tq..at the crank...

Weird...

[JDRosenberg07]

the dyno must be from a sentra.. If you look at the cutoff it's at 7800 rpms.. That's def not a 2.5 a/c but still good to see some numbers

[dldjros69]

the dyno must be from a sentra.. If you look at the cutoff it's at 7800 rpms.. That's def not a 2.5 a/c but still good to see some numbers

i think u ment to say 6800

[noshift]

no other vids yet?

[JDRosenberg07]

i think u ment to say 6800

Haha yeah my bad.. Lol wishful thinking I guess.. Lol

[dldjros69]

I just emailed kyle, maybe he will come on here and talk to us about the dyno sheet.

[Throckmorton]

You are more than likely correct, as Nissan lists the following for the Sentra Spec V 2.5

200hp @ 6600 rpm Altima 2.5 175hp @ 5600 rpm180ft.lb @ 5200 rpm torque 180 ft.lbs @ 3900 rpm

The chart matches well to those rpms for the Spec V

The Spec V is from the factory tuned for high rpm hp and torque numbers.

I think that the header, gaining less than 8 hp, and 8 ft.lbs. of torque with this setup, needs to be installed with other tuning aids to take full advantage of it, i.e., cat back exhaust and a Bully Dog type tuner.

[kyle@stillen]

Good guess guys!

Our dyno numbers do come from our black and yellow Sentra.http://www.stillen.com/project...V.asp

We had to use the Sentra because it is a manual gearbox car. Our A/C is a CVT and won't give us accurate numbers.

The main purpose of the testing is to show how well the headers work. Regardless of what car the test was done on you can see that the headers, on the QR25 are very effective and make good power!

[Throckmorton]

So, If I am reading this correctly, the Stillen Sentra has the Stillen Sentra cat back exhaust system, part number 504231, along with the header, am I correct?

So, header and exhaust added 8 horsepower?

[dldjros69]

So, If I am reading this correctly, the Stillen Sentra has the Stillen Sentra cat back exhaust system, part number 504231, along with the header, am I correct?

So, header and exhaust added 8 horsepower?

I could be wrong here.

But lets say that the Sentra is making 200hp at the crank.

176 whp - 10 whp(exhaust) = 166 whp / 200 crank = 83 - 17 percent drive train loss. So 15 percent sound somewhat reasonable.

184-176= 8 whp * 15% = 1.2 = 9.2 Crank hp from the header

I hope that makes sense... my math can totally be off.

Thank you for coming on kyle

(separate topic - I trust stillen's dyno more than K&N with their 30 percent drive train loss)

[JDRosenberg07]

I don't know.. If you look closely at the results at the bottom of the dyno the baseline was done back in April of this year.. I still can't say what was on it back then but coulndt it be possible that the exhaust wasn't in it then or at the time of the dyno? And kudos to stillen for dynoing with pretty much exactly the same conditions for both runs.

Kyle can you chime in on what the sentea had on it at the time of each run?

Okay so I just noticed this.. Both dates say they are from last year.. Baseline was done 4/15/2008 and Headers was done 11/5/2008....
Modified by JDRosenberg07 at 12:28 AM 8/19/2009

[opekone_1988]

So now im wondering!!! do we need an aftermarket exhaust to take full advantage of the headers potential?

[dldjros69]

So now im wondering!!! do we need an aftermarket exhaust to take full advantage of the headers potential?

Id say no, but having the exhaust is still a good practice.

Look under the car, the stock exhaust is disgusting.

[Zerep]

well yes and no i mean think of it like this. i have an exhuast and since the stock header is so bottled up it not flowing at full potential. samething if you have the headers and no exhuast your creating a bottle neck at one of to points who knows with the i/h/e plus the tunner and we could very well be making 200hp+(puts on flame suit)