stock KA engine w/ head exhaust leak what's the best thing to do??

[deftdrummer]

i currently have a KA24DE with 201,000 miles on it. I really dont want to do the SR swap for fear of running into problems and stuff like that. I already know right now that i have an exhaust leak at the head. I have a cat back exhaust right now and i was thinking that i should just get the hotshot header and replace everything.

I have read up and apparently the hotshot is the best header for the 240 and it makes sense to get it so that i can eliminate the head leak (hopefully) and get rid of of the first cat as well. I also want to get another stock cat or possibly a high flow cat to replace the second one. What do you guys think? is this a good idea or what? How much would it cost to get another stock KA engine and have it installed by a mechanic?

[p00t]

depends on whats causing the leak. it could be a bad gasket, header could be warped, or there could be a hole in the header itself.

if its just a bad gasket, unbolt the header, clean the mating surfaces, and put the new gasket in place... that simple.

if the header is warped you will need a new gasket, and a machine shop to flatten the surface where it sits against the engine. if its badly warped you will have to replace it.

if theres a hole in it, best thing to do is get a new header.