January 13, 2008 - With the #4 runner tack-welded to the new stub, I was able to see how well the metal pipe coincided with the plastic prototype.
Almost perfectly. The only problem came when I slid the collector on the end and discovered that it was too close to the motor mount. Changing the last 2" long bend in the pipe from a 4" radius to a 3" radius did the trick.
The #3 runner was then checked again with the prototyping pieces and tweaked slightly to take the change into account. It ended up fitting better overall of course. So now it's time to cut that one up and stick it together. It's only going to get more difficult from here on in of course!
I have had one person ask me why I'm making my own header when there are commercially available ones. Well, it has to do with engine output. Mass-produced headers like the Racing Beat are designed for almost-stock engines. That means stock cams, 1.8 litres of displacement and about 110 hp at the wheels with a redline of 7000 rpm. My engine is a 2.0 with more aggressive cams, a redline that could go as high as 9000 rpm if required and a hopeful output of close to 200 hp at the wheels. So the dimensions will be different. There are some very expensive race headers that might be pretty close, but I don't have the budget for one of those. Besides, this is a fun learning experience.
tags: header |
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