Hi,

Any Gas Mileage improvements to date ?? If so, how much?


Dave

 

I was wondering if since my car is fairly new (Only about two months), would it be safe to say its fine to use the stock gasket on the new headers? I understand its optional to get a new one anyway, but I just wanted to know if its a better thing to get a new one, or if the one I've got on there should still be good.

 

As for the gasket, I would replace it. You would probably be "ok" to stick with the original, but why take the chance that the new part wouldn't seat the same as the old part when the gasket is probably $10 or so.

 

The gasket will form to the header/head. I would replace the gasket. If you want to save 20 bucks and gamble with it, go for it. But if you have a leak, you'll need to uninstall the header to put the new gasket.

 

Well, I did my header just yesterday. Got a new gasket for it, followed your walk through closely. It was fairly simple. Besides tightening those spring loaded bolts back on. *Rubs arm* Blah. But anyway, after starting the car and running it for a while, I noticed that while in gear, my car tends to idle rather low. Low enough to make the car shake. It floats around 600-800 RMPs, or around there. And for a short while, a heard a 'air' type of sound, like when I punched the gas hard, it just sounded like I could hear all the air flowing through the engine. It wasn't really a good sound, trust me. Though that has disappeared already. The only thing that persists is the low idle. Everything else is fine. With the exhaust, intake and headers there is a fairly noticable difference in the mid to high-end power. Plus it just sounds nice. ^_^ Any imput would be great. Thank you.

 

recheck the torque on the bolts. perhaps you didn't get a good seal?

 

Thanks for the excellent instructions. They worked great!! I am a little nervous about the shifter cable being so close. I am thinking about making a bracket for it and that will keep it away from the header. The install was easier than I thought that it would be. I only have 1200 miles on the car, so that might be one reason why it was so easy. So far I have noticed a diffence in the car throughout the RPM range.

Thanks!

 

should there be a gap between the b-pipe and the header, my springs are completely compressed and yet i can still see the donut gasket in between the two. I did have to buy new bolts since the threads got messed up on it.

 

I did a 8 gauge ground wire loop as in your write up (very nice by the way) at the same time. I had to make a makeshift breakerbar as I forgot I lost mine. I started at about 2:30 today, finished at 8:30. Now before anyone thinks about flaming me. I should have thought this out more before making 1 trip to Walmart, then checker, the pepboys then autozone, for the lower spring loaded bolts I made my first 4 stops without even having looked at the car. I guessed on 2 inch grade 8 bolts. (Unless your friggin He-man you are not getting the nuts on 2 inch bolts) WRONG! I went back to get nuts that fit the stock spring loaded bolts, don't have them as far as I found. So I went to Lowes, Lowes is your friend with the grade 8 bolts, nuts, washers... I grabbed 2.5 inch bolts, some washers, nuts and I'm on my way. Well I thought I grabbed 2 2.5 inch bolts, I grabed another 2 inch and a 2.5. I get home get under the car wrong again. Damn it back into my truck that just loves the 115 degree heat, back to lowes, get 2 3 inch bolts get home, Wrong move again. bolts are long enough, washers don't fit. I unroll my forked tounge and unleash the foulest language you can imagine. My wife comes out to ask if everything is alright, she left crying. I kissed up, only after hauling back down to lowes again. I have spent about 4 hours in my truck, burned up a 1/2 a tank of gas (read about $30 worth) driving back and forth to get the right bolts. That was the only thing that threw me was those 2 bolts.

Anyone thinking of doing this please atleast buy a quality 14mm and 12mm sockets and you MUST have a 10 inch extention. I snapped a 14mm socket trying to get the spring bolts off. When it broke I freaked, till I turned it over and noticed it was something someone had left at my house, made in Tiawan go figure.

Note to those who don't want to just sit for 2 hours waiting for the engine to cool, get a floor fan and fan it. I did my grounding wires at the same time. Worked out well, right up till I had to drive 11 miles each way to Lowes 4 times. The cops thought I was cruising the street, yeah I'm cruising I-10 and Ina for the heck of it, getting about 11 miles to the gallon, raging mad. Take the bolts with you. I suggest 3 inch bolts that are threaded most of the way, match all the washers and nuts at the same time, same yourself the hell I put myself through. BYW I like the header even my wife knows it revs faster and the ground wires appear to have smoothed out the rough idle with the A/c on.

 

Mac Master you will have a gap if you used the doughnut, if you used the flat gasket then the gap will be as thick as that gasket. Start it up, if it doesn't go ,ppppffffftttttttt more than usual your good, a leak will tell you right away.

 

I sort of the new guy on the block, just purchased my XB couple of months ago, but I wanted to say that by reading the great tech tips thats available, made my installation of my headers a breeze, with no hang ups! Keep up the great work guys!

 

headers just may be my next big upgrade after reading this. I have always heard that headers were one of the nicer performance upgrades you can do.

I am going to dyno test my box after I get my exhaust installed, then again after I put on the injen air intake ..just to track the differences.

 

ok got my Strup header & exhaust sitting in a box in living room driving me insane to put it on lol

going to get the gaskets tomorrow, and will grab some bolts as well possibly....appears that makes a difference

 

almost done doing mine right now, i was up late and figured id just go for it ....man the spring loaded bolts are TOUGH!!!!

letting some more wd40 seep into those bad boys, i dont really have a breaker bar but i may go up to walmart and see if i can get one i this is too hard to do, or get some sleep and go up to autozone tomorrow and get one

edit: ugh, I highly recommend the breaker bar, I could not for the life of me get the spring loaded bolts loose. going to borrower a breaker bar and do it later today

if you do not have a breaker bar, i also would advise you to jack up the car and try those spring loaded bolts FIRST...no sense taking everything else off if you cant even get those bolts off (like i did)

 

So does the DC sport header on the XB throw a CEL light or not? b/c i'm reading everywhere else that an aftermarket header will cause a CEL.

Thanks,
Kapil

 

Yes same here........the fix is something about an anti fouler modification.

Just need to find it and how to install it........

I Want my DC sport header on the car but i don't want to have problems.

 

I just had the dc header installed.


drove about 20 miles......I guess I could feel a little more power at about 50-60 mph. The car is box is louder a bit.

Are all DC headers for the box 4 to1?

 

I had to go out and get an extra long ratchet (about 13"). A longer breaker bar might have been easier, but I preferred laying down the cash for a ratchet that I would use more often.

I bought a 6" extender, but I needed to add a two incher to get at the exhaust bolts.

Getting those two exhaust bolts off is a religious experience. I did not think it was possible, but I managed to contort myself to add my feet into the torquing, which was the only way I could break them loose!

I reused my gaskets without problems so far. I would have considered new ones, but I did not think about that until I had it taken apart. By then, I was so not in the mood to reassemble and wait for the blasted Toyota parts department to order something. My dealer's department does not even bother calling when the order comes in, or will NEVER come in.

I did notice a performance increase. Nothing incredible, but worthwhile. I have a MMW 4-2-1 in conjunction with K&N Typhoon. The MMW has tubes of ID 1 3/8" versus the stock of 1 1/8". The shape of the MMW is way nicer than stock, but then it would be hard to beat stock in how nasty the gas flow looks.

I could not fit the MMW without removing the wiper and tray assembly on my xA.

I will add one thing that might not matter: these aftermarket parts tend to have bits of metal and dust inside. I was not so worried with the header as the intake, but I figured it would be bad to have that crap going into the catalytic converter or potentially going back into the engine (single cylinder engines often have reversed pressures at start and stop, so it might happen on car engines too). So I wiped out the inside of the header before installation.

Thanks for the tutorial. I would have ripped more of my hair out had I not realized the need of a breaker bar.

 

no it does not throw a cel

had mine on for about 10,000 miles +/- and its still great!!!

 

JUST INSTALLED DC SPORT HEADER. ITS A GREAT UPGRADE, DEFINATELY HAVE MORE POWER AT ABOUT 50 mph and higher.... you can really feel the power at 80 mph, michkuo's instructions were on point, no CEL's, but do invest in a can of WD40 and a breaker bar to get these bolts off!!!.....my car sounds AWSOME....GROWLS..... InjenCAI/GREDDY EVO 2/DC SPORT HEADER....next suspension