Fleabay Header? - Page 2 - The Ford Focus Forum

**hEaT** · 10-06-2009, 12:42 AM

Yeah, you can use a highflow with that. I'm not sure if that's an off-road pipe meant to look like a cat or a real cat.

If you plan on using a gutted cat, I wouldn't. The stock unit gutted flows terrible since it's a huge box. Lots of turbulence. Also, if you are going through the trouble to run a shorty header with no cat, you'd be better off with the long tube. Just as loud with more power.

**evanjfrancis** · 10-06-2009, 12:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hEaT

Yeah, you can use a highflow with that. I'm not sure if that's an off-road pipe meant to look like a cat or a real cat.

ya i was wondering that too...

**AcIdBuRn02ZTS** · 10-06-2009, 01:23 PM

i'd go with the obx long tube... the shorty headers are nill for performance gains of any kind and have been known to cause issues with the paint on the hood if not heat wrapped/ceramic coated... however that was quite some time ago...

mine was an obx 4-2-1 and i liked it... i would offer to sell it but ive since cut it up and used the primary tubes to make my wastegate dump pipe... and will be using the flange for building an equal length tubular manifold down the road....

anyways... hope that helps
-AcId-

**Cameroon** · 10-06-2009, 04:49 PM

All my issues aside

If you're going to bother with the labor and cost of doing a header swap get a long tube header. The gains are substantially greater than the barely perceptible gain from any shorty setup.

The shorty you posted a pic of is just as illegal as any long tube header and requires as much if not more work to install for less performance.

When it comes to cats. Needing one depends on where you live/ how willing to reverse the work to pass testing.

If you need a cat because you live at home and your dad insists on one and thinks you're wasting money...

He's right. Save your money and MOVE THE **** OUT.

I don't get kids these days, I'd rather drive a beater to and from my own place than have a bitchen car in my folks driveway.

**OmniFocus** · 10-06-2009, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cameroon

I don't get kids these days, I'd rather drive a beater to and from my own place than have a bitchen car in my folks driveway.

Amen to that.

**theindustrialist** · 10-06-2009, 06:23 PM

About the header in the original post:

I was browsing around b/c I'm considering getting one myself, and in an old sportcompact car article they ran the Focus Sport 4-1 race header, with a very similar flexjoint/extension pipe combo. What they did in the article was add a small high-flow cat in place of the flex joint, and then I believe they added an o2 bung behind the cat, keeping the car legal and not having to deal with any Mil/CEL problems.

With a header/extension combo thats as cheap as that one can be found for, I see the above as a viable option. Just my 2cents.

**evanjfrancis** · 10-06-2009, 06:50 PM

lol i live home because im in college 25 minutes from home. one of the best techincal schools in the country just happens to be local. moneys not really a problem for me, i just like saving if i can =p

**Cameroon** · 10-07-2009, 04:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theindustrialist

About the header in the original post:

I was browsing around b/c I'm considering getting one myself, and in an old sportcompact car article they ran the Focus Sport 4-1 race header, with a very similar flexjoint/extension pipe combo. What they did in the article was add a small high-flow cat in place of the flex joint, and then I believe they added an o2 bung behind the cat, keeping the car legal and not having to deal with any Mil/CEL problems.

With a header/extension combo thats as cheap as that one can be found for, I see the above as a viable option. Just my 2cents.

That is not technically legal. Now it may well pass a smog check in some locals. It still is violation of the federal law prohibiting removal of the OEM cat.

It's a great solution for folks who want to be environmentally responsible and again it may well get past a local inspection (or it may not) depending on how the local inspection is performed.

Strictly speaking though it is still "illegal".

Emissions are a funny area with cars, there are federal laws but no federal checks, the state and or local checks differ greatly in how they are done if done at all.

Mostly know your local laws.

I've run long tube zetec headers here in SoCal, I was prepared to go back to stock in order to pass smog. I relied on grey hair, not street racing and generally not driving like a douche to keep from having trouble between smogchecks.

**theindustrialist** · 10-07-2009, 07:41 AM

True about laws differing & illegality. Mostly I was hoping that with a cat:

A. You wouldnt have to worry about a MIL/CEL.
B. The setup would be a little quieter.

**faster_than_u** · 10-07-2009, 09:40 AM

go with the svt header/ cat combo its still has an oem cat and makes great power.

**theindustrialist** · 10-07-2009, 11:15 AM

^ This is true.

Not meaning to threadjack, but what I'm really looking for is a header/cat combo that doesn't hang as low/far forward as the SVT header does, doesn't have a flange where the SVT header<->cat flange is, and bolts to the SVT exhaust.

So far the fleabay in question fits the bill; its cheapness is all the better for me b/c it's going to get dented/modified anyway.

Unless I've got my exhausts confused and it doesn't bolt to the SVT exhaust

**hEaT** · 10-07-2009, 12:31 PM

It will bolt up.

The Zetec and SVT exhauts start in the same spot. The differences are in the cat and flexpipe. The SVT cat ends farther under the car and it uses a shorter flexpipe. Both end up in the same spot, it's just how you get there.

If you go with the SVT, it becomes more expensive because you'll need the dipstick and power steering line. I did mine and haven't regretted it, but it may not be the solution for everyone.

**01slo-cus** · 10-07-2009, 12:57 PM

I have the SVT on mine and it is a supremely well made piece (THICK stainless and perfect bends and welds), and works fantastic. The car makes better low/mid range torque than it did before and it seriously uncorked it up high. That being said, it was a PITA to get on and it WILL end up costing you 2x++ what the OBX one will. I have roughly $200-250 in my header swap but I'm a reasonbly good fabricator and a tightwad to boot so I'm on the low end of the cost spectrum. If I had it to do over though, I would probably buy the OBX and save a few bucks.

**zach92r** · 10-08-2009, 09:49 PM

Hell i asked a shop around were i live and pa doesn't care as long as you have some kind of CAT on so im going to get the FS 4-1 long tube flex and exhaust system then get a stump inline cat and custom install it after the flex pipe should be just small enough to fit it in the channel for the exhaust.

**theindustrialist** · 10-08-2009, 10:37 PM

Let us know how it goes. Take pics

**zach92r** · 10-10-2009, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theindustrialist

Let us know how it goes. Take pics

Will do but gotta save the cash up first lol.

**Liquid_02_ZX3** · 10-12-2009, 04:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by evanjfrancis

I have been running that header and flex for 2 years now. Fitment was fine, egr tube was the hardest part of the install. The tubing used is thinner than most headers but it is strong and light. It lost most of its chrome after the first year, and has blued and purpled since. No cracks or leaks or rust problems. There is no reason not to buy this header and flex. BTW Throw that extra bracket, and useless tubing away if you get it.

**Lancer211** · 10-12-2009, 01:18 PM

Looks kinda like the header that SOHCTUNER had before his car caught fire.

**evanjfrancis** · 10-12-2009, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Liquid_02_ZX3

Fitment was fine, egr tube was the hardest part of the install. The tubing used is thinner than most headers but it is strong and light. It lost most of its chrome after the first year, and has blued and purpled since. No cracks or leaks or rust problems. There is no reason not to buy this header and flex.

what do you mean by its blued? any pics? and what was hard about the egr?

**lscfn10** · 10-12-2009, 05:33 PM

Woot, I found a stupid deal on that header, won a bid for it for $0.99 on ebay. I normally wouldnt support ebay knockoffs, but they couldnt have made money off me lol. Bought some header wrap that was more expensive than the header shipped to my door. Can't wait to throw it on.

**theindustrialist** · 10-12-2009, 05:58 PM

If someone with the 4-1 longtube could please take a couple of pics of how far it sticks past the oilpan & where the lower o2 sits relative to the block/transmission I'd really appreciate it.

These are shots from SSautochrome:

It looks like the collector is sitting nearly level to the pan, but I can't tell. And you can't see where the tip of the o2 is. I'd like to get this header, but I don't want to keep breaking o2s, or rip the collector off the piping, as I'm sitting pretty low.

This is the FocusSport header; the collector is farther back, but the o2s still look dangerously close to the block:

**Liquid_02_ZX3** · 10-13-2009, 04:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by evanjfrancis

what do you mean by its blued? any pics? and what was hard about the egr?

While not as vibrant as the following, it gives you an idea of what the primaries look like after a while.

**ThatOneFastGuy** · 10-14-2009, 05:36 PM

The extra tubing is to have a dump off after the flex pipe. Would be extremely loud. Use for track use only.

**bustonit** · 10-14-2009, 07:12 PM

Just an fyi, the OBX SVT header has larger primaries than stock in it's description. Can't say what the effect on the performance of the header is.

**Liquid_02_ZX3** · 10-15-2009, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThatOneFastGuy

The extra tubing is to have a dump off after the flex pipe. Would be extremely loud. Use for track use only.

actually that extra pipe doesn't fit well enough to do anything with.

10-06-2009, 12:42 AM	#26 (permalink)
hEaT I <3 UC^3 Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: CT Posts: 7,444	Re: Fleabay Header? Yeah, you can use a highflow with that. I'm not sure if that's an off-road pipe meant to look like a cat or a real cat. If you plan on using a gutted cat, I wouldn't. The stock unit gutted flows terrible since it's a huge box. Lots of turbulence. Also, if you are going through the trouble to run a shorty header with no cat, you'd be better off with the long tube. Just as loud with more power. __________________ 2001 Twilight Blue ZX3 - Volant Intake, FC 65mm TB, SVT Header, RT High Flow Cat, SVTF Borla Exhaust, Koni's 1985 Nimbus Grey Merkur XR4Ti - Work In Progress Tuned By: Bristol Dyno

10-06-2009, 01:23 PM	#28 (permalink)
AcIdBuRn02ZTS Senior TEAM Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Boonville, IN Posts: 2,271	Re: Fleabay Header? i'd go with the obx long tube... the shorty headers are nill for performance gains of any kind and have been known to cause issues with the paint on the hood if not heat wrapped/ceramic coated... however that was quite some time ago... mine was an obx 4-2-1 and i liked it... i would offer to sell it but ive since cut it up and used the primary tubes to make my wastegate dump pipe... and will be using the flange for building an equal length tubular manifold down the road.... anyways... hope that helps -AcId- __________________ *2002 - Twilight Blue ZTS* Built Engine, Getrag 6spd w/ Quaife, Full Eibach Suspension, 16" Enkei J10's wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero's... Killing Tires Thru 3rd @ 10psi - 20+psi Soon To Come http://www.sounddomain.com/ride/2523022 *1987 - Black MKIII Supra NA Targa* Stock... for the time being.

10-06-2009, 04:49 PM	#29 (permalink)
Cameroon [FJ] Specialist Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Wherever peculiar people congregate Posts: 5,998	Re: Fleabay Header? All my issues aside If you're going to bother with the labor and cost of doing a header swap get a long tube header. The gains are substantially greater than the barely perceptible gain from any shorty setup. The shorty you posted a pic of is just as illegal as any long tube header and requires as much if not more work to install for less performance. When it comes to cats. Needing one depends on where you live/ how willing to reverse the work to pass testing. If you need a cat because you live at home and your dad insists on one and thinks you're wasting money... He's right. Save your money and MOVE THE **** OUT. I don't get kids these days, I'd rather drive a beater to and from my own place than have a bitchen car in my folks driveway. __________________ "I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. . . . corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed." -- U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, Nov. 21, 1864

10-06-2009, 06:23 PM	#31 (permalink)
theindustrialist TEAM Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Metro ATL, GA Posts: 649	Re: Fleabay Header? About the header in the original post: I was browsing around b/c I'm considering getting one myself, and in an old sportcompact car article they ran the Focus Sport 4-1 race header, with a very similar flexjoint/extension pipe combo. What they did in the article was add a small high-flow cat in place of the flex joint, and then I believe they added an o2 bung behind the cat, keeping the car legal and not having to deal with any Mil/CEL problems. With a header/extension combo thats as cheap as that one can be found for, I see the above as a viable option. Just my 2cents. __________________ 2003 5Door SVT Transmission : CFM Rear Torque Mount, CFM Adjustable Short Throw with Razo Rally knob Footwork : H&R Coilovers & Volk GTP

10-06-2009, 06:50 PM	#32 (permalink)
evanjfrancis TEAM Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 128	Re: Fleabay Header? lol i live home because im in college 25 minutes from home. one of the best techincal schools in the country just happens to be local. moneys not really a problem for me, i just like saving if i can =p

10-07-2009, 07:41 AM	#34 (permalink)
theindustrialist TEAM Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Metro ATL, GA Posts: 649	Re: Fleabay Header? True about laws differing & illegality. Mostly I was hoping that with a cat: A. You wouldnt have to worry about a MIL/CEL. B. The setup would be a little quieter. __________________ 2003 5Door SVT Transmission : CFM Rear Torque Mount, CFM Adjustable Short Throw with Razo Rally knob Footwork : H&R Coilovers & Volk GTP

10-07-2009, 09:40 AM	#35 (permalink)
faster_than_u TEAM Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Saskatchewan, Canada Posts: 730	Re: Fleabay Header? go with the svt header/ cat combo its still has an oem cat and makes great power.

10-07-2009, 11:15 AM	#36 (permalink)
theindustrialist TEAM Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Metro ATL, GA Posts: 649	Re: Fleabay Header? ^ This is true. Not meaning to threadjack, but what I'm really looking for is a header/cat combo that doesn't hang as low/far forward as the SVT header does, doesn't have a flange where the SVT header<->cat flange is, and bolts to the SVT exhaust. So far the fleabay in question fits the bill; its cheapness is all the better for me b/c it's going to get dented/modified anyway. Unless I've got my exhausts confused and it doesn't bolt to the SVT exhaust __________________ 2003 5Door SVT Transmission : CFM Rear Torque Mount, CFM Adjustable Short Throw with Razo Rally knob Footwork : H&R Coilovers & Volk GTP

10-07-2009, 12:31 PM	#37 (permalink)
hEaT I <3 UC^3 Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: CT Posts: 7,444	Re: Fleabay Header? It will bolt up. The Zetec and SVT exhauts start in the same spot. The differences are in the cat and flexpipe. The SVT cat ends farther under the car and it uses a shorter flexpipe. Both end up in the same spot, it's just how you get there. If you go with the SVT, it becomes more expensive because you'll need the dipstick and power steering line. I did mine and haven't regretted it, but it may not be the solution for everyone. __________________ 2001 Twilight Blue ZX3 - Volant Intake, FC 65mm TB, SVT Header, RT High Flow Cat, SVTF Borla Exhaust, Koni's 1985 Nimbus Grey Merkur XR4Ti - Work In Progress Tuned By: Bristol Dyno

10-07-2009, 12:57 PM	#38 (permalink)
01slo-cus Rookie Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 42	Re: Fleabay Header? I have the SVT on mine and it is a supremely well made piece (THICK stainless and perfect bends and welds), and works fantastic. The car makes better low/mid range torque than it did before and it seriously uncorked it up high. That being said, it was a PITA to get on and it WILL end up costing you 2x++ what the OBX one will. I have roughly $200-250 in my header swap but I'm a reasonbly good fabricator and a tightwad to boot so I'm on the low end of the cost spectrum. If I had it to do over though, I would probably buy the OBX and save a few bucks.

10-08-2009, 09:49 PM	#39 (permalink)
zach92r Napeolin Sherbert Gaundi Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Millerstown, PA Posts: 724	Re: Fleabay Header? Hell i asked a shop around were i live and pa doesn't care as long as you have some kind of CAT on so im going to get the FS 4-1 long tube flex and exhaust system then get a stump inline cat and custom install it after the flex pipe should be just small enough to fit it in the channel for the exhaust. __________________ 2001 Ford focus se wagon Mods: FS Cool-Flo air intake, FS front stress bar, Momo pedals, underbody/interior lighting Soon adding: Drum to disc brake conversion kit and EVO 3 bumpers with fogs Future mods: FS headers w/ flex pipe and FS exhaust with in-line cat, Corbeau FX-1 seats, svt suspension with koni or bilstein shocks and struts with H&R springs,lambo doors, custom opening rear hatch, new zetec engine with a auto to manual swap plus many more mods

10-08-2009, 10:37 PM	#40 (permalink)
theindustrialist TEAM Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Metro ATL, GA Posts: 649	Re: Fleabay Header? Let us know how it goes. Take pics __________________ 2003 5Door SVT Transmission : CFM Rear Torque Mount, CFM Adjustable Short Throw with Razo Rally knob Footwork : H&R Coilovers & Volk GTP

10-12-2009, 01:18 PM	#43 (permalink)
Lancer211 Senior TEAM Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 2,330	Re: Fleabay Header? Looks kinda like the header that SOHCTUNER had before his car caught fire. __________________ For sale: Eibach Pro-Kit springs, sedan taillight, lower grille, DPFE, EVR, MAFS, side markers, trunk handle, fuel door, gas pedal, headlight switch, AC/vent/defrost button, hazard switch, ashtray, silver console bezel, HVAC controls. 2004 infrared Focus SE Zetec ATX sedan "Ruby" CarDomain Page

10-12-2009, 05:33 PM	#45 (permalink)
lscfn10 TEAM Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 157	Re: Fleabay Header? Woot, I found a stupid deal on that header, won a bid for it for $0.99 on ebay. I normally wouldnt support ebay knockoffs, but they couldnt have made money off me lol. Bought some header wrap that was more expensive than the header shipped to my door. Can't wait to throw it on. __________________ 98 Lincoln Mark VIII LSC /02 ZX3 - OMGRED\ ///95 Aspire - For Sale?/Project?

10-12-2009, 05:58 PM	#46 (permalink)
theindustrialist TEAM Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Metro ATL, GA Posts: 649	Re: Fleabay Header? If someone with the 4-1 longtube could please take a couple of pics of how far it sticks past the oilpan & where the lower o2 sits relative to the block/transmission I'd really appreciate it. These are shots from SSautochrome: It looks like the collector is sitting nearly level to the pan, but I can't tell. And you can't see where the tip of the o2 is. I'd like to get this header, but I don't want to keep breaking o2s, or rip the collector off the piping, as I'm sitting pretty low. This is the FocusSport header; the collector is farther back, but the o2s still look dangerously close to the block: __________________ 2003 5Door SVT Transmission : CFM Rear Torque Mount, CFM Adjustable Short Throw with Razo Rally knob Footwork : H&R Coilovers & Volk GTP

10-14-2009, 05:36 PM	#48 (permalink)
ThatOneFastGuy Rookie Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Batavia, Ohio Posts: 17	Re: Fleabay Header? The extra tubing is to have a dump off after the flex pipe. Would be extremely loud. Use for track use only. __________________ 2000 CD Silver Kona w/ Bolt-Ons

10-14-2009, 07:12 PM	#49 (permalink)
bustonit Senior TEAM Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: The great divide Posts: 3,437	Re: Fleabay Header? Just an fyi, the OBX SVT header has larger primaries than stock in it's description. Can't say what the effect on the performance of the header is. __________________ ...always in Focus Sarah Palin: A voice for the leaderless. Give me wings that I might fly, my restless soul is longing. No pain remains, no feeling...eternity awaits.

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