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Well... I'm getting in to this exhaust "issue" I'd mentioned. As much as Dynomax is the ho-hum option for a catback it's the most cost-effective as it's all pre-bent and ready to go. Magnaflow's cheapest replacement cat is less than $100 and has most (if not all) of the mid-section piping so... Basically between my desire to get this done and my desire to spend not a ton of money these two options seem like givens, really.
But, as projects tend to expand, this got me thinking about headers.
After some research and some reading, I'm thinking Rugged Ridge's 409 SS "natural" (read: unfinished) is the most cost-effective choice, though certainly not the cheapest.
All headers seem to be 1.5" tubes with 2" collectors, look roughly the same in terms of tube length, but I specifically like that the Rugged kit is 409 steel, which while less attractive than 304 is cheaper than 304, but stands up pretty well to most conditions - at least in my experience. And price-to-product seems very good with that unit which is just shy of $300 and I imagine a 409 unit will WAY outlast a black painted mild steel unit (or whatever the low-end steel choice tends to be). I don't think I can get a Miata header for $300 which is a lot less metal!
But I obviously wanted the list's thoughts. Pace Setter has a dirt cheap unit, so I imagine it cracks very well ;) But PS also makes more expensive units. And obviously there are more expensive options from other manufacturers out there with fancy coatings and whatnot.
Again, it was the 409 steel that got me.
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What does the RR one look like?
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Still 6-2-1, but most are. Similar length to the Banks (i.e. short).
I'm not saying it's the best performance option. I'm just trying to balance...
Also I just found it for < $270 shipped, which is pretty freakin' cheap. I'm surprised the steel alone doesn't cost that these days ;)
Link: http://www.xtremeterrain.com/images/pro … a95.15.jpg
Thorley just seems well out of budget for me. I mean, anything's gotta be better than stock... Right?
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Just keep in mind that not all "stainless" steels are equal, especially when they are coming from a company you don't know. The headers I bought for the old Durango a year and a half ago are 303ss, which I proved by using a magnet (300 series is non-magnetic), yet they are still rusting. Not as quickly as standard steels, but they are discoloring and have a poor finish now. I was hoping to put them on my wife's '99, but now that I found that rust has gotten to it, I probably won't bother. Dealing with these rust issues up here is really pissing me off. Buy a clean, no-rust vehicle from Mass, and in much less than a year, the running boards have rotted off, and there are two holes starting in the rear floor and seam area, just like our 2000.
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the stock header works well as long as it doesnt have a crack in
it, I replaced my stock header with another - takeoff from another jeep,
50 bux, replace my Rusty's catback and flowmaster, after 8 years the
tubing finally rotted away(only thing I ever bought from them that held
up well ), stock 2 1/4 Walker muffler and pipe were about 90 bux, going
to replace the down-pipe as well, have one in the garage , stock fugly,
was about 60 bux,the heep is quieter, doesn't leak CO into the cabin,
and I didnt break the bank doing it.......
just my .02
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Any 409 I've "met" does NOT keep a nice looking finish. Nothing like the gleam of 304. But it doesn't tend to rust through quickly, way more slowly than mild steel. And at around 60% to 50% of the cost of other companies' 304 it's difficult to justify.
Not that you don't make a GREAT point. I have a huge internal battle with weather to dump my Miata or not because of the rust. The Jeep's definitely staying I just have to figure out what I'm going to DO about the rust. I give myself until next winter to get that figured out.
Speaking of which I really need to wash my Jeep.
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In short, you don't think headers are worth it, performance-wise. Hmmm.
Nothing wrong with my manifold at the moment. I just sort of figured "while I'm in there". The usual.
Certainly the header is the most expensive. The dynomax plus the cat (the cat being the necessary part right now) is barely tipping over $200, and that's only from shipping.
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Any way to clean or treat with a compound to slow the rust?
More work but it may reward you in the long run!
I have a 26 year old car that should have been dead a long time ago from
rust that still is minimal. It was treated by Rusty Jones I believe since
new.
POR makes chemicals to treat cast iron exhaust manifolds.
Oils will burn into SS so would coating the SS headers protect them more
after the smoke clears? ;-)
Check out my Jeep Cherokee
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