Mid-length vs longtube // Ebay headers

[Wyd]

Anyone have any input on ebay headers for the 4.2?

On a tight budget as is, which is why im looking into ebay. (doing timing chains and upgrading my destroyed clutch: careless previous owner)

Also what is the difference of long tube and mid length?



Looking specifically at these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/AUDI-HEADERS...VXAsb0&vxp=mtr

[dsgray16]

You will most likely not get support for this here.. You get what you pay for in headers, and I believe a somebody had a bad experience with eBay headers.

My advise would be that if you can't afford JHM headers.. Wait till you can. You may end up spending the same money anyways after you have to replace these.. Or you may just not get the gains you should be getting from headers. There is a lot of R&D into the piping layout and collection point.

Also, what catback would you run?

My understanding of long vs short tube is that long tube adds more low end torque, while short tube aids in peak HP numbers. This mid length streaks a happy medium.

[kevinye77137]

You should try it out and tell us the results! Durability wise i think it will be good but does it fit?

[Blackstallion]

This has been discussed a handful of times - it's your money so do what you want...

[Blackstallion]

i was referring to their DP's but can't imagine these being any different - fitment/quality/performance etc

[roboto_1337]

eBay will likely not fit well. Mid length headers should extend past your pre cats and long tube typically marries up past your cats. Performance wise the above post outlines what you will gain.

Unless you're going to supercharge and rebuild your bottom end there wouldn't be much benefit from long headers.

[dsgray16]

eBay will likely not fit well. Mid length headers should extend past your pre cats and long tube typically marries up past your cats. Performance wise the above post outlines what you will gain.

Unless you're going to supercharge and rebuild your bottom end there wouldn't be much benefit from long headers.

I had very noticeable gains in low end torque from JHM long tubes.

[Blackstallion]

I had very noticeable gains in low end torque from JHM long tubes.

I second this - the torque itself made me super giddy...

[JimmyBones]

I had very noticeable gains in low end torque from JHM long tubes.

I second this - the torque itself made me super giddy...

There is a big difference from the JHM V1 long tube headers to the eBay long tube headers though.

The JHM V1 long tube headers are fantastic. They make the car such a blast to drive around town where you actually notice the gains. I have the JHM V2 headers now and they are awesome too. Plus it is so much easier to work on the car with the V2 headers!

[Mr. Corey]

Also have the V2 headers they really wake up the car compared to a few different types DP's I ran previously.

[melomandn]

As others have said, this is a "pay to play" area. The biggest downside here is if they crack, you have to pull the engine again to fix the issue. Sure they may be much cheaper up front, but could be much more of a hassle than they're worth down the road.

[dsgray16]

OP hasn't responded in 24 hours.. Hmmph

[alcatranz518]

I have the long tube version of the XS Power headers and they are heat wrapped. With my training/ experience I wasn't concerned with fitment, so I "took one for the team".

The fitment wasn't terrible with the installation of the lower portions of the nuts on the flange to the head being the only tricky part (but not impossible). I have a thread on here if you search on a mild review with most of everything except for a dyno comparison of before and after. I have had them on my car now for over a year with absolutely zero problems. Now I will say I live in Arizona, so they don't see much for corrosion from a salt perspective but they have seen snow (I live outside of Prescott), and they sure get high heat from the road temps here and my spirited trips to Phoenix, Sedona, Grand Canyon, and Flagstaff which are over an hour + one way to any of those, and also Vegas which is a 3hr trip one way. (2.5hrs if I decide to top her out after Kingman..."theoretically" ). The XS brand has made crap in the past, and I was skeptical but not too concerned, either I got a really good set or they've improved their quality in products. I would bet the JH ones are much better still, but for what its worth my set is good.

[FastEddie]

Ill echo what others have said about the JHM headers. I will so though, quite possibly the greatest feature of all is the fact that as cruising speed there is ZERO and i mean ZERO drone. My car sounds quiet if i maintain speed on the highway and the second i hit the accelerator it brings the noise! Everytime i drive from NYC to North Carolina for Quattro de mayo i love that. And yes the Torque around town is awesome

[JimmyBones]

Ill echo what others have said about the JHM headers. I will so though, quite possibly the greatest feature of all is the fact that as cruising speed there is ZERO and i mean ZERO drone. My car sounds quiet if i maintain speed on the highway and the second i hit the accelerator it brings the noise! Everytime i drive from NYC to North Carolina for Quattro de mayo i love that. And yes the Torque around town is awesome

I had totally forgotten about the no drone. It has been so long since I have heard exhaust drone from my car that it slipped my mind. Drone would have sucked on the cross country road trips that I have taken in my car.

[alcatranz518]

+1 with lack of drone and also the TQ.

Additionally the reduced gas mileage....not from the change in engine efficiency, but a heavier foot on acceleration in canyons, tunnels, or anywhere next to a wall because of that wonderful noise she makes. lmao

[ZimbutheMonkey]

I have the long tube version of the XS Power headers and they are heat wrapped. With my training/ experience I wasn't concerned with fitment, so I "took one for the team".

The fitment wasn't terrible with the installation of the lower portions of the nuts on the flange to the head being the only tricky part (but not impossible). I have a thread on here if you search on a mild review with most of everything except for a dyno comparison of before and after. I have had them on my car now for over a year with absolutely zero problems. Now I will say I live in Arizona, so they don't see much for corrosion from a salt perspective but they have seen snow (I live outside of Prescott), and they sure get high heat from the road temps here and my spirited trips to Phoenix, Sedona, Grand Canyon, and Flagstaff which are over an hour + one way to any of those, and also Vegas which is a 3hr trip one way. (2.5hrs if I decide to top her out after Kingman..."theoretically" ). The XS brand has made crap in the past, and I was skeptical but not too concerned, either I got a really good set or they've improved their quality in products. I would bet the JH ones are much better still, but for what its worth my set is good.

AWESOME!!!! thank you for bucking the trend and posting that.

I plan on doing the same thing with my 2004 S4 that's in progress.

My only concern with the XSpower headers are the collectors. The ones I saw in the pics looked kinda short and stubby. If end up using the XS power headers, I'll likely get a set of proper collectors from a vendor like 'Burn's Stainless' and splice the new collectors in a little earlier to get the scavenging benefits higher up in the RPM band.

What are you using for a tune?

I'd be curious to see how the headers/MAF/Cam phasing/manifold changeover all play together.

I found that adding 2.5 in downpipes required a significant revamp of my cam phasing to keep the lower RPM power from dipping.

Do you happen to have some .csv logs that measure RPM x MAF x cam phasing? Send one off to me if you want and I can offer you some feedback.

[alcatranz518]

AWESOME!!!! thank you for bucking the trend and posting that.

I plan on doing the same thing with my 2004 S4 that's in progress.

My only concern with the XSpower headers are the collectors. The ones I saw in the pics looked kinda short and stubby. If end up using the XS power headers, I'll likely get a set of proper collectors from a vendor like 'Burn's Stainless' and splice the new collectors in a little earlier to get the scavenging benefits higher up in the RPM band.

What are you using for a tune?

I'd be curious to see how the headers/MAF/Cam phasing/manifold changeover all play together.

I found that adding 2.5 in downpipes required a significant revamp of my cam phasing to keep the lower RPM power from dipping.

Do you happen to have some .csv logs that measure RPM x MAF x cam phasing? Send one off to me if you want and I can offer you some feedback.

I have the JHM tune but no unfortunately I don't have any logging done. I would like to at some point, but with her being my only ride (DD), graduate school, and now getting house ready to sell, and a work relocate cross country back to the east coast I barely have time to eat and sleep. Its sad when you look forward to going in to work so you can relax lol.

[ZimbutheMonkey]

Weellllllll, you can always pull some data logs on your cross country relocation lol.

Just think of it as making the best of a bad situation hahaha.

[alcatranz518]

Hahaha! That's not a bad idea actually, considering the elevation changes and fuel differences I'd pass through going to NC (I'm almost a mile up here in AZ and we only have 91 oct fuel). If I drive her I will definitely log some data, I may end up trailering though.