Header Noise
Header Noise So this might be hard to explain via text but I'll try. I love the exhaust sound out the rear of my car with the new setup but I hate the ticking sound the headers give. I am fairly sure it's not exhaust leak tick because every header set on any car I've ever had, has the same ticking sound. My question is how do you get rid of the sound without removing the headers? Will kooks or American racing headers have thicker material and less noise? Will wrapping the headers quiet it?
*edit I have speed engineering 1 3/4 headers and off road y with a TSP catback
*edit I have speed engineering 1 3/4 headers and off road y with a TSP catback
Last edited by 1bdbrd; Apr 14, 2017 at 07:09 AM.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 22,303
Likes: 3,619
From: Central Cal.
You are experiencing the classic header sound. Thicker walls, wrapping(NOT recommended), or cast manifolds(right...) would all solve it. It's that tinny resonance sound that some like, and others like you don't. Unless you get thicker wall headers, you might have to live with it.
I figured that would happen. Who makes thicker walled headers?
Also why not wrap them? The car isn't driven in the snow or rain and the entire exhaust is stainless. Would it hold in too much heat for the thin metal to withstand?
Also why not wrap them? The car isn't driven in the snow or rain and the entire exhaust is stainless. Would it hold in too much heat for the thin metal to withstand?
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 22,303
Likes: 3,619
From: Central Cal.
Wrapping heats the tubing to a point that weakens it considerably. Not worth it just to cut noise. The noise you're speaking is what I call a "tingling" sound for lack of a better term, and usually is mostly heard from the outside only, and only slightly from the interior. I've had a few vehicles with headers to know this to be true. You are positive there are no leaks? An actual hard "tick" would indicate a leak at the header gasket on the head. Sometimes they are elusive.
I have the same exact exhaust set up as you, and your right the tick is really annoying. I just switched about a week ago and had it dyno tuned yesterday and lost 20 ft. lbs and 5 hp. From the Mac mids. And flowmaster I had before.
So today I put the Mac mids back on, they are ceramic coated and much thicker. All I can say is wow it is so much quieter now. I have another appointment to get the car re tuned to see if I can get my power back.
So today I put the Mac mids back on, they are ceramic coated and much thicker. All I can say is wow it is so much quieter now. I have another appointment to get the car re tuned to see if I can get my power back.
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Verdad Gallardo I have the same exact exhaust set up as you, and your right the tick is really annoying. I just switched about a week ago and had it dyno tuned yesterday and lost 20 ft. lbs and 5 hp. From the Mac mids. And flowmaster I had before.
So today I put the Mac mids back on, they are ceramic coated and much thicker. All I can say is wow it is so much quieter now. I have another appointment to get the car re tuned to see if I can get my power back.
So today I put the Mac mids back on, they are ceramic coated and much thicker. All I can say is wow it is so much quieter now. I have another appointment to get the car re tuned to see if I can get my power back.
As far as my header noise I'm really considering going to a name brand header if their material is thicker and then coating them if the noise is still there.
As as far as the heat with wrapping, wouldn't there be more heat in a turbo crossover? Those get wrapped and no one has issues with that?
I can vouch for the case of NOT wrapping headers. I wrapped a set of headers on my old second gen T/A. Just three years later I had to remove them - by the time id finished removing them, in places only the wrap remained. The metal within had crumbled away to dust just by the movement required to remove them. In the places where the pipes didn't crumble, I removed the wrap and the headers looked 50 years old never mind just three.
I can vouch for the case of NOT wrapping headers. I wrapped a set of headers on my old second gen T/A. Just three years later I had to remove them - by the time id finished removing them, in places only the wrap remained. The metal within had crumbled away to dust just by the movement required to remove them. In the places where the pipes didn't crumble, I removed the wrap and the headers looked 50 years old never mind just three.
They were mild steel Pace setter headers. The car was driven in all weathers but we don't really have snow in the UK that often and the car was never driven in snow if we did get a light dusting of it. Obviously not all headers are equal but I would never wrap again regardless. If engine bay heat is an issue then ceramic coated I would say is probably the best bet.
My god I couldn't imagine how bad the other headers were if your speed engineering headers are quieter. Mine are very noisy but I can't remember how the original kooks sounded.
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2013
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From: upstate ny
When I was running old style Texas speed catted Y I had no tick. When I switched to new style stainless Texas speed ory I have a very noticeable tick. That's the first thing I noticed when I first started the car after install. Stainless y has thinner wall vs old style non stainless.
