heard stainless headers like to crack.... is this true?
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heard stainless headers like to crack.... is this true?
i am strongly considering a set of QTP headers but now that i've heard this about stainless headers it may not be such a good idea. so is this true or not?
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Re: heard stainless headers like to crack.... is this true?
I highly doubt that.
Borla and Corsa use 304SS and they offer lifetime gaurantees. Also 304SS is supposed to be aircraft quality of something like that. So if its good enough to go on an F-16, its good enough to go on my Trans Am
Borla and Corsa use 304SS and they offer lifetime gaurantees. Also 304SS is supposed to be aircraft quality of something like that. So if its good enough to go on an F-16, its good enough to go on my Trans Am
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Re: heard stainless headers like to crack.... is this true?
It wouldn't be an issue with the stainless tube, it
would be with welding process workmanship (pre- and
post-heat) and quality control. You can get brittle
welds in stainless more readily than mild steel.
And, with cost of materials and more difficult
bending, manufacturers might be tempted to go with
thinner walled tube which only makes the welding more
critical.
Until the new brands of stainless headers have seen
a lifetime of heat cycles, you just won't know. An
aerospace part would have to be run through a qual
regimen. Good materials alone do not suffice. You
can turn good material into junk very easily.
It'd be great if the vendors had the kind of test
data and QC that certainty would require. But this
is where hammers get to be $500. You don't plan on
paying aircraft prices, I reckon.
would be with welding process workmanship (pre- and
post-heat) and quality control. You can get brittle
welds in stainless more readily than mild steel.
And, with cost of materials and more difficult
bending, manufacturers might be tempted to go with
thinner walled tube which only makes the welding more
critical.
Until the new brands of stainless headers have seen
a lifetime of heat cycles, you just won't know. An
aerospace part would have to be run through a qual
regimen. Good materials alone do not suffice. You
can turn good material into junk very easily.
It'd be great if the vendors had the kind of test
data and QC that certainty would require. But this
is where hammers get to be $500. You don't plan on
paying aircraft prices, I reckon.
#4
Re: heard stainless headers like to crack.... is this true?
I had a set of SS LPE headers for several years and never had any cracking problems. There are a lot of SS mufflers and exhaust systems and I have never heard any report of cracking in those either.
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Re: heard stainless headers like to crack.... is this true?
stainless is the best you can buy.. problem comes when a manufacturer doesnt build them differently from a mild steel header.. stainless swells 5 times more than mild steel, and that has to be taken into consideration..or else..
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Re: heard stainless headers like to crack.... is this true?
There are a lot of SS mufflers and exhaust systems and I have never heard any report of cracking in those either.