Pace setter Header

[Tora]

I'm using Cusco mounts. Stiff as heck (loud in the cabin), but that sucker doesn't appear to shake at all anymore. Also, the engine is lower by 1cm, which I didn't think would make much of a difference, but noticeably changed the center of gravity of the car. Very cool. I guess changing them was pretty easy, as I had the whole engine out.

I looked around for 4-2-1 exhausts too, and I'm sorry to say that you'll have a really hard time finding one. I've been looking for a Vibrant 4-2-1 for a while:
http://www.dreamsofdrifting.com/ae86/vibrant/index.htm

Good quality copy of the TRD 4-2-1. Have to use a small-port oil filter sandwich or relocate kit to clear the oil filter.

[Deuce Cam]

I'm using Cusco mounts.

Same here, great mod. Plus my car has no sound deadening material I agree that it's loud even with the stock cat/cbe.

There aren't any good or reasonably priced 4-2-1 manifolds for a stock'ish 16v available anymore. There's some good baller **** out there, but they're only beneficial on a 20v or highly tuned 16v, and they cost $1500+.

[Tora]

Did you do dry ice to get the deadening out? I considered removing mine when I did the carpet, but I didn't have the materials to repaint.

[RLZ]

I'm using Cusco mounts. Stiff as heck (loud in the cabin), but that sucker doesn't appear to shake at all anymore. Also, the engine is lower by 1cm, which I didn't think would make much of a difference, but noticeably changed the center of gravity of the car. Very cool. I guess changing them was pretty easy, as I had the whole engine out.

I looked around for 4-2-1 exhausts too, and I'm sorry to say that you'll have a really hard time finding one. I've been looking for a Vibrant 4-2-1 for a while:
http://www.dreamsofdrifting.com/ae86/vibrant/index.htm

Good quality copy of the TRD 4-2-1. Have to use a small-port oil filter sandwich or relocate kit to clear the oil filter.

Since I'm not gonna pull the engine out, is it easy also? Do I need to jack the engine keep it in the sam place then replace the mounts?
The Vibrant Header looks cool but still need to find an other adapter to fit it. Any other direct bolt on?

[Deuce Cam]

^Put a big flat piece of wood between the jack and oil pan to support the engine when swapping the engine mounts. (You don't need to use wood to support the trans. when swapping the trans. mount.)

Did you do dry ice to get the deadening out? I considered removing mine when I did the carpet, but I didn't have the materials to repaint.

I've completely removed it from 2 corollas so far. I tried using dry ice the first time around and it only helped a little - probably not worth the $20+ you'll spend. Others have had better results using dry ice but I think a lot of it has to do with the condition, age and the material these use for the sound deadening (worse condition = easier to remove) . All you really need is a screwdriver, hammer, and time . I've found a rubber mallet, and a few wide tip screwdrivers ranging from stubby to long work best. Technique is the real time saver though. It's easier and faster once you get the hang of it, but still a major pita.

I didn't paint either car after removing it (not recommended) and haven't had trouble with rust. I live in a very dry desert climate though. There's a pretty hardy layer of primer under the sound deadening, but you get a lot of scratches to bare metal from the screwdriver.

Warning!: The car is way louder after removing it and overall insulation is worse. The heat of the exhaust on the driver floor area becomes much more noticeable.

[RLZ]

[quote="Deuce Cam"]^Put a big flat piece of wood between the jack and oil pan to support the engine when swapping the engine mounts. (You don't need to use wood to support the trans. when swapping the trans. mount.)

Than you for the answer, but other mounts you will recommend except cusco?

[Deuce Cam]

I haven't tried any other mounts.

[mustangraptor03]

Just wanted to add my two cents regarding the Pacesetter header. I too had my OEM crack and so I looked for a cheap one and went with the Pacesetter. After about 2 years, the 1 and 3 primaries had cracked big time. Even before that, I noticed that my motor seemed to have been choked until past 4000 rpm. Yeah, the plus side was it was lighter, but I didn't like feeling that the motor was being choked out and the crack made it better reason to get something else. The header was the only mod I did during that time, so I know that had to have caused the choking. The OBX got rid of the choked feeling and I don't think I noticed the bog on the low end. I should've bought the OBX from the beginning. The OBX, even being a "cheap" header is made of a better material of the Pacesetter and like someone said earlier, the stupid slip downpipe sucks.

[RLZ]

Just wanted to add my two cents regarding the Pacesetter header. I too had my OEM crack and so I looked for a cheap one and went with the Pacesetter. After about 2 years, the 1 and 3 primaries had cracked big time. Even before that, I noticed that my motor seemed to have been choked until past 4000 rpm. Yeah, the plus side was it was lighter, but I didn't like feeling that the motor was being choked out and the crack made it better reason to get something else. The header was the only mod I did during that time, so I know that had to have caused the choking. The OBX got rid of the choked feeling and I don't think I noticed the bog on the low end. I should've bought the OBX from the beginning. The OBX, even being a "cheap" header is made of a better material of the Pacesetter and like someone said earlier, the stupid slip downpipe sucks.

Thank you for the feedback, i think i just wait for trd or something better, i need a 4-2-1 one for ever.

[Flipp]

Yea, I don't get carbon monoxide headaches anymore.

is that where thats coming from? i was thinking it was seeping thru a crack in the fire wall or something.

[KonaTrueno723]

Concerning radiating floor heat from headers, i'm between keeping or removing my sound deading stuff on my floors now..I had this same issue on my toyota p/u,, my floor mats even retained heat. I did buy header wrap & i wrapped my headers all the way down beyond the collectors & it did helped some (i itched for days..fiberglass). Ceramic headers would prob be a good solution. Theres a company that offers this coating system for all headers. Can't remember who it was but I'll post when I find out.

[mikeyee]

too much text, didn't read much of it. but i'll throw in my .02 on headers and "fitment".

the EGR bung thing is a non-issue. you can easily bend the egr tubes to fit aftermarket headers if they aren't lined up straight.
the heat from the exhaust isn't a big deal either. if it gets bad, that's what header-wrap is for. or getting heat shields made.

the real "fitment" issue i've run across on all exhaust manifolds is ground clearance.

after getting fed up with my leaky, heavy POS oem exhaust manifold, i picked up an OBX for fairly cheap. threw it on and instantly had ground clearance problems..



after a few months time and some gaskets later, the flanges ended up grinding flat. so it became not as much of a problem.. but was still a pain busting the downpipe (scraping open holes n sh*t). So I got my OEM exhaust manifold fixed and also a skid plate welded on to the downpipe:



and clearance was much better than the OBX's. (sorry, didn't get pictures)

for reference, this was my car's ride height at the time:




now, that was over a year back. since then, i pulled the motor and had the car on jack-stands for most of 2012. as of now, i'll be picking up a 7AG from a friend fairly soon.. and his car has some Pacesetter headers. after test driving the motor, and checking out the fitment (exhaust downpipe to subframe).. I don't think i've seen better "clearance"! the downpipe barely peeked out a bit from the frame rails (better than OEM downpipes!). which means, if i do go back to the height i was previously, busting exhaust gaskets and poking holes will no longer be as much of a hassle as it was before! (wooo hoooo!)

(also note. the 7A does raise the head up some millimeters. and that does play a pretty big role in it's fitment in this case.)

I'm tempted to try running the OEM exhaust manifold and downpipe with the 7A.. But he needs to take it for his new swap, so no biggie for me. also, losing all that weight from the front would be nice.

i guess my biggest issue now with the pacesetter would be the legality of the header in CA... oh well, here's to hoping the best >_>..

[gotzoom?]

If you can find a factory braket with the hooks that normally goes on the forward side of the cat, you can modify it to fit the larger flanges on the Pace Setter or OBX header. Using that should raise the cat up closer to factory location. I bought a band clamp from Burns and tapped the Pace Setter slip fit up as high as it will go, then clamped the union. It has decent clearance now even without the bracket on the cat.

[Tora]

If you can find a factory braket with the hooks that normally goes on the forward side of the cat, you can modify it to fit the larger flanges on the Pace Setter or OBX header. Using that should raise the cat up closer to factory location. I bought a band clamp from Burns and tapped the Pace Setter slip fit up as high as it will go, then clamped the union. It has decent clearance now even without the bracket on the cat.

That bracket fit my OBX without any modification. Needed it to bolt the downpipe to the cat, if I remember correctly.

[KonaTrueno723]

After my short stroke strut mod up front, looks like i'll be encountering ground clearance problems with my own obx. I have a v-clamp kit from dynatech which i'll probably tig weld the flanges in for a disconnect, since it does offer some clearance over obx connector flange.

We'll floor heat is a big problem for some people... Which in my case two sets of headers, each of um' running under the floor pans. You could imagine the floor heat i was dealing with. Dont want that for my 86. I'll save up & buy ceramic headers one day.

[Deuce Cam]

Ceramic headers would prob be a good solution. Theres a company that offers this coating system for all headers.

The manifold and dp I'm using (trd 4-1) comes ceramic coated from the facotry. I've considered wrapping the dp but I just can't bring myself to do it because is shortens the life.

If I ever hit the lotto and buy one of those fancy $1500+ manifolds it's going to straight to swain tech for their 'white lightning' treatment before it's ever used. They can coat the inside of the pipe also. Shiz basically looks like this:

[gotzoom?]

I burned my right heel on hot track days even with the stock manifold and downpipe, so I'm not sure how much can be done about the heat in the footwell. If your blower motor still works, turn it on high and set it to blow only to the floor. That helps a little. It's just one of those problems you have when you design a car to be rhd and then sell it as lhd as well, I guess.

[KonaTrueno723]

DeuceCam= $1500..? Holy crap!

gotzoom= ..and floor is alot cooler on that side on RHD's

[Deuce Cam]

^These days pretty much all the headers that actually perform better than the stock header cost over $1500 (jsp, yspl/k1, hasselgren, etc.).

I burned my right heel on hot track days even with the stock manifold and downpipe, so I'm not sure how much can be done about the heat in the footwell. If your blower motor still works, turn it on high and set it to blow only to the floor. That helps a little. It's just one of those problems you have when you design a car to be rhd and then sell it as lhd as well, I guess.

The sr5 has an extra heat shield in the firewall/floor area. It doesn't fit on a gts with the stock manifold. Since I'm using the trd header I was easily able to make the sr5 heat shield work. It helps a tad but not much.

[thehighflyin12]

Don't use pacesetter, its garbage!

[MisterJerk]

The pacesetter is not bad for the money, I have had both headers, OBX 4-1 and Pacesetter. I went from the Pacesetter to the OBX(cause it looks better, etc) then went back to the pacesetter. 2" downpipe on the OBX killed it for me, midrange torque was decent, ran well, seemed kind of choked at higher RPMs. Plus high pitched, ear piercing BWAAAH on the freeway.
Other than looking like **** and cracking here and there(my buddy welded it up a couple times) it runs great, nice and deep tone, good midrange and top end. and I have had it for 5 years. Plus it has 2.25" outlet, which matches my straight pipe and exhaust. The cracking issues could easily be solved by a flex pipe somewhere in the downpipe.

The best header I ever owned for ae86 was an old old Trust/greddy header, That thing went on 14 different engines in the same car, cracked at every weld, PO had the flex pipe removed, which caused all the cracks. But i loved it all the same. Ran awesome, good power mid and top end. I wish i could get one again.

[chemtrails]

I have had experience with almost of the listed exhaust manifolds

Pace Setters = Cheap and brake, bad fitment, mine used to rattle against my frame rail
2nd gen TRD 4-1 = Very solid but a little $$$

If you dont mind waiting a little more i know battle garage is coming out with a header, 4-2-1 style

http://www.battlegarage.bigcartel.com/p ... 6v-and-20v

[cerumo]

i had 2 pacesetters and going for the 3rd one. dont wrap them because it will crack. first one cracked due to heat wrap. second one sold due to engine swap. i just bought the 3rd one. it has to be welded so make sure you line it up right before you get it welded. i had obx 4-1 and have to get rid of it because i loss power low to middle rpm.

[gotzoom?]

Burns Stainless sells band clamps that you can use to hold the slip fit in place. That's what I have on mine. I installed the header, pushed the slip fit as far up as I could get it, then tightened the clamp down. It's holding well.

[Gtapex16]

I have a pace setter on mine for 5 years now. no fitment issue herd they like to crack but havnt had an issue even driving it in New England in below zero weather Although I did have a melted dizzy cap, so I bought a aw11 heat sheild one and the inner seal only lasted a year so I think I'm gonn wrap em.

[morgan]

^somethings not adding up if its a pacesetter. You munst have the one in a million, the golden ticket

[gotzoom?]

The mistake that a lot of people make is to wrap their header. Wrapping offers a very small performance gain in exchange for not allowing the heat to dissipate from the header metal. Over time, that fatigues the metal and causes it to crack (on any header.) If you're trying to control heat inside the engine bay, get an AW11 distributor, a TE72 brake master cyl heat shield and make a heat shield for the top of the header. Installing the factory underbody covers also helps pull heat out of the engine bay.