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As many of you have figured out already, I recently picked up a set of headers from the warehouse at American Racing Headers. Nick, Steve, & Andy were fantastic to work with! They were extremely responsive to all my questions about their headers and installation instructions. They even offered to install the headers onto my car for a very reasonable price. I was very tempted to go with them for my install, but the distance and timing ultimately led to my decision to perform my own install. This was what awaited me when I picked up my headers.
American Racing/MHP Headers awaiting my pickup
Long Tube Headers Unboxed
200 cell high flow cats
ARH/MHP Long Tube Headers
The installation went relatively smoothly, and we were able to complete the installation from start to finish in 4 hours time. Keep in mind that the install was done on a lift and with access to all the necessary tools.
OEM downpipes removed and steering rack dropped.
Finally installed the ARH/MHP Long Tube Headers! 80% done with my install at this point.
Test fitting and making final adjustments before clamping down the pipes.
ARH/MHP headers installed into place!
Close up shot of 200 cell cats and x pipe
Close up shot of x pipe and rear pipes clearing the factory brace
For those of you who are contemplating performing the installation yourself, there are a few items that I should point out. You're going to need quite a few extensions and sockets to be able to get the OEM nuts off the studs of the OEM log manifolds. It isn't a joke when they say it helps to have small or extreme dexterity.
We started on the passenger side first as that was the easiest to uninstall. You can unscrew the 4 upper nuts off the log manifolds from the top of the car, I would highly suggest you do that before raising the car up. Unfortunately, you can't do that on the drivers side header. I am not joking when I well you that we spent about 20 mins each of the upper nuts on the drivers side header. It may be shocking to hear this, but the long tube headers is a lot easier to install as it has more room and clearance to do so. We ended up breaking one stud off the oem studs, apparently this is very common, but we found out that ARH was very attentive to every detail of the installation. They had provided grade 8 bolts (which are stronger than the oem brass nuts/studs).
ARH even designed the rear pipes to incorporate a donut design, so that you don't have to reuse the oem donut gasket.
I had to call Andy up with questions that arose as I was performing my Saturday afternoon installation and he was extremely accommodating. I don't have any experience dealing with any of the other vendors that sell headers, but I would expect nothing less than the service I received.
For those of you in the NYC area who needs any work performed on their car, my friend is a certified AMG tech who can do all this work for a reasonable price.
I know this is an old thread, but I just broke two studs taking the headers off. How did you get your broken stud out? I'm in Long Island.
If you broke them off in the head, you're screwed. Sorry, that blows. Drop the engine.
Never screwed, that's what mechanics are for. They stick out about three quarters of an inch. I'll try welding nuts on the end and twisting them out. If not, I'm calling a tow truck.......
2012 P31 C63 Coupe Trackrat, 2019 GLE63S Coupe Beast
You're good then. If they were buried in the head, I don't see any other way to get anything in there to extract. 3/4" is plenty to work with. Good luck.
Old thread but exactly what I'm struggling with.I found a decent deal (i think) on ARH headers/midpipe but I'm wondering if I should go 200cell cats or not.
I had an older c63 with full IPE exhaust that was REALLY loud when valves were opened, I'd be curious to know how loud stock exhaust is with ARH/catless x pipe. I'd assume the stock mufflers are quieter than the IPE mufflers, plus I'd likely put the stock resonators back in.
I'm currently running with resonators removed (straight pipe), secondary cats deleted by an H pipe with a 1.5" connecting piece. I still want to go louder but not quite to IPE full exhaust loud if I have no valves to quiet it down. I'd gather even with the 200cell cats it would be a good bit louder than I am now, but would it even make much more power?
Can't answer the power questions, as I never had the chance to have mine put on the drum, but I have had the ARH LT, 200 cell cats, and running the stock resonators.
Love this setup. Zero drone at any speeds, super close to stock sound levels when doing highway speeds up to 120 km/h (75 mph).
But when you cold start, or get it past say 4000 rpm, you can tell it's not stock any longer. Sounds like a pissed off God ripping the air apart. Love, love, love this setup.
Seat of pants only, car is definitely faster. Hope to get it to a town with a Dyno one time to spin it up and see. That or back to the same track I ran a few years back, and make a few passes, see if the times improve.
My bet is they will. Running the Eurocharged header tune with tis combo. Zero codes, or issues/hiccups of any kind. Been three years now. Proven combo in my eyes.
Can't answer the power questions, as I never had the chance to have mine put on the drum, but I have had the ARH LT, 200 cell cats, and running the stock resonators.
Love this setup. Zero drone at any speeds, super close to stock sound levels when doing highway speeds up to 120 km/h (75 mph).
But when you cold start, or get it past say 4000 rpm, you can tell it's not stock any longer. Sounds like a pissed off God ripping the air apart. Love, love, love this setup.
Seat of pants only, car is definitely faster. Hope to get it to a town with a Dyno one time to spin it up and see. That or back to the same track I ran a few years back, and make a few passes, see if the times improve.
My bet is they will. Running the Eurocharged header tune with tis combo. Zero codes, or issues/hiccups of any kind. Been three years now. Proven combo in my eyes.
Just because I'm curious, what version EC tune is that? It seems like not many people have anything bad to say about the v5 but then experiences vary on the forum for v6/v7. I'm leaning towards doing headers now so I'm holding off on a tune just now until I decide/order the headers. Your sound level sounds about as loud as my secondary cat and reso delete with h pipe, so I might just go ARH and catless x pipe. I'd think if I put around light footed in Comfort, starting out in second and letting it shift early that it could be kept fairly quiet when need be. I'll need to find some stock resonators to weld back in though.
The tune is V6. Seems to be one of the "good" ones lol. Had (thinking back hard) "Mike's" X-pipe in previously, left the resonators etc in place tho.
Then went to the lt's. Sounds fine even in S etc. It's just when you get past say half throttle position and 4,000 rpm that she starts to come alive :-)
The tune is V6. Seems to be one of the "good" ones lol. Had (thinking back hard) "Mike's" X-pipe in previously, left the resonators etc in place tho.
Then went to the lt's. Sounds fine even in S etc. It's just when you get past say half throttle position and 4,000 rpm that she starts to come alive :-)
Hmmm, I really just want more sound from driving fairly easy. just like half throttle leaving the light and letting it shift around 3k, I want that to be louder. In sport the old car I had with full IPE was pretty much always fairly loud. Retarded loud at WOT. The LT header and x pipe videos seem to be just as loud as the IPE videos though.
Oh it's louder like that, just not excessive. Full disclosure though, I have tinnitus in one ear, so basically deaf on that side. So, in all truthfulness, could be a fair chunk louder than stock lol. Just seems like a livable, day to day volume for me.
Oh it's louder like that, just not excessive. Full disclosure though, I have tinnitus in one ear, so basically deaf on that side. So, in all truthfulness, could be a fair chunk louder than stock lol. Just seems like a livable, day to day volume for me.
I have ARH catless, stock resonators, and stock mufflers. Under 2k RPM the car is completely stock. Anything over 2k is loud compared to just a secondary cat delete I had before the headers. WOT is extremely loud. Almost sounds like an LS3 C6 vette tbh.
The only time I find my car being loud enough for my taste is at WOT, and again i'm just secondary cat delete with h pipe and reso delete. Sounds like I'd like catless ARH setup.
I have ARH catless, stock resonators, and stock mufflers. Under 2k RPM the car is completely stock. Anything over 2k is loud compared to just a secondary cat delete I had before the headers. WOT is extremely loud. Almost sounds like an LS3 C6 vette tbh.
I am planning to buy Benzwork LTH and go catless with my stock resonator and muffler. Do you also have stock mufflers. Could you share some sound clip from your setup.
Also does putting a X pipe instead of stock resonator would give bigger power gains?
LTH+Catless+Stock resonator+stock muffler is my prospective setup. Is there any setup that can give bigger power gains than this.
Do any one on this forum know a good shop to get my LTH installed. I am live in Michigan Ann Arbor area and I can travel 100+ miles too if there is some good shop in that vicinity.
I ordered the american racing headers and the catless x pipe but I don't have stock resonators anymore. Has anyone done this (or any LT) setup without resonators? Curious how it might sound as I might just install it this way rather than trying to find some resonators to weld back in. Most of the videos on youtube I can find with LT's and mid section have the stock resos.
I ordered the american racing headers and the catless x pipe but I don't have stock resonators anymore. Has anyone done this (or any LT) setup without resonators? Curious how it might sound as I might just install it this way rather than trying to find some resonators to weld back in. Most of the videos on youtube I can find with LT's and mid section have the stock resos.
Why do you want to put a resonator. Crossing exhaust stream twice that’s too in a short length difference can cause turbulence in the flow which would develop eddy’s. Such eddy’s can not only affect your scavanging action but would also increase unnecessary back pressure. Further more it can affect the exhaust tuning wave timing.
Why do you want to put a resonator. Crossing exhaust stream twice that’s too in a short length difference can cause turbulence in the flow which would develop eddy’s. Such eddy’s can not only affect your scavanging action but would also increase unnecessary back pressure. Further more it can affect the exhaust tuning wave timing.
I hope it helps.
Pretty much everyone that does long tubes and mid section leave their stock reso's in place (from what I read on here/see on youtube). In my mind I just defaulted to needing the stock reso's back in so that I know it will sound good based on all the LT videos I've seen. Since my exhaust has been modded a few times I'll have to have a custom section fab'd in from the american racing x pipe mid section to my mufflers, but to be honest, it will be much easier and cleaner to leave the resos out. I've just never heard how it might sound.
The headers and x pipe all came in the one box right? Would it fit in our cars with the seats down? It's hard to tell scale by that pic. Mine are arriving state side any day now and I have to go pick them up
The headers and x pipe all came in the one box right? Would it fit in our cars with the seats down? It's hard to tell scale by that pic. Mine are arriving state side any day now and I have to go pick them up
the box fit across the back seat for me. It wouldn’t fit in the trunk even with the seats down
The headers and x pipe all came in the one box right? Would it fit in our cars with the seats down? It's hard to tell scale by that pic. Mine are arriving state side any day now and I have to go pick them up
THe headers arrived in one box, but you can take the individually wrapped pieces and place it in your car for transport. I actually brought the headers home by placing the pieces in the trunk.
the box fit across the back seat for me. It wouldn’t fit in the trunk even with the seats down
With both seats down i'm sure there is more space front to back then on the back seat? Regardless it sounds like it'll fit one way or another. I just didn't want to make the trip to Washington and not have a way to get them home. lol.
With both seats down i'm sure there is more space front to back then on the back seat? Regardless it sounds like it'll fit one way or another. I just didn't want to make the trip to Washington and not have a way to get them home. lol.
yeah the problem is the box is too thick to make it between the trunk and the seats I tried lol
yeah the problem is the box is too thick to make it between the trunk and the seats I tried lol
hah, this is the reason I'm glad I asked. It was hard to tell in the pic how big the box is but never did I think it would be too thick to fit through there. On the backseat it is!
Also, I wanted to ask, did they include new gaskets or will I need those? anything else? It sounded like it came with new hardware,right?
05-23-2015, 07:59 AM
I don't have any experience dealing with any of the other vendors that sell headers, but I would expect nothing less than the service I received. 
