MACEDON

Hello fellows

My car is at the shop right now getting mids installed over the course of the week, I am imagining I have some time to decide on this matter so I wanna ask if its possible

The reason is that I read that headers can crack because of the lack of flexibility, for that I'm wondering if it's even possible to have a flex pipe connection between the headers and the rest of the mid section...

I understand this might restrict flow, but I'm not interested in racing so to me durability>performance for the time being.

Should I call the guy and tell him to add a flex pipe between? Or is that not possible with these headers...

I'm basically a noob when it comes to exhausts so TAKE IT EASY

Love you all, thanks

hayseed

iTrader: (2)

I would but not required keep us posted at progress and part numbers

https://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/...-sale-now.html

LNDMISSL

My first mod was Eurocharged mids with flex-pipe.

Only mods at that time was Mid's & PLM...I laid down 459 rwhp at Eurocharged in Toronto.

carguyshu

if you're concerned with dependability you should have went MBH. flex pipes will reduce the chances of header cracks, but will lower power and themselves will be prone to collapsing and failing. make sure the transmission to exhaust triangulation mount is reinstalled correctly. many installers toss this and is another reason why the kleemann/eurocharged headers are more prone to cracking.

MACEDON

Oh I'm not so sure what part I would use. I forwarded this thread to the owner of the shop to see if he is familiar with any of it and I'm hoping his exhaust guy will be able to chime in with parts and to supply them. I'll definitely update with pics once it's all done.

I should've researched this a bit ahead of time but I just remembered, after I took the car in.

PieRat

I had a kleemann header crack (they're very similar to EC). It cracked on the weld after the collector. The shop had put a dent in the header where it cracked in order to stop it rubbing on the steering (I'm right hand drive). Luckily here in New Zealand I can claim the part was defective under local consumer law and got it locally so acquired a new header for free.

Decided to get the dealership to put the new one in, rubbed a lot less without modification but they want to take it out, get it modified and re-installed (removal and install labor free of course).

I didn't have flex pipe and when I deleted secondaries with a X-pipe had the 3 inch pipe installed that resulted in it torquing into something underneath the car. Took it in and the exhaust shop thought it was the brace underneath the brace rubbing, they lowered it a bit and it got a lot better but still there. First I'll try lowering the brace further to see if its still hitting that or go with flex pipe if it keeps causing hassles.

MACEDON

I'm having an X pipe put in as well, my cats are already gone.

Because of your story, my reason to do it has fortified.

I got solid (polyurethane) mounts to go along with the headers, and doing the tranny mounts too.

All that combined should guarantee a few dozen miles without cracks.

brdaun

I had 3" pieces of flex pipe put in when i did my headers.
Headers>Flex>X-pipe>mufflers

The engine torques so much that the addition of that flex on the solid exhaust system will help.

kenneyd

I do not know if they are "required", but all the post i read here recommended them, so i used them for the install.

IMO they dont effect the performance, and they make the install much easier.
Ken

carguyshu

You will generally lose 5-10 hp with them depending on your setup

tw2

Long tubes are great but 2-8x the price depending on the product and who does the install. Even with flex pipes there has to be a huge increase in flow getting rid of the stock collector to primary cat join.

I don't see how long tubes without flex pipes are going to survive so much longer than mid length unless you have spring loaded joins and have exhaust leaks and other issues.

carguyshu

They're going to last longer bc they are high quality materials/welds instead of Chinese crap. At least mbh are lifetime guarantee & the raw materials alone used in them cost 2x what mids cost

tw2

So your saying it has nothing to do with the design just that these particular two products have differing materials and assembly quality? So OBX long tubes vs some locally made high quality mids and the situation reverses?

MACEDON

I ended up not getting the flex pipes, they were an extra $400 :-/

If I get a crack I'm taking these things off and doing MBH. End of story.

new55

what brand/model flex pipe did you go with - i need to get headers installed on mine (400 seems a little high though ?)

MACEDON

I didn't get em. I didn't go into much detail with the shop owner because it was over the phone, he has an exhaust guy that came in and did the welds after the install and an X-pipe.

Welds look super clean and I'm very happy but I didn't want to add an extra $400 for the flex pipes... the whole job was $270 for the exhaust, not sure why the extra $400... but at any rate I decided not to do it. I'm sure the polyurethane engine mounts will help fend off cracks for a while.

hayseed

iTrader: (2)

do you feel much vibration with the poly mounts - seems like a good way to go ?

PieRat

400 bucks, ouch. Did you just get x pipe and cat removed or did you get mid's in too? I managed to get that done for 365 USD, they put 3inch from the xpipe up to the Kleemann down pipes for me too. labor for install of mid's for me costed 580 US for me.

MACEDON

360 for the header install, 285 for the x pipe and pipes. I had the cats/res removed beforehand from the previous owner but it looked terrible. So I had 3 inch pipe put in with an x pipe.

Haven't picked the car up yet, it's getting its airmatic calibrated, gonna get it today. I'm expecting a little bit of vibration from the mounts, I'll write a review and post it when I get it.

Got the following done:
poly mounts
tranny mount
3 piece pulley kit installed
010 pump installed
brake fluid
lower tensioner
accessory belt
airmatic calibration (it was leaning to the left from the previous owner's shenanigans)

Car should feel like new when I get it.

MACEDON

Just picked up the car. Drove it home.

Huge huge improvement in how the car feels thanks to the poly mounts and the new tranny mount.

Beforehand the car would really struggle when I let off the gas and the engine and tranny unwind from eachother resulting in a jolt... all that torsional load is now accepted by the mounts and it feels much much better. Shifts feel better, acceleration and deceleration feel better, huge improvements all around.

With the new headers and X pipe the car sounds a whole lot better. Not sure how power has improved but my main goal was to get rid of the nasty stock leaking headers and the terrible weld job from the previous owner's bad choices.

All in all the car is in tip top shape now and I'm very happy.

kenneyd

Sounds great, check out the 3 bolt flanges after a few days, or if you hear a fluttering. mine came lose and blew out the gasket. I added lock washers and all is well now.

My welds look nowhere as good as the EC welds in the picture above, but my welds are free and strong lol.

Here is mine with flex pipes: