When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Long tube headers and mid-length headers measurements
Had a set of Maximizer long tubes, MBH long tubes and kleenman mid-length headers at the shop. Took some measurements and wanted to share. For those interested here are the findings.
Primary tube
Maximiers: 1.79 in
MBH: 1.63 in
Mids: 1.70 in
Collector
Maximiers: 2.92 in
MBH: 2.67 in
Mids: 2.58 in
The Maximizers are the longest. MBH is a bit shorter and the mids are the shortest in total length.
Fitment wise MBH takes the cake. The Maximizers are harder to install but doable. The mid-lengths aren't too bad either only thing about them is you need to have a welder connect the down-pipe.
All the measurements you reference are of the inside diameter. That is how pipe is measured. Tubing is measured by the outside diameter. Tubing will have all sorts of I.D measurements due to wall thickness. Our tubing is 1.75" tubing and is 16 gauge wall thickness and that would give you an ID of about 1.68.
Measuring at the flange port is not an accurate way to determine primary tube size. Some headers will weld the primary tube directly to the outside of the header flange. Some will slip it all the way in and weld both sides of the flange (inside and outside). some will slip it all they way in and just weld the outside part. As you can see coated chinese headers do not weld the inside of the flange. So its not a good area to determine anything except the inside of the port size. Keep in mind the OEM metal gaskets have an ID of 1.6. So a flange port any bigger than that can cause problems.
It is cool to see them all side by side. However only one header in this picture still has has a lifetime warranty on it
'
Very interesting and neat to see side by side brother thanks for sharing now lets get one car makin lots of boost an try ea one an see.the dyno graph overlay haha
They look like they would drag on the ground Love to see some side view installed pictures. My car is lowered enough to look cool but not be obvious. I don't think I'd have the clearance for cheap headers.
They look like they would drag on the ground Love to see some side view installed pictures. My car is lowered enough to look cool but not be obvious. I don't think I'd have the clearance for cheap headers.
Had a set of Maximizer long tubes, MBH long tubes and kleenman mid-length headers at the shop. Took some measurements and wanted to share. For those interested here are the findings.
Primary tube
Maximiers: 1.79 in
MBH: 1.63 in
Mids: 1.70 in
Collector
Maximiers: 2.92 in
MBH: 2.67 in
Mids: 2.58 in
The Maximizers are the longest. MBH is a bit shorter and the mids are the shortest in total length.
Fitment wise MBH takes the cake. The Maximizers are harder to install but doable. The mid-lengths aren't too bad either only thing about them is you need to have a welder connect the down-pipe.
2006 CLS55 IWC, 2003 Black E55 designo interior, 2005 White designo E55
Not worth buying fake cheap headers
I remember reading some many posts about the long tube headers and in particular the difference between the cheap fake ones and the actually engineered products from American racing and MBH. Well... here I am 3 years later. For what its worth:
do not buy the fakes.
Hard to fit
At least one exhaust port was partially blocked and I only discovered this when I removed the headers from the cylinder head to do engine work.
Leaks from before the primary or precat Oxygen sensors. Leaks that became worse with mileage and time. Poisonous fumes into cabin with windows closed. A real problem in summer as well as the fumes enter even more via window. Suffocating crap. Headaches, mood issues from the noxious fumes.
car is louder as the leakes get worse. Some noticeable vibration getting worse as leak gets worse.
Not to mention SIX front primary o2 sensors that got fried because car is running rich due to exhaust leak. 2 original ones and 4 bosch replacements. Even the bosch sensor for my AFR Guage got fried. The afr Gage was showing rich condition almost always but it didn't seem too bad and obviously car was running pretty ok.
Not to mention I spent about 400 dolars at the exhaust shop to fix the initial leaks, near the x pipe joints. Visited three times.. 400 total. Headers cost around 600 and some change.. so its quite funny to me that i had this around 75% extra cost for leaks!
so long tube headers.. lesson is this: do not put non engineered items on your car, particularly not a quality brand like Mercedes. Its a short lived experience.. fake items are not worth it, and to be fair its a bit offensive to the brands that actually design and engineer these goods. If we look at it from a business perspective; the research, the material, location of the real estate, the employees, then some profit on top- I understand why the headers can't be 600 dollars. I do understand that not many amg 55 units get sold as compared to, for example us domestic vehicle long tubes. So unit price is higher.
Everyone is free to do as they wish. But this was the first time I ever put such an inferior product on my cars. It is the last. Simply leave it stock if u won't spend more for the quality.
06-18-2019, 08:51 PM
