Ok with my E55 running great and to me one of the major bottle necks in this thing is the exhaust manifolds so time to make a decision

Option 1, 599+ shipping for a set of mid length EC headers and then bout 250 to 300 to have the exhaust shop mate it to the midpipe. Cons to this cant revert back to stock very easy, no warranty or guarentee, have to convince an exhaust shop to do so being the emissions requirement for removing cats in Utah not to mention getting it to the exhaust shop once i have the manifolds installed. Pros very inexpensive, from what Ive read modded E55s are getting round 34 to 40 rwhp with kleemann and EC mids and I can have them on their way tomorrow.

Option 2, Black fri sale going on over at MBH for 1890 plus 500 for a midpipe for a total of 2400.00. Cons looks like 2 weeks before they can be shipped out (and need something soon reg is up and crack in manifold is failing emissions) price is another factor I have some xmas modding money coming from the lil lady so would have to put the rest on the card and hear it from the wife lol .... Pros well from what I have seen and read in research modded E55s are getting 40 more rwhp over shorty headers, come with a lifetime warranty, comes with a 40 rwhp guarentee, I hear their fit is perfect, can be reverted back to stock very easily, full bolt in system so no messing with the exhaust shop, and can resell easily for a nice price.

Option 3, Go with one of the ARH copy cat ebay systems out there for 1200 to 1400 plus shipping. Cons not the best fitment or finish, rubbing issues, cracking pipe issues, no warrentee or guarentee and material selection isnt top notch. Pros avaliable now can get soon as well, price is pretty much between the 2, full bolt in system no messing with the exhaust shop,

Option 4, .... other suggestions

This is on a daily driver and my mods are below in my sig but if its not showing up for those on mobile ..... 76mm SC pulley, VRP superflo pump and heat exchanger, VRP BWK with HD green belt, UPD dual idler and tensioner and pulley, 06 part # 580 supercharger, ported and welded snout with 82mm TB, Race IQ ecu tune, EC TCU tune.

Would love to hear from those with experience with any of these systems and anyone that went from mids to LTHs or MBH headers and what their experience was with that as well

 

I know how money can be the deciding factor, I’ve been there before many times over the years.
Everyone will have an opinion on HP, quality, how they fit...etc.

If I had to start from the beginning I would use the MBH and have a really nice set up. Check out their site you will see for yourself. My car has ARH now, they were on there when I bought the car. They seem nice and sound great, but one issue is slight rub at the steering shaft that I will be addressing soon. From what I understand that issue is now resolved with the newer ones.

 

Option 2

 

Go kleemann's and get yourself some meth inject with the savings in my opinion (this is what I am doing). If you're still unsatisfied with the power you can delete your secondaries and put in an x pipe. 40rwhp must be gained on shorty's which probably don't even remove the primary cats. The MBH is said to have like 4-8rwhp over mid-length from what I have read. I've not seen for myself obviously so don't hold me to it.

Keep in mind removing cat's is meant to add 12whp each. So if you take out primaries and secondaries + add a x-pipe (supposedly good for 8hp) like me you get 34 odd for the Kleeman's + 20 for the secondary replacement. 54whp supposedly. I'd talk to some ricer drivers in your area and find where the pay to pass emissions place is, that's what I did here in NZ.

The advice I have seen on this forum time and time again is to compare the additional cost of MBH to other mod's you're missing from your car. Which gives more HP for $.

But if money is no issue, MBH are the best.

 

Interested to know, you guys seems to be somewhat 'limited' and stuck with buying headers and exhaust setups that are pre-built and bought from vendors. Is it not possible to leave your car at an exhaust shop and get a custom exhaust built for your cars? Is that even more expensive and why the guys dont do that?

 

I wish there were places here in utah that did a nice built setup but noone does that here that i can find. I did have a good friend that use to do my exhaust and he was amazing but he took his life couple monthes ago an so no longer is that an option sadly .... he is missed.

 

An yet I come across this lil deal that I still cant believe, it looks very nice the welds look amazing from what I can see ..... comes with an Xpipe and flex pipes they are said tio be 321 stainless steel and i honestly cant believe the price shipped they come in at 650.

 

V Nice I jelly.

 

Havent bought them just a deal I found but it is an option

 

What headers are those for the $650

 

I havent seen any reviews for them they look like a ARH copy as well like the maximizer and OBX but their made by XS power

 

MBH

 

Yeah I have been doing alot of research and looking and I think is what I am gunna have to do ..... do it right and do it once .... dont want to get mids and then regret not getting the MBH and then go back and do it again cus i didnt just get the best ones to begin with

 

Be aware that you'll need a mid section add-on, along with the mid pipes, for a full bolt on solution.

 

Chinese 321 stainless steel is a scam. Not to blame the people who sell them, that advertising them as being 321 stainless. It's not their fault. However the truth as I know it is China does not have 321 stainless or even a 304 stainless. They have some obscure steel rating system and then they generally compare the grades you see in the USA like 304, 321, 409, 316 and such. This leaves things to be interpreted, by the seller and then passed on to you. So there is a strong possibility that headers coming from China that claim a 300 series steel are or the equivalent are not even that.
the world knows Chinese steel has been know to be among the worst available. On the flip side it's dirt cheap. In the case of headers it seems the majority of header failures are import Chinese stuff.
That brings us back to the 321 stainless steel Chinese header or any 300 series stainless header from China. Why is it these 300 series stainless headers from China fail at what seems like a 20-1 rate vs American made 300 series headers? I'm sure one of the answers to that is (and I stress "one of" because there is more than one reason) the headers claiming to be some form of 300 series stainless steel is not a 300 grade stainless or it's equivalent.

 

thanks for your input brother and this is why i have chosen to go the MBH path do it right the first time. Ill pass on the info for my buddy he thought he was gunna get a nice system for dirt cheap.

 

i dont know what your saying .... cus im gunna be ordering MBH headers and their mid pipe connection which i was told bolts right up to the factory piping for a true bolt on. Please explain if u know something i dont cause ive spoken to Mike at MBH this morning an he told me his headers with the midpipes will bolt right up to the stock pipes taking out the primary an secondary cats.

 

Those are project B5 headers. Take a look at the name plate on the runners. I bought the same ones from the ebay seller claiming they are XS Power brand.

 

Ahhhhh yeah i mean for the price ur getting quite a bit but i dont want to chance fitment issues .... cracks or inferior material so just gunna have to look at em everytime the credit card bill comes haha

 

MBH headers and just have shop remover resonator and add Xpipe. Save the $500 or so.

 

Xs power is the real company who made them ,the other claimed there we his and there not.As far as long tubes go a true long tube and most power gainer over is the arh ..Mbh is over priced and not a true long tube buy more of a full length mid y pipe construction..Over priced back yard made ,i rather stick to a the ebay or arh.mbh will not make 40 over mids maybe 15 whp max.Arh makes over 50 whp just from bolting them on.

 

XS Power makes and sells them with a big fat Project B5 name plate on both sets of runners? That makes sense, because I bought them straight from XS Power and that's how they came. I also E-Mailed them and asked if they made there own headers or if they were a Chinese manufacturer similar to Maximizer or OBX and they replied back with "I don't know" they literally just said they don't know who makes them.

So unless you have some secret information that even XS Power doesn't know, they are Project B5 headers that they bought in bulk and are selling on ebay.

 

you have no idea what you are talking about. Like zero. ARH made the headers with a TTM motorsports customer. From there they were copied by China and branded by many. Our headers make well over 40 whp and we have lots of proof and confirmation from customers and shops. So please only state what you know and not completely false info. Safe to say you dont know what an optimal designed header length is.

 

I don't think he was talking about you guys, I think he was trying to claim the PB5 headers are actually XS Power

Unless you are just commenting on the length portion of the comment

 

He was taking about us.

[QUOTE=oneslow55;7320808mbh will not make 40 over mids maybe 15 whp max[/QUOTE]