wombatsauce

iTrader: (7)

I just received my Borla header today back from Swain Tech. I sent it in to have their "Thermal Barrier Coating" applied which is a .015" thick sprayed on thermal shield. This coating is supposed to reduce radiant heat by 50% and effectively lower underhood temperatures. After I installed it, I "Darwin Tested" it to see if their claims were true about being able to touch it at operating temperature... After coming back from a drive and with the car still running, I tapped it with my bare hand, then brushed across it and finally briefly grasped it for a split second without getting burned. You can barely feel heat coming from the header if you hold your hand close. Pretty impressive.. I read about this in Grassroots Motorsports. I took some pics before putting it on, please excuse the bad lighting as I couldn't wait for it to improve. Just wanted to get it installed..

The total cost for the process was $185 plus shipping there ($25) and their shipping/handling fee for the return shipment was $86.69 (from NY to HI). It was shipped to them on 6/23 and I received it back today - 7/25.

wombatsauce

iTrader: (7)

Two more pics to show the coating thickness and such..

wombatsauce

iTrader: (7)

Installed... The header seriously turns up the boxer tone and is much louder overall. I am hoping it won't be too deafening with the cats gone + midpipe with the ScoobySport axleback, but from the sounds of it - it will be.. The only issue I had with the install was somehow one of the header-cat pipe bolts was x-threaded and snapped after the 3rd turn. Everything else was pie. I torqued down the header-head bolts to 22ft/lb and will re-check them in 500 miles.

NOTE: The header is a Borla but the flanges have been re-welded by a fabricator I know since they looked a little flimsy.

wombatsauce

iTrader: (7)

FYI I posted this in the Bay Area Forum because so many people from the Bay Area asked about the process, and I promised I would put up pics and info when I got it.

Krinkov

iTrader: (21)

looks great, I was never impressed with Jet-Hot and have seen some real good pieces from Swain

wombatsauce

iTrader: (7)

Thanks! They have an amazing variety of coatings for pretty much everything from internal engine parts to brake calipers (two coatings, the outside is a 'heat extracting' finish and the inside is a heat barrier to protect the pads and such). If I had a money tree in my back yard, I would have them coat just about everything. This header coating is awesome so far...

poormansporsche

Do you get the famous CEL? Thats what I want to know. Looks awesome otherwise.

cheers

garrett

poormansporsche

Just read your other post about misfiring. Damn I wish that happened to me. I took my Borla header off and still have the CEL. Cylinder 4 if I remember correctly. I think I'm going to follow Siper's path tho.

cheers

garrett

wombatsauce

iTrader: (7)

Driven thru 3 tanks of gas since installation with nada, and then today - *bing* P0420 CEBT(B1) so I guess it's time to lose the cats. Cleared it, and it came back on a 30 minute drive to a party. WTF? I have driven all over and nothing - why does it suddenly decide to do this - or is it normal? Still no misfire tho.

poormansporsche

Yeah you can't be the P0420 blues man if you're running an aftermarket manni. At least it's nothing big. I just found my misfire problem seems to be getting worse. I thought it was just cyl. 4 but i guess it's cyl 2 also. *sigh* I just hope it's not my LW flywheel. Header still looks hot tho.

cheers

garrett

wombatsauce

iTrader: (7)

So wait.. Does this mean header = PO420 and recurring CELs no matter what? I also have a light flywheel (Exedy) so maybe that's where my misfire were coming from. Strange it was only cyl 2 and 4. But, hey - they did start after the FW install. Is there any fix for this? Maybe I should take my Pop's idea of the "black tape over the CEL" mod.

Thanks about the header, it's pretty sweet. Makes a nice difference as well. Still thinking of losing the cats and making a mid-pipe with a resonator. My dad has the welding equipment and I have the time.

poormansporsche

Yeah you're pretty much screw with the Header code. If you get it, it will always be a problem. My Borla had the same code when I was running it. Sounded freakin sweet tho. I always thought it sounded like a Pod Racer

I also have the Exedy LW fly and have misfires on 2 and 4. I had misfires on 4 before I got the flywheel tho. So it may not be that. I'll let you know. I have a thread in the NA section of rs25.com if you're interested re: CEL's on 2 and 4. Good luck!

cheers

garrett

wombatsauce

iTrader: (7)

Ahh, nice. Has anyone successfully been able to find a way (any way, no smog where I live) to make the CEL go away while keeping the header? I guess I need a new set of plugs, wires, coil, fuel filter and to Seafoam my engine anyway but nobody mentioned the flywheel causing the CEL. Oh well... It definitely did not start until installing the flywheel. Funny.. I would still like to be able to use my ECU error reporting system since I have a OBD2 cable and program to read info, but ah well. I guess maybe I will disable the light and just read codes when I change oil (the thing is too bright at night). Crap.

poormansporsche

Some people don't have the P0420 cel with the equal length headers. It's kind of rare tho. It really just depends on the engine. And the fly more often than not people don't have CEL sounds like you and I do tho. Maybe we should start a club. I'm hoping that a reflash can make it less finicky tho. I dunno if thats a pipe dream tho. In the mean-time I'll prolly just change the CEL bulb from white to a dark red so it's not as bright when I'm driving past 6PM and then maybe register my car in Nevada so I can be legit... well at least partially. Otherwise it would seem like I need to do a swap. I don't want to drive a complete stock GC6.

cheers

garrett