zarpoxx

Hello at all,

I would like to ask you a question that I can not find in any place of this forum (and I did not be able to find it either in internet), is about ground clearance in after market headers (b&b, fabspeed, etc..)

Now my car (turbo 3.3 MY 91) has GSF headers with heat boxes, and sincerely, the ground clearance is not good (I can not set up my suspension like a 964 RS because I do not have so much room to do it).

My question is: Do you Know if the is any brand in the market that make a good aftermarket headers WITH heat boxes, that permit set up the suspension too much low?

And please, a headers that fix well (mine at start up leakes a little until gets temperature).

Thank you in advance!

Gisleno.

Metal Guru

I believe that Rarlyl8 headers now have heater boxes.
I once had GSF headers on order. I canceled them because of the ground clearance issue and came up with my own system based on Bishoff heat exchangers from a normally aspirated 993.
I'm happy with my set-up but had the RarlyL8 headers been available, I would have gone in that direction.

Steven C.

Brian (Rarlyl8) is not offering 965 headers right now. He is waiting on finishing the heat boxes and filling all the 930 back orders for heat. We are next but no date in mind.

Metal Guru

A dual wastegate system with the 930 muffler that Brian sells will fit. I have such a system on my car. It required a small amount of custom fabrication but it isn't like building the space shuttle.
The single wastegate system could also be used but changes to the muffler and heat exchanger fresh air feed would make an installation a little more challenging. That's what's holding Brian up as he likes to sell systems that use as many stock parts as possible. Since heater boxes aren't ready yet there wouldn't be a hold-up to buying the headers and muffler.

zarpoxx

Thank you for the opinions. Apart of the Rarlyl8 system, do you know if the fabspeed system is good in terms of ground clearance?

Metal Guru

Never seen one. They are made from 304 grade stainless steel, so there will be durability issues.

Steven C.

From their video they look ok for clearance but give them a call. Probably good for 25,000 miles of non-extreme conditions before they start coming apart?

Metal Guru

$2300 plus installation (maybe $600) so let's call it $3000. Divide 25,000 by that and it'll cost you $8.33/mile. I'd estimate they'll start cracking at 15,000 miles. Not very appealing, IMO.
One of the 3.6 owners in town here is going through the same thing. B&B headers and muffler (also fabbed from 304 stainless). Headers cracking and showing indications of prior unsuccessful crack repairs. In fact, his muffler fell off the turbo on the way home from a track day at Road America when the weld between the muffler and flange failed completely.

Black_Hat

1991 c2 turbo & I have had the Rarlyl8 headers for a year.
they have about the same clearance as stock
Iḿ still waiting on heater boxes just like every one else
the 930 headers fit , you have to bend up the stock oil line if you use it and you need
an after market oil catch can Rarlyl8 is making them now.

I have installed just about ever other type of after market header and they suck...
they are all welded up and eventually crack . the Rarlyl8 have slip fit and installing them is too easy & the slip fit does not leak. I gutted my B&B and the car is quieter due to equal length tubes .....

John@Fabspeed

Hey guys, our headers fit more snug and tighter under the car versus the stock ones. The heater boxes are more streamlined and smaller to have a nice tight fit without affecting ground clearance. Here is a photo of our headers vs the stock ones on the ground and they are sitting lower. If you look at the height of the flanges from the floor, once they are bolted to the engine, they are lower and give you more clearance. Our Headers are all made from 16 gauge mandrel bent stainless steel and are covered by a lifetime warranty, so you never need to worry about anything failing or breaking. These are the ultimate headers for the 930 and make a big HP and TQ increase in addition to faster turbo spool up and more. Let me know if you have any questions and PM me if you interested in special member pricing on them.
thanks,

kfitzpat9

I am in the process of installing the B&B headers now as the Rarly L8's werent available. They are beautiful and the overall fit is good. However, there are issues in that the muffler bracket doesn't work, the oil line hits the air injection tube and they forgot to deburr the accumulator and note the shard of steal that would not have been good had I not seen it.

I just got off the phone with my 3rd attempt to get and answer on the bracket and oil line issue, and the response from Mike Boat is simply "we've been doing this for 20+ years and have never had any issues". He went on to state that he "ships 3.6 turbo exhaust systems once a week" and never had anyone call back. Humm, 1600 cars world-wide and he ships 1/week? He further went on to yell at me that he would not tolerate my questioning of him and his product and then asked if I wanted him to help me, or not!

Yikes, nothing like spending more than $3K for a system and getting yelled at when you try and get some help.

Anyway, I'd like to recommend them but based on my recent conversation and issues, not gonna happen. Also, as a condition before placing the order, they committed to ship the exhaust in 10 days, and it took 25! Reason being, they said the "only guy" who does Porsche's (of the 31 people they have) suddenly took vacation.

Here's a picture of the shard on the oil accumulator and current engine process.

Metal Guru

Unfortunately, that is a typical story in customer relations and quality from 'ol Billy. Go over to Pelicanparts and do a search and you'll find many similar stories.

I can't stress this enough: buying headers fabricated from 304 stainless is throwing your money away. That grade of stainless is not used by OEMs because it can't stand up to the temperatures and corrosive environment and I don't give a damn what the Fabspeed shills say on this forum.
Don't take my word for it, do a Google search on hot end exhaust materials. You'll get a number of SAE papers that state that using 304 on the hot end (defined as from the cat to the engine) isn't done because it isn't durable. The OEMs don't like throwing their money away on warranty and pissed off customers so they don't do it. That should be a major hint to all of us in the aftermarket.