switch911

A couple weeks ago I picked up Fabspeed headers for my 997 -- initially all was fine. About a week ago I noticed something was leaking in my exhaust (fart can sound coming from underneath my car). Brought my car to my mechanic this morning and he let me know that the manifold is not marrying up square and not sealing.

Waiting on resolution from where I purchased the headers to see what happens next. Until then I am putting back on my stock headers at an additional cost to me (thank god I kept them).

Just an FYI for fellow Rennlisters.

switch911

Sidenote:

If anyone has opinions on Cargraphic, Agency Power, Hamann, Schnell or B&B?

or stick with my stock headers?

rsabeebe

you could always opt for X51s, if you can find a set. suncoast used to have them, but i'm not sure they stock them any longer. if you bought direct from fabspeed, i would just have them swapped out for new. is this mating to stock cats? my fabspeed cats mated to my stock headers and my X51 headers just fine. probably just an anomaly in their production. i know carpgraphic quality is quite good - have had their mufflers.

switch911

X51's are a good idea if I can find some, depends if the vendor gives me a credit or a refund I guess. Nothing against Fabspeed but I doubt I will tempt that fate again, not worth the hassle to be honest.

rsabeebe

X51s probably aren't as efficient as equal length headers, but they're a decent cost-effective option. Can't do much worse than the stock design.

jhbrennan

What did Fabspeed say about headers not matching up? Haven't heard this issue before. Did your installer use new gaskets?

switch911

Have yet to hear from Fabspeed -- waiting on vendor to respond first. They used the copper gaskets that came with the headers.

switch911

Here is a pic of the headers -- you can see where it was leaking...maybe a fabspeed guy can chime in?

Chris@Fabspeed

Switch911, I've not seen one of our flanges ever look like that. It looks like the bolts in the center of the header were left a little loose as you can see the ends were sealing but the entire middle was not. Are you sure the bolts were torqued properly and in the correct sequence?

switch911

Morning Chris,

The shop I take my car to specializes in german car repair and performance services. They confirmed with me they torqued the bolts correctly when the headers were installed.

Like I said the headers were fine for a couple weeks -- sounded great. Then last week I turned my car over in the garage and noticed something wasn't right -- I originally assumed it was one of the mufflers.

Here is the invoice from yesterday if that helps -- just a little frustrating that I have now spent $400 to get my stock headers back on and I am back where I started.

porka

i run awe equal length headers - no leaks here

switch911

The technician who installed the manifold has been working at the shop for nearly four years, after emigrating from Germany. He obtained his education and trade certification in Germany from 1984-1988, and was re-certified by Alberta Apprenticeship in 2010 as a condition of emigration. In 2012 he completed a Porsche engine rebuilding course. He now has a total of 29 years of technical experience.

He followed the Fabspeed - provided instructions for installing the manifolds, including that he used the torque specifications provided. He tightened the bolts from the inside outward.

Refer to the Porsche 997 factory manual. Porsche devotes approximately half a page to tightening torques for the exhaust system as a whole, but makes no reference to a tightening sequence. It is quite standard to tighten from the inside out and in diametrically opposite sequence as Fabspeed suggests, which the technician did, but that goes further than what is specified by Porsche.

These are the brief installation instructions for 996 Maxflo headers provided on Fabspeed’s website (reference https://www.fabspeed.com/support.html as of about an hour ago):
1. First remove the factory headers with a 13mm socket end wrench.
2. The Fabspeed Motorsports MAXFLO headers are then a direct replacement bolt on of the factory headers. You reuse the factory stainless steel headers gaskets.

rsabeebe

Suncoast is listing X51 headers as available but the price is now $1,200. I thought they were like $800-900 a couple of months ago - could be wrong. Not as attractive compared to other aftermarket equal-length options now.

http://www.suncoastparts.com/product..._Engineexhaust

Chris@Fabspeed

We recently had a 996 40th anniversary edition in for some dyno testing and was able to put a brand new set of headers on that car, get them cherry red hot, then immediately blow fans on them to cool them quickly. I did this twice. The extreme hot/cold cycles would exaggerate any problems that exist with the headers.

After pulling them off the car I checked them with one of our precision straight edges and could not fit a .010" feeler gauge under it - this means the header was installed correctly and no manufacturing defects are present. I apologize for your troubles and hope everything has been worked out on our sales side - if not feel free to shoot me a pm.

USMC_DS1

I installed an FVD Brombacher exhaust system(equal length long piped headers, 200 cell cats, cans, tips) last year... no issues (not even with emission testing) and FVD support has been excellent. http://www.fvd.us/us/en/Porsche-0/99...ps_4x90mm.html
FWIW, I used a new set of Porsche factory gaskets when I installed my exhaust system.

I'm surprised by this issue with fabspeed. They seem to have a good reputation. Hope it all get's resolved. Did your Indy happen to run a straight edge across the flange to determine whether or not it was flat? I would think that fabspeed could do the same if they have the header you returned on hand by now. Please keep us posted on the outcome.