hi,

iv seen flowtech for salefor very cheap vey close to me (im from canada) and im wondering if they are that worst performance wise .. i will build my exaust myself so i don't care about that crapy y pipe evryone talk about but i wonder if they really flow that bad .. normaly i would pay more to get good quality one but with shiping and everyting i will save like 150$-200$ comparaid to a pair of hooker or headman but i don't want to lose power !

engine will be a 350 with 1968 big valve unknow casting head OR vortec with a 6500rpm cam/intake .. i want to maximise performance @ ~6200-6500 rpm

 

As long as it's a full 3" system, I'd say go for it if you are really looking to save some money.

There are certain qualities in an exhaust system that justify the extra money you pay for them. Stainless steel and mandrel bending come to mind, among other things.

 

The 1-1/2" primaries are performance killers above 5000 RPMs for a 350.

 

flowtech is probably the worst performance brand you can buy, only slightly better than stock parts, imo.

Just save up a couple bucks and buy some real parts. You'll be WAY happier.

 

i have to agree, the flowtechs arent that great. i work at an auto parts store and we stock this crap.. they are about an avg of 200 dollars cheaper then any other header per application, the reason? small tubes, painted black. and poor machining at the flange. these will rust real quick on ya (within a year) and no explanation needed for the smallest tubes ever used for a header.
this restriction alone is great for torque, but then again your manifolds do that just as well.

 

off topic question.
why old 1960's heads?

 

well a dirt racer friend who have alot of engine part lying around have a set for very cheap .. well yeasteday the guy told me he have a set of 3973370 so im now searching the internet to know if they are good enough to put the number im looking for ..

http://www.mortec.com/castnum.htm say : 3973370....69-70...350..........over the counter in US, Canadian 350/300hp production use in Pontiac, 64cc, straight or angle plug

and for the header i will definetly wait .. they guy say they where 1 5/8 but if the are 1 1/2 i don't want them ..

 

According to my Summit catalog, some Flowtech are 1 1/2 and some are 1 5/8 in a 2 1/2 collector. Some are even ceramic coated. I compare them to Pacesetter hedders...

As for rust, I am currently running 1 3/4 Slp hedders and they rusted in less than a year!!!

Flowtech are not the best but better than stock manifolds for sure. They will outflow them and if you are planning in a custom 3" as I did, you will save some $$$ if you are short. But I agree that you could save more and buy ceramic Hooker or SLP.

 

May flowtech rot in hell, POS.

 

I thought SLP 's were stainless steel?

 

Stainless steel can rust too.

 

I know there are cheaper grades of stainless, but at $600 a pop, I wouldn't be expecting them to rust.

 

Like I said in another posting, SLP are stainless steel but cheap casting wich is probably recycled steel


I was very fustrated with them, paying 850.00$ CAD back then!!!
When I went back to my local SLP dealer in Montreal (Zeke's Automotive), the technician said they are a mixed casting wich is not all stainless? That is probably why SLP are only selling Ceramic coated headers

Again, not everyone can/want to afford expensive exhaust parts. I recall when I was younger and owned my first 88 camaro (back in 92), I wanted to modify the way I modified mine these days, but just couldn't afford more than Dynomax Superturbo and Flowtech painted headers...

 

Actually, not all flowtech headers are that bad..... just the ones for our cars. The guy who is rebuilding my tranny showed me a set he bought for his truck and I couldn't believe they were Flowtechs..... the flanges were thicker than my 2055s, but other than that, they looked just like the Hookers. The biggest reason I didn't like my Flowtechs was the crappy thin collector flanges would just bend when you tighten them.

 

I have nothing but terrible things to say about flowtechs. I would run stock manifolds again before I ever put a set of these headers on an F-body again.

Refer to this post for more info.

My experience with Flowtech Headers

 

well .. im glad i didin't buy them lolll leakey header suck and when i see your gasket it tell alot about the quality of those ... ill try to get a used set of headman,hooker or slp ...

 

Same can be said for Pacesetter. My brother has a set on his '93 pickup, good quality, fit great, aren't rusting through.

Why companies cheaped out on products for our cars, who knows.

 

5-7, those may be the same ones I saw. Yesterday I took my 2055s over when I picked up my tranny and compared them to those Flowtech truck headers, and they were very similar in quality, but the flowtechs actually had thicker flanges.... 1/2" compared to my 2055s 3/8".
But just to reiterate.... the F-body flowtechs have paper thin flanges... I don't want to confuse anybody into buying any fbody flowtechs and expect them to be good quality. But I did run flowtechs on my last Iroc and they weren't THAT bad, they just weren't good. Hard to get the collector flanges to seal.

 

pacesetter isn't just cheap on the f-bodies.
the rx7's have problems with them if I remember right honda people like don't them the supra ppl hate them.

most everyone I hear about doens't like pacesetter unless they are the only option available