I yanked the flowtechs over the weekend and will be replacing them with some SLP's. I thought this would be a good time to show people what can happen when you buy cheap headers. The flowtechs can be purchased for under $100 and another $100 will net you their y-pipe. I bought these headers a little over 3 years ago and have only put about 1000 miles on the car with these installed. Below are my thoughts.

Positives

- Coated set with y-pipe came to my door for $450
- 1.5" primaries along with 2.5" y-pipe is a bit on the small side even for a 305
- These headers are one of the few non AIR shorty headers out there for our cars (they could also be purchased coated unlike the SLP's at the time)
- Fit was easy and there was ample room around the steering colom and brake lines. Both sides could be installed from the top or bottom of the car

Negatives

- Y-pipe has a T type connection and was not lined up in the welding fixture correctly. I had to go into the collector and grind away the lip that blocked the cut-out into the main pipe
- The collector and head flanges were too thin and came slightly warped. Bolting them down flattened them a bit but not all the way
- The included gaskets were a joke and burned out/leaked five minutes after the car ran. $50+ of quality exhaust gaskets had to be used to seal the wapred flanges.
- The headers and collectors never sealed and leaked all 1000 miles I had them on the car



All in all I am not happy with these headers. When I took them out it appeared that the coating was too thin and rust started to propogate around certian areas. I wish I would have spent $100 more and got a set of hookers, mac,s or SLP's. I spent $500 for a set that that never worked right. I guess I learned my lesson when trying to go too cheap with a performance part. I realize some people have had good luck with these headers but to me it is not worth the hassle.

Notice where the flanges leaked even with the 1/8" + thickness of the Percy's dead soft gaskets.

 

Here is the worst y-pipe ever.

 

hmmm...would you consider selling those shifty? got a buddy that's building an 84 berli and we need some headers to get him by....so...not looking to spend a ton on them...

 

I don't know if I can ethically sell these to someone else. Ha. I would feel bad if they leaked. I am going to try and flatten the flanges and see what that gets me.

 

shifty, you have a pm...

 

How much were the slp's?

 

im also using the flowtechs and their y-pipe, and they suck!!! i can not get them to seal worth S**t. when i first put them in i used aluminum gaskets, which sealed great, but within a week the collector flanges warp so bad they will never seal again, unless i weld them. thats what you get for taking the cheap route.... everyone stay away from flowtech for the love of ***!!!!!!!!

 

SLP's range from $400 to near $700. I am buying a set from a board member.

 

Man that y pipe is horrible! It's not even 2 individual pipes into a y collector like most y pipes...I bet that y pipe was costing you some power.

 

sticky? this is a good reason peeps should spend a bit more for alot better....good post

 

Shifty, that picture you posted of the flange is proof enough of the shoddy craftmanship.

Flanges should be flat and not have raised areas where the welding of the primary tubes was done. Even the Percy's gaskets did not seal?

Those Flowtechs should make anyone scream and run away.

 

Well they are cheap and plentiful. The flanges are worthless. I've gotten very good at replacing the driver's header gasket and I didn't want too. Putting two gaskets at the collectors has worked for over 5k miles and almost a year for me. They are better than the factory junk, however the heat retention is so terrible that I had brake and clutch problems after installation and they weigh a lot for their quality.

 

yah they SUCK! i haven't had any problems yet as far as leaks along the heads, but both passenger and driver side collectors leak bad, sad to say....i have aluminum foil jambed inside the areas where the flanges warped. yah, the y-pipe is more like a t-pipe....never heard of something like a t-pipe..but it makes sense, its not a swept conversion, like a Y-pipe, its just a T which flows worth d**k, just like a stocker..you get my drift. once i get out of uti im going with ether headman or slp. ive heard good things about slp...anyone have experience with headman shorties?

 

Awesome post Shifty...thanks for the info.

 

The Percy's did not seal them all the way. That is how bad they were warped. You can see the burnt area in that above picture.

 

Yeah...I'm considering Hedmans also, I believe they also make a Y-pipe..........anybody out there with some thoughts/experience with Hedman shorties and installation ???

 

my hedmans were awesome, never had a leak in 4 years when i used the aluminum gaskets!!!!!!

a muffler shop would be best to do a really good ypipe if you ask me!!!!

if you'd like to sell those headers i need some for a special project i'm working on....just would need them for fitment testing and some minor clearancing on my current project, possibly even some modifying for a turbos setup, not going to use them, but would help with the custom header build as far as fitment!!!!

the hedmans are great products without being 500 bucks!!!!

if you get any get the elite shorties

 

Jeez, that y-pipe is just terrible. I can hardly see that being an improvement over stock, and the stock y-pipe is just terrible.

 

I had no problems with mine. Bolted right up, no leaks, no warps. If I was you and paid $500 for them I would have sent the things back.

I paid $200 for mine since mine were not ceramic coated.

They are not $500 quality headers, but that's not what I expected. They were a good improvement over my LO3's terrible stock manifolds and y-pipe and it was easy to install.

 

My non coated ones are on the camaro they spent a few moths on the bird when it had a 305. I dont have any problems flanges dont leak but the paint doesent like to stick. I just dont care for the old school collectors but they havent leaked yet doubled of course.

 

Is any of else having brake and clutch fluid problems with these like I am (1200 temp paint coating only)?

 

wow...i didnt know how bad these headers were, i originally was looking for some USED ....but sounds like you get what you payed for .....some people have had good and others bad experience with these headers. Personally i would just buy some used good quality headers.

I recently bought some used edelbrock headers and y-pipe for 70 bucks (could've been 60 but i was happy to pay him 10 as a tip "askin price originally 100") and painted them really nice but its wasnt really worth painting them with temp paint. All in all i had a great deal and really lowered my 1/4 times .....my opinion is get good quality headers used cheap ...have them coated and then be happy...if on a budget

 

How about hedman headers?

 

I have a set of coated flowtechs with the y-pipe on my dad's 86Z. They hit the passenger frame rail and vibrate like crazy and the y-pipe looks like it was made in a high school shop class. The flanges are horrible and they leaked out of the box!!

Once again, the xtra money up front is justified 6 months later.