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Option Racing exhaust headers

2K views 15 replies 8 participants last post by  homelessmonkey 
#1 ·
I'm thinking about getting Option Racing Headers but my main concern is that I don't know where to put the catalytic converterI noticed that in the pictures it's just headers stright to the flex pipe then muffler then tail pipe if I get the headers and install them and get rid of the catalytic converter will I still be able to pass emissions?
 
#3 ·
i dont know what kind of header that is. i have never heard of it and my guess is that the header is garbage. post a link. the best and ONLY header that you should even give any consideration to is the SVT focus header. it is a stock exhaust manifold/header that came factory on the SVT focus and it is the BEST on the market. it WILL net 15whp at least every single time. to put this header on your car you need the SVT header, SVT flex pipe, SVT cat or cat delete pipe (commonly referred to as an off road pipe), SVT dipstick tube unless you are feeling brave enough to bend your stock one into place and running the risk of breaking it, and the SVT power steering line unless you use a BUNCH of header wrap and want to run the risk of eventually getting your stock power steering line very hot and exploding it. it generally runs between $300 and $500 for a complete conversion kit depending on how patient you are to wait on deals. most other long tube headers are lucky to net 5whp and they delete the cat, which is a problem. the ramhorn style headers which keep the stock cat might gain 2whp if even that much. the SVT header still has a cat unless you run a delete pipe which means its still 50 state legal, even in california. they cant say crap out there because it is a FACTORY exhaust manifold.

technically there are ways around passing emissions. you can make an o2 cheater from $10 worth of bits and pieces from radio shack that will fool your ECU into thinking that the cat is still there and functioning properly which will keep it from turning on your check engine light which will get you a pass when you get your car inspected. this will NOT pass inspection if the place is very thorough and does a visual check to make sure you have a cat and/or if they do the snorkel emissions test which is the one where they put a probe in the tail pipe to measure the emissions. another option is to just get a tune which will turn off the rear o2 sensor all together so you dont get an engine light and it will also give you a bit more power and will ensure that your engine is running safely with the mods you add.
 
#5 ·
i dont know what kind of header that is. i have never heard of it and my guess is that the header is garbage. post a link. the best and ONLY header that you should even give any consideration to is the SVT focus header. it is a stock exhaust manifold/header that came factory on the SVT fdefineocus and it is the BEST on the market. it WILL net 15whp at least every single time. to put this header on your car you need the SVT header, SVT flex pipe, SVT cat or cat delete pipe (commonly referred to as an off road pipe), SVT dipstick tube unless you are feeling brave enough to bend your stock one into place and running the risk of breaking it, and the SVT power steering line unless you use a BUNCH of header wrap and want to run the risk of eventually getting your stock power steering line very hot and exploding it. it generally runs between $300 and $500 for a complete conversion kit depending on how patient you are to wait on deals. most other long tube headers are lucky to net 5whp and they delete the cat, which is a problem. the ramhorn style headers which keep the stock cat might gain 2whp if even that much. the SVT header still has a cat unless you run a delete pipe which means its still 50 state legal, even in california. they cant say crap out there because it is a FACTORY exhaust manifold.

technically there are ways around passing emissions. you can make an o2 cheater from $10 worth of bits and pieces from radio shack that will fool your ECU into thinking that the cat is still there and functioning properly which will keep it from turning on your check engine light which will get you a pass when you get your car inspected. this will NOT pass inspection if the place is very thorough and does a visual check to make sure you have a cat and/or if they do the snorkel emissions test which is the one where they put a probe in the tail pipe to measure the emissions. another option is to just get a tune which will turn off the rear o2 sensor all together so you dont get an engine light and it will also give you a bit more power and will ensure that your engine is running safely with the mods you add.
Thank you for the information I really appreciate it. but yes I'll go ahead and post the link so you can see the header but I thought I'd post up on this website first because I've had good results with asking people here first. But the option race header in SvT header look the same. They both have the same 4-2-1 design. But I was thinking about getting those and then cutting my catalytic converter in and I'll be in right after the flex pipe if anything.
 
#9 ·
So this is the same this as the FC and OBX 4-2-1 headers. No you cannot run a catalytic converter on these. Even if you were to get one fitted after the header it would be too far away from the engine to get to the right temperature to filter also you would have to run the second 02 sensor after it and plugging one of the wholes in the headers.
 
#10 ·
that is NOT the same thing as a SVT header. that is way WAY too much for that header. you would be much better off to do the svt header conversion. otherwise just snag a cheap $100 pos header from ebay cant call it a day because if you're going to waste your money then at least waste as little of your money as possible. while that does not look like a particularly bad design there is still no way its going to outperform the svt header especially when you can get a svt header conversion for around the same price.
 
#11 ·
I have Option Racing flex-back exhaust on my sedan. I love it, it's made of great steel, and sounds really good. I don't know about the header. I originally had an FSwerks 4-to-1 on mine with my OR flex-back. It sounded angry lol. But now I have my factory mani/cat on it, and it sounds amazing. And it's 50-state legal still.

Best bet is to go with the SVT header conversion. But if you can't afford it, just throw a nice flex-back on it, it'll definitely sound cool, if not free up a half a pony somewhere.
 
#12 ·
I found the same header for 178 on another sight but still....hell i just want to have a good amount of hp from my exhaust what other header would give a good amount of hp and that i could still have the cat on other then the convertion kit ?
 
#15 ·
what other header would give a good amount of hp and that i could still have the cat on other then the convertion kit ?
your only options for running a header with a cat are the SVT conversion, ramhorn header, and running a universal cat in or after the flex pipe.

the last option will probably do nothing at all to help pass inspection. it likely wont pass a sniffer test because the cat has to get up to a certain temperature before it works efficiently enough to do its job. this is why it is located so close to the engine in stock configuration. placing it in or after the flex pipe probably wont get it hot enough to work good. then on top of that you will have to have an o2 bung welded in after the cat and will have to make an o2 extension harness to run the down stream o2 sensor to the exhaust after the cat. and then you will probably still get a check engine light because the cat isnt working well enough because it isnt hot enough. which means you will probably end up running an o2 cheater in which case you may as well not have a cat at all anyway. and by the time you get through all of this you will have spent as much money as you would have to just bolt on the SVT conversion and be done and that would still only be good for perhaps half the power gained from a SVT conversion.

the ramhorn option is viable if you care more about just changing things for the sake of changing things than you car about modding for the sake of power. the ram horn is a bolt in job that will keep the stock cat and flex pipe. it really does look cool i think but it might be good for 2whp if even that much. they dont do anything at all.

so your only real option for a header that will actually gain power and will allow you to keep the cat is the SVT header conversion. if you find or figure out another cheaper option that makes as much power as the SVT conversion for as much or less please feel free to share. ive been at this for years and there has only been 1 header design to EVER outperform the SVT header that was going to be priced to compete with it. unfortunately that was a prototype ONLY and will unfortunately never be for sale... [mecry]

sorry i know that isnt what you wanted to hear but those are your options.
 
#13 ·
Other than a shorty (ramhorn) style header and a highflow or gutted cat with an o2 cheater, I really don't know. A 4-2-1 or 4 to 1 header as well as a cold air intake work best with a proper tune. Even without the tune though, every little bit helps.
 
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