BluetoGreyIonDriver

well i WAS going to be putting a Vibrant 4-2-1 header on my ion, but my dealer has had alot of problem with the SMS headers and have said they dotn wanta mess with aftermarket ones at all.......So im going to go with the GMPP extrude honed manifold instead........... im just wondering who here who has a 2.4L has installed this part and what kinda gains did you see and should i expect?

the thing that spawned this was a guy customer of my local saturn dealers has a redline and got the SMS header and high flow cat and has had ALOT of problems with it... he comes in about 4 times a month with issues........ so many isses that he has decided to send the part back and reinsall his stock parts!!!!!!!!! i dont want to be in that position.... they say as long as its a GM part warranty will cover it...

Dragonsfire12345

iTrader: (1)

what kind of problems did your friend have?

g5mike

I have a stock gm manifold,I,m making plans on having it extrahoned, but I think none of the 2.4 guys are runnin the gm manifold

sushidog

I'm running the CA equal length stainless header on my 2.4 and I've had 0 problems whatsoever. It installs quickly and easily. I highly recommend it over GM's product.

1. It's about $90 cheaper then the GM honed manifold.
2. It gives 8-10 hp on a stock 2.4 as opposed to 3-4hp with gm's manifold - cause it's a real header.
3. Being equal length, it makes your car run smoother - it's worth it for this feature alone.
4. The 2.25" collector makes great low end torque - GM's restrictive manifold narrows to 1.75"!
5. It is much lighter than the cast iron boat anchor GM offers.
6. It comes with everything you need to install it, both gaskets and studs.
7. It bolts up just like a stocker to the stock b-pipe or an aftermarket b-pipe when you're ready to upgrade.
8. It has a lifetime warranty.
9. A sleek, powerful, stainless header is sexy, a heavy, pudgy, cast iron manifold is Gay!

Why would you spend more to get less?

REDFOCZ

Warranty


Have you had any promblems with your dealer about the header?

BluetoGreyIonDriver

gayness complety aggreed upon! i was really wanting the vibrant, but above all i want the warranty..... they basically flat out said no GM part: no warranty

this other guy with the redline....... i think he has just been throwing codes like mad.... they said the "high flow" cat that SMS gave him was rattling really bad, and above all they said that this high dollar 900 and something dollar header they got from SMS didnt really show ANY performance improvements!!?!?! so the guy just said its not worth it...... not worth the trouble

sushidog

I've never been back to the dealer since I bought the car. I've got 17k on the car now with no warranty problems at all. I do all my own work. I don't like other people messing with my car.

So they are telling you that GM will void your engine warranty if you install a header? Ca warranty's their header for life if a weld breaks.

How about a CAI or a cat-back? Will they void your engine warranty for a drop in k&N?

I think I'd find another dealer. G5Mike's dealer let him install cams and is still honoring his warranty.

You could always slip the header on yourself. It took me about an hour and a half (mostly to get the old one off).

In the unlikely event you need to bring it back to the dealer for an engine warranty issue, just swap the stock manifold back on. I would honestly look for another dealer though.

BTW, high flow cats rattle. If you don't want yours to rattle, don't but one. That's not a warranty problem. Neither is running lean from the increased air flow (p0171)or throwing p0420 (low cat efficiency) codes. When you mod it from stock, it doesn't run like stock. If you want something you can just bolt on with no tuning, rattles or problems of any sort, it won't give you much, if any performance gain either.

D4u2s0t

the only thing that would not be covered under warrenty is the header, or any problems caused by the header... since a header wouldn't cause any problems, you have nothing to worry about

g5mike

My dealer is even sending the manifold out for "extra" honing.lol

06CobaltSSS

if something were to happen tho, what are some of the possibilies of something going wrong. Like whats the worst that can happen with any if these known aftermarket headers. I understand that they can only void the warranty on the header and anything it messes with but if theres a good enough chance that could happen why would you do that.

D4u2s0t

if it's installed properly there's nothing that can happen... all it does is let air get out quicker... it's no different than putting and exhaust on... it can't mess anything up

G5GT2007

how wide are the pipes on the gmpp manifold? im going to get that one also but i no a guy who ownes his own shop that chromes things and he can bore out the manifold for me. how much can you go on the gmpp manifold for haveing it honed

g5mike

I been asking the same to two mebers, they had no specs on it, but only to make sure the collector is clean...One tech at my dealership said To,keep it 2.5 and under(the collector)or you will lose low end torque and throttle response, but open the rest up

ominus

Where do I get a CA header and how much do they cost? Screw GMPP if something bad happens put your stocker back on :P

Cobalt Mav

When it comes to warranty, Lets just say for the time being you put on a CAI then had engine problems. In order to actually void your warranty they would have to send it out and lab test it to confirm 100% that the CAI actually caused the problem.

sushidog

Cobalt Addiction is a supporting vendor. Here's the link:

http://www.cobalt-addiction.com/performance.htm They are $220 shipped.

You'll love it.

BluetoGreyIonDriver

WAY better than the GMPP one?

sushidog

Yup.

Well, let's see, you get a smoother running engine, with twice the hp increase that the GMPP gives you on a stock 2.4 (more gains with a modded engine). Plus it's stainless steel, so it won't rust like the GMPP, it's half the weight and is about $90 cheaper to boot. Plus it comes with both gaskets and studs (the GMPP doesn't). Oh, did I mention the lifetime warranty?

You decide.

BTW, Tell Westers you are getting the header and they will tune your ECM for it, so you will realize even greater performance gains. They tuned my 2.4 auto for the CA header and it runs great. Look at my 1/4 mile times in my sig. - and this was my very first run in a FWD ever, racing in the rain! When I hit second, my tires didn't just chirp like they do when it's dry - they went up in smoke. I had a disproportionately low trap speed compared to my ET, indicating too much wheel spin. If I could have found traction, I'm sure I could have approached, maybe even broken 15 flat.

joeworkstoohard

i'd be worried about heat on a stainless header that wasn't coated.

YoAdrian

Is the CA header easy to install if you are some what mechanical? If not, how much would installation normally run?

How does your car sound with all of the exhaust work you have done? I put a universal magnaflow on mine and injen short ram.

It sounded great with just the muffler, then I added the intake and it is pretty loud now. Just wondering much much louder I could expect it to get with a header and downpipe.

sushidog

The header by itself doesn't make it much louder - just a little.

The B-pipe makes it much louder.

If you do your own routine maint. ie, plugs, oil, filters, etc., you could feel confident tackling the job. It's very easy. I think there is a thread on the header installation how-to somewhere.

The only problem I ran into was removing the 3 nuts that hold the old b-pipe to the header flange. They have some type of locktite on them that's almost impossible to break loose - even with wd-40. Two of my studs broke off before coming loose (You gotta eat your Wheaties.) It's ok though, as the CA header comes with new studs - you will need new nuts though.

After the manifold is off, the header slips on too easily. An open end wrench is needed to tighten one bolt though (I think it's a 10mm, but it's been a while since I did the job.). A socket will do the rest. The supplied gaskets are plenty thick and didn't leak.

If you decide to bring it to the shop, a skilled mechanic can do the job in under an hour. If they charge you for more than 1.5hrs. they are ripping you off.