Header install hitting steering shaft

[Mr. Unassailable]

For all the comments on "Chinese steel".

Read this http://www.incon.co.uk/Services.asp?fldid=1


In short, its a method for determining exactly what elements are in a material. I assure you, the OBX 316L is not of poor quality. This is the last I'm going to talk on this subject. My profession revolves around steel, welds, service related failures, and welding flaws. I'd be willing to bet out of C5's members I'm in the top .1% as far as knowledge of steel and welding goes. You can find me registered on the API's website as one of a couple hundred API certified weld inspectors. (API = American Petroleum Institute, its kinda a big deal)


- Clayton. Official C5Fail4 hater.

[Muscle SS]

Originally Posted by litle88

I seriously doubt it!

Feel free to use that little search button. I spent months, pm'ing members and searching about header quality and issues. OBX was the only company without any complaints from anyone other than vendors who are pissed they can't make a quick buck off of them.

[Muscle SS]

Originally Posted by thahemp

Your OBX welds will outlast our American economy.

Your Chinese tshirts, computers, cellphones, tires, and tv's will outlast your self righteousness.

[2SSRSinBama]

the thing is because people didn't put their foot down years ago, we lost the clothing war, electronics war, tire war, etc... which is why I laugh at the people who bash unions, etc... of course that is a whole other debate but our motto holds true:

You Earn It In America, Spend It In America...

people are always looking to save a buck and then are shocked when corporations outsource job... what the f***

[litle88]

Originally Posted by Muscle SS

Feel free to use that little search button. I spent months, pm'ing members and searching about header quality and issues. OBX was the only company without any complaints from anyone other than vendors who are pissed they can't make a quick buck off of them.

I build and work on my own cars and have been working on the Ls platform since 97 so sorry but I don't need to hit the search button or PM other members, searching about that subject here with only a very small fraction that mod their cars is pointless. Most think that shorties and going Catless is awesome on a 6.2L/376 CI motor, because they worry about warranties. If you really wanted to find out more you should of called some sponsors here. They are the ones that do them day in and day out and I'm certain they would of steered you away from them because most have had sooo many issues and many have stopped selling them as well. But that's just me.
Fwiw I've never heard of Kooks welds failing on an Ls based car.

[Mr. Unassailable]

Originally Posted by 2SSRSinBama

the thing is because people didn't put their foot down years ago, we lost the clothing war, electronics war, tire war, etc... which is why I laugh at the people who bash unions, etc... of course that is a whole other debate but our motto holds true:

You Earn It In America, Spend It In America...

people are always looking to save a buck and then are shocked when corporations outsource job... what the f***

That gets political quickly, and that's not advised.

OBX is an American company that has stuff built overseas. Just like Apple, Dell, Microsoft, etc.

[GMTool]

It seems like the people who bought the bargain products from china keep trying to convince themselves of how they beat the system by purchasing a cheaper product that is just as good as the more expensive ones. Just be happy with what you got, if you can. No need to keep telling the whole world about it. If your happy with them that's all that matters. The more you keep defending your purchase, the more it sounds like maybe you really wish you would have spent a little more cash and got the good ones. Just let it go.

[Mr. Unassailable]

Originally Posted by litle88

I build and work on my own cars and have been working on the Ls platform since 97 so sorry but I don't need to hit the search button or PM other members, searching about that subject here with only a very small fraction that mod their cars is pointless. Most think that shorties and going Catless is awesome on a 6.2L/376 CI motor, because they worry about warranties. If you really wanted to find out more you should of called some sponsors here. They are the ones that do them day in and day out and I'm certain they would of steered you away from them because most have had sooo many issues and many have stopped selling them as well. But that's just me.
Fwiw I've never heard of Kooks welds failing on an Ls based car.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...ch-coated.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...-drinking.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...ers-crack.html


I mean really? "cracked kooks headers" in google - About 591,000 results (0.22 seconds)... that didnt take long, literally.

[Camarojt]

Originally Posted by Mr. Unassailable

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...ch-coated.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...-drinking.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...ers-crack.html


I mean really? "cracked kooks headers" in google - About 591,000 results (0.22 seconds)... that didnt take long, literally.

I only posted the links that were 5th gen Camaros only. Yes you can find issues with all brand headers out there. My issue was specifically fitment. And fitment is one of the biggest selling points that higher cost headers use. But even the top brands have a few fitment issues. But IMO the majority of these fitment problems are due to how the engine sits on the motor mounts from the factory, not from faulty designed or made headers.

[Mr. Unassailable]

Originally Posted by Camarojt

I only posted the links that were 5th gen Camaros only. Yes you can find issues with all brand headers out there. My issue was specifically fitment. And fitment is one of the biggest selling points that higher cost headers use. But even the top brands have a few fitment issues. But IMO the majority of these fitment problems are due to how the engine sits on the motor mounts from the factory, not from faulty designed or made headers.

I was just throwing some up, the guy said "Fwiw I've never heard of Kooks welds failing on an Ls based car."
The links are all to cracked kooks.

[litle88]

Originally Posted by Mr. Unassailable

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...ch-coated.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...-drinking.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...ers-crack.html


I mean really? "cracked kooks headers" in google - About 591,000 results (0.22 seconds)... that didnt take long, literally.

You obviously have no clue! Back in the Ls1/6 days we had an AIR tube that was on the passenger side headers. Some morons actually wanted to keep them because it would help the EPA or better chances to pass emission tests when it was better to just order headers without that small tube and just delete it cause it was pointless. Those damn things broke on ALL the headers.

[litle88]

Oops I forgot they were on both sides and they looked like these, top center of the pic. When connected they would kinda start to strain the tube and welds.

[MarylandSpeed]

We are Kooks largest dealer. We sell more Kooks headers in a year, than some brands sell in a year. Now keeping that in mind, also know that I hate warranty claims. Last thing I want is a customer beating on my door a year down the road because something I sold fails. It is just never a good scenerio. I have dropped lines for too many warranty claims.

In 6 years of selling Kooks, I can think of maybe two non road damage related cracked Kooks header warranty claims. That is out of thousands of headers sold. You linked to three threads, two of which are from 2006, or 6 years ago. All deal with Air/EGR tubes cracking, which are not on 5th gen Camaro's, and known as a failure point for all all header brands for the C5. Basically, on the stock cast iron manifold, the AIR/EGR fittings are pretty thick. On a header, it is replaced with thinner stainless tubing welded on the header. Every once an awhile, the stress on the fitting causes it to crack. Very rare..and most people run AIR/EGR delete headers on these cars now and don't even have these fittings.

Now I am not going to insult you, as I am certain you are pretty intelligent, and knowlegable on the issue. However I personally have have the headers we are discussing...and if you somehow think they are better than a premium, US made header, that seriously hurts your credibility. The Chinese headers have had issues with cracking, and warped flanges for years. That is why the Chinese stuff you see now has tubing twice the gauge of a US made header, and has half inch thick flanges. Otherwise the inferior materials tears in the benders, or cracks over time, and the flanges warp. Also, it is not even that scientific. We take both sets to shows so people can see the difference. You don't have to be a weld inspector to see that there is a huge difference in quality between a premium header and some overseas knock off.
As for your claim of half a million entries in google for "cracked kooks headers"...I ran the same search and found one entrie...this thread...

Now I am not 100% against overseas stuff. If a company wants to design their own header, and make it overseas..more power to them. However a low quality product eventually ends up suffering the fate such products do. What I hate is the rampent counterfitting most overseas companies do. Rather than designing their own header, they decide to knock off a known brand and dump cheap copies on ebay. That to me is plain wrong, and not something that should be supported.

Originally Posted by Mr. Unassailable

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...ch-coated.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...-drinking.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...ers-crack.html


I mean really? "cracked kooks headers" in google - About 591,000 results (0.22 seconds)... that didnt take long, literally.

[litle88]

Thankyou Maryland
Searching is good you just gotta know what you searching for.