do the headers now or wait?

I'd do it on your next engine out. It's a bit of a hassle to change with engine in.

 

Wait, dont fall for the hype.

 

Change them now... as they will fail. A smoke test is a waste of time as it will not show the deformation of the pipes ....and they will fail with out notice. If you want to really verify the condition of your headers you have to remove the heat shields. But don't rebuild the headers.....replace them with fabspeeds or tubis

& If you drive with a broken header you can damage the motor.

& ricambi also sells fabspeed Headers

& ricambi also sells fabspeed Headers

& If you drive with a broken header you can damage the motor.

Change them now... as they will fail. A smoke test is a waste of time as it will not show the deformation of the pipes ....and they will fail with out notice. If you want to really verify the condition of your headers you have to remove the heat shields. But don't rebuild the headers.....replace them with fabspeeds or tubis

 

cf355, just want to confirm, you're saying yes they should be changed?

 

Now Now Now...unless you have a major coming up soon.

 

not sure .

sent my response from my smart phone.....looks like the phone sent
the messages multiple times......Not so smart after all.

 

Now. If you can do it now, do it. If you are planning on it in the future anyway, why wait? How mad would you be if you had a chance to do it and they failed?

 

Your right, depending on the header you may need heat shields, ceramic coating or a blanket (fabspeed) and tubi comes with a blanket.

Are you talking about the rebuilt headers? (....like qv or j.p.)

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/348-355-sponsored-bradan/314817-qv-london.html

If not, who makes the headers? Whats the warranty?

 

I recently had a header failure and moved to Fabspeed. Engine bay seems to have cooled down a bit, but my new headers are ceramic coated (inside), plus I went to sport cats. Too many variables but an improvement anyway FWIW.

我從使用 Tapatalk 的 LT29i 發送

 

Randy,

I like your thinking of taking care of them preemptively - Next major makes it easy.

Best,

Robb

 

It is only a couple of hours to RR the headers engine in. It is really easy.

 

If your headers are not leaking now, just drive the damn car and don't worry about it. Save your money and buy Tubi to install on your next engine out. So much being made here about nothing. If you are going to worry about the headers then you may as well worry that one of your timing belts is going to let loose tomorrow. Tubi is by far the best option but they are more money. Stop worrying and do what you can when the time is right. Hey your valve guides might be phucked too! Many are driving theirs with the original headers and more milage.
Some of the stories you have read on here about header failure and engine damage are from people who kept driving their cars with broken headers. Those same people couldn't tell the difference between a blue jay and a cardinal. If you are one of the latter, then change your headers now.

 

I dont think you have looked at tubis my tubis have heat shielding and it works.

 

Amen!

 

Exactly. The only reason you wouldn't consider Tubis is the extravagant price, surely?

They are heat shielded and are generally considered the gold standard, plus they retain the original 4-2-1 design.
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I drove my car until I heard exhaust leaking, then went aftermarket. The broken header had been repaired before, but I wanted a more permanent solution.

My new Fabspeed units are ceramic coated inside for heat resistance and also lightly on the outside for surface protection. So far, I can't tell the sound difference from the OEM headers (4-1 vs 4-2-1), and the engine bay does feel a little cooler than before. Disclaimer: No idea how long the headers have been leaky; I'm sure it had been on its way out some time before the exhaust drone suddenly became really loud. Within the same day the cat on the same side cracked and started banging around. Don't we just love these cars!

Bottom line, headers go quickly if you aren't super-sharp (catching the insulation blowing out).....question is what the OP's tolerance is for driving around with this risk. Would be annoying to have it go right after putting new cats in.
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as you wrote, you are going to put new cats in which probably flow better.
Therefor I would not replace the headers. less back pressure is less change that your headers will fail.
moreover, the engine damage will only happen by disintegrating catalytic converter cores.

as you will not have that issue either, there will not be a risk of damaging your engine either.

 

I would replace them now, but maybe I am biased?

In all reality, along with this being preventative maintenance, its a performance upgrade and will provide you with a better exhaust tone as well - its a win win scenario really.

For those talking about extra heat - our 355 headers INCLUDE a set of heat shields, we also offer ceramic coating services and heat blankets as an option.

Ferrari F355 Sport Headers - Fabspeed Motorsport
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The idea that our headers lose torque leads me to believe that you may be hinting at the differences in our design V.S. OEM and Others? The OE header is a 4-2-1, where as the FABSPEED header is 4-1. Historically, 4-2-1 headers are known to make power down low, where as 4-1 headers make more power up and make more power overall consistently. Considering that the 355 is a performance vehicle that thrives at high RPM - it makes perfect sense that we coupled a header design that makes more power at the top of the RPM range oppose to low end.

We offer heat shields with our headers. After doing extensive research on the heat generated by our headers in the engine bay, we concluded that they provide ample protection from heat. While these heat shields do provide amble protection, we offer other alternatives such as heat blankets and ceramic coating to further the heat protection if the owner so chooses.

I am sure Chris Stebb at stainless headers makes a great product as well. Unfortunately after searching online, I could not find anything on Chris or the headers, so I do not have anything to compare.

As far as fitment issues - we offer a limited life time warranty on all of our products. Any craftsmanship issues are handled and taken care of promptly. We have sold hundreds of sets of these headers and have had very few complaints of fitment.

I value your opinion, and wish you the best on your quest. Whether you decide to purchase FABSPEED or any other brand, I still recommend you change your headers now instead of waiting for them to fail and then change them.

 

Good Post Joe.

Robb