430 Removing Cats from OEM Headers and Repairing Them

Well I guess that is the question we all are wondering.... I have a 2009 and I’m trying to keep my car as stock/original as possible. It did come with a Fabspeed cross pipe track exhaust but has stock 2nd gen headers. The Fabspeed removes a ton of weight off the back of the car and should remove a lot of stress on the headers. I do have the original ferrari exhaust and putting that back on whenever I sell the car is a heck of a lot easier than putting back the stock headers.

The big question is how many people had the 2nd gen headers go bad on an 08 or 09 with the improved 2nd gen brackets and a lighter muffler setup like the sport exhaust. I know there are cases of 2nd gen cracking but are they on earlier cars where the rest of the setup wasn’t upgraded(ie brackets and muffler)

Cheers,
Corey


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no.
if header is already cracked, i'd remove header, gut cat material , weld/fix the crack , install them back without the brackets.
if header not cracked, just remove the brackets, keep driving until it cracks

 

No my headers are perfectly fine. Car has 3500 miles

 

remove the brackets now
nothing else to worry about

 

ok.
so what scenario calls for switching to the factory sport exhaust?

 

factory sport exhaust is cat-back.
regular oem cat back exhaust is presumably just quieter and heavier.
except for regular oem cat back exhaust's white powder issue, there ain't much to worry about.

so you only switch them when you need something louder and lighter

no headers or cats involved in this particular area

 

On my 06 i have cap headers with blankets, cap hiflow cats, and cap brackets. I Hesitate doing the tubj sport because everything else is capristo.


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I never finished my thought - so on this setup wld u go capristo exhaust or tubi sport?


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Yes that's definitely the cheapest option. Scud and challenge headers have the exact same heat shields as a stock 430.

 

I would think replacing the catback would be strictly personal preference regarding sound and weight.

I know that I wouldn't hesitate for a second in using a different brand catback, if I preferred the sound.

Kevin

 

Very helpful thread. Can anyone show me on a picture which are the brackets that can be removed and not replaced?
Thanks!

 

Diffuser has to come off and they are right there, easy to see. They mount to the rear of the gearbox.

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im going to dyno this setup above (oem muffler) and will post results.

 

This? sorry im a complete rookie. So removing these prevents the headers to crack?
Can I remove only the defuser or do i need to remove the whole bumper
THank you!!
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I had my cat delete on a 2007 f430 spider here in FL. I have a constant CEL, but damn..... the sound is bananas !


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remove Just the diffuer will do

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Thank you!!
What is the rationale, do they limit the movement of the headers and therefore provoque the cracks?
Thanks again!!!

 

yep. u got it

 

Yes. Here’s a video on 360 exhausts, comparing Capristo to Tubi.




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so on my late model 07 with 3k miles, i cld put this exhaust on and never have to worry about brackets or vibration cracking my MK2s?
https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/oem-ferrari-f430-complete-sport-exhaust-with-chrome-tips-70003290.586298/

 

Essentially yes, that exhaust mounts on rubber hangers so is free to move. Any header "can" crack though.

 

Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login To recap, a tech told me my MK2 headers (only 5,000 miles) were leaking. He thought they were cracked and also he noted a leak at the flange. Before I decided on which replacements to install I took off the old ones. As I did it was obvious the flanges were warped.


To see if they were also cracked, I rigged up something to put some pressure in them. Rubber foam on a piece of wood clamped to the flanges, a plastic cup, and a hose I managed to “screw” into the sensor port. The hose had a nasty tasting cloth sheath, so I knifed it off and then blew for all I was worth. It seemed to me that they both held pressure.


Next I sent my son in search of a cigar. Being in Utah, stealth was required to avoid an angry mob of neighbors converging on my lawn at midnight, kidnapping and exiling me across the border into one of those heathen states, like Wyoming. My son returned with a $1.00 wine-flavored cigar from 7-Eleven. At this point I almost folded and just bought new headers, but decided to persevere. I lit up, blew like crazy, and no smoke was seen.


The conclusion was that both header’s flanges had warped in the same way and that was where they leaked. The two middle flanges were relatively parallel, but both outer flanges were warped away from the plane. Examining inside the mounting holes, the rearward holes had marks from the stud threads, indicating the flanges had exerted a lot of force against the studs. This is why some technicians elongate the holes a little. The holes are a little oversize, but not enough; I calculate that the expansion would be around .08”.


I think if the flanges were flattened, they’d probably stay flat, IF I also got rid of the factory rigid mounting as has been much discussed. So I’m thinking about doing this. I’m not worried about the cost of new headers, but I like the sound of the stock exhaust and really don’t want it any louder.


Flattening the flanges can be done on a sander, but I’d much rather mill them. The latter, however, requires a lot more effort in fixturing them. I’m thinking about it…

 

so theyre arent cracked?

 

No, they are not cracked and not leaking internally. They were only leaking at the flanges.