355 Owners - What’s Your Valve Guides and Manifolds Story?

What are your thoughts on the fabspeed headers?


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I already said I will only install OE and Tubi. I don't know how to be more clear.

 

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Pictures speak for themselves. Also, aren't the F355 Fabspeed headers made in Taiwan or something?

Fabspeed:

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Tubi:
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The tubis are also almost twice as much


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My leak down test results on a 99 F355 spider with 36k on the clock. Original valves and guides.
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Well they are more than twice as expensive.
At least I was not able to find any Tubi headers for less than almost 2.5X of the Fabspeed

 

My point exactly. Are the tubis 2.5x better than the fabspeeds? I get that they’re 4/2/1 and the fabspeed is 4/1 so you lose some of that F1 sound. I’m guessing they are better than OE, I’d like to here some thoughts.


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You can source the Tubi exhaust way cheaper than what they show on the websites. I purchased 3 sets and got a massive discount via a group buy I organized - everyone of us got 30% off list. The Tubi are simply the best manifold available. See if you can speak to a supplier and get a group together to buy a batch.

I bought the car for the look and the sound, anything that would reduce the F1 note would never make it onto my car.

 

It can be frowned up on suggesting such a thing as not spending top dollar on Tubi around here. Read from post 28 to 31
https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/355-headers-manifold.610555/page-2

 

thanks for the link. Even though I am new here I am used to the "frowned upon" thing after close to 20 years with different Porsches. P-car owners are similar in many ways...especially the new model owners.
Anyway, a lot of great information and ultimately Tubi is likely the best choice. It will however make a difference for many of us if the car needs a few more things done (like in my case) and a full engine out service. While fully agree with the post suggesting "put the best in a Ferrari and be confient for 10+ years" or such, 5K difference in a calendar year of servicing may make a huge difference for some people - and frankly the 355 is not even close in purchase price to a 458 or 488. So stating that one needs to have "deep pockets" to even acquire one is not excatly correct - at least not in my book.
At the end owners who feel Fabspeed or another brand will do an acceptable job (and their shop agrees) will do so.

 

On a 99 you could have iron guides and if so no problem. If it has the factory bronze guides I have long seen a very disturbing trend that once they are down to 10% leakage they can go bad quite quickly. On PPIs if there was 10% on any cylinder I suggest passing on the car unless buyer wanted to spend the money on a top end. Due to the materials involved those motors do not follow the old rule of thumb that 10% was nothing to worry about.

 

My concern is the heat. It has a bad effect on everything under the hood.

 

i appreciate it - fully
will try to swing for the Tubi myself, depending on many other expenses with track car and the status of the OEM headers which were repaired by RICAMBI in the past seemingly (from the receipts i got with the car)

 

For a couple hundred you can get them ceramic coated.


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Not nearly enough.

Dont think I have made the decision on the brands that I use in a vacuum. I am fully aware of the choices and have made my decision based on real world experiences. I take providing my clients with a good product very seriously.

 

I have seen ceramic coated headers … flaking off the coating, and still cook the sheet out of the engine mounts. Ceramic coating, to me is snake oil. It did not work on my Ducati and did not work on the Ferrari.

 

The price of the tubi is a hard pill to swallow. But at some point I’m gonna need that, and probably their bypass valve as well. Let’s put togetherness group buy


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To be fair not all ceramic coating is the same, many of the places that do it, the coating will cook off. Try swain coatings.

 

Buy quality and pay once.

 

I would not call it snake oil. As pointed out there are better and worse providers but it does not provide the level of insulation needed.

 

Do people use modern header wrap on the 355 headers?

 

Some but candidly most install them because they look cool and how do you look cool with header wrap?

Polished stainless looks cool for a few thousand miles then it looks like crap.

I have a lot of experience with header wrap. It works well but not as well as the complete enclosure. It also traps and keeps the pipes wrapped in moisture. Not great in the long haul.

 

And rust ensues.

 

I wouldn't say that OE is quality, and if one is replacing OE headers with OE headers, then one is paying multiple times for that questionable quality.
Very surprised you dont flat out right refuse to install new OE headers on your customers ferraris be it a 355 or 360.