Best F355 Headers

I'm not certain if I was able to reach out to the same place you mentioned but there was one in UK that I also contacted and they were asking 5500usd for 321 ss. I ended up going to gp headers who was offering 321 at around 3300 but they couldn't source it so I ended up with the 304.

 

A long time ago (in a galaxy far, far away) we worked with https://www.jpexhausts.co.uk/

 

https://www.jpexhausts.co.uk/post/ferrari-355-exhaust-manifold-ready-for-mail-order

 

Want to see something interesting ? .

Here's an old post from 2014 regarding SECA headers (long discontinued).

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/f355-seca-manifolds.390859/page-4#post-142873889


Here's some info from Scuderia Systems on the SECA manifolds:

"It's worth noting that the Seca Competition Manifold set we supply, were
actually designed for 355 Challenge cars running the world wide 355
Challenge series organised by Ferrari some years ago - the whole point of
them was to increase power AND be reliable. They were designed to last many
seasons of racing. The fact that they give so much over and above the stock
manifolds (actually being an performance optimised header) AND they're
cheaper than the OE parts, make them a great buy - the good news is that
installation on the Seca manifolds is as straightforward, a non-invasive job
as replacing the normal manifolds

More to the point, replacing the 355s stock manifolds with the Seca
manifolds on both road cars and Challenge Cars is a job that we are doing
with ever increasing frequency for various 355 owners. The problem lies
primarily with the quality of the original Ferrari supplied manifold. Put
simply, they are made with a very thin and low quality stainless steel
unable to withstand the temperatures within the F355's engine bay. The heat
generated by the cars running (especially during hard/track/competition use)
causes the manifold's mild steel to expand... when the car cools (when not
running) the steel contracts. This continuous cycling of expansion and
contraction results in minute cracks which eventually widen into full blown
exhaust manifold failure and an exhaust leak which causes more engine bay
damage, power loss, and a sound like a tractor!
The Seca manifolds are actually not replicas of the original Ferrari part.
They are actually sport manifolds - i.e. beautiful headers optimised to
reduce exhaust backpressure from colliding exhaust flow pulses from the
separate exhaust ports on the engine. They are made of thicker AND of much
higher quality grade 304 stainless steel. Furthermore they are then given a
very expensive thermal insulation coating to prevent the engine bay as hot
as it does with the original equipment (which leads to further reliability
issues).
There's four reasons why we are selling so many of them:
1. They will genuinely give your 355 a very definite increase in BHP (and
also give a fuller, deeper sound).
They have been backpressure optimised - i.e. exhaust pulses from the
individual exhaust ports in the engine do NOT collide with each other
because of the length and shape of the manifold Seca - as a result the
engine breathes MUCH more freely as the revs climb and particularly with a
Seca exhaust, it pulls like a freight train to the red line. We've seen some
41bhp on a Ferrari 360 with these headers and we would expect some 30bhp on
355 in good shape with a Seca/Capristo exhaust and sport cats on as well...
2. They make the engine bay run cooler which is essential for hardcore track
use.
3. They'll never need to be replaced again (they are under warranty). And
the road use version contains the air injection rail to assist catalysts in
coming up to temperature quickly which helps with low emissions and
emissions testing everywhere.
4. Furthermore they are cheaper than the pathetic quality original Ferrari
manifolds.

The Ferrari manifolds whether new or used are prone to failure and there is
no reason to suggest that you could be replacing a new set of Ferrari parts
within a year of putting them on! (this is the typical scenario a Seca
manifold buyer comes to us with - exasperation"

Cheers,
Bryn"

 

Exotic Auto Recycling currently has 1 side of a 2.7 SECA header mistakenly labeled as an OE header. I gave them a call and they said the other side sold long ago to someone as an OE header. Poor bastard lol. The stories never end with this car .

We could always buy just this one side and have a fabricator replicate the tubing design and build it in 321 SS instead of 304. As far as shielding goes, I'd personally send to Thermomet for SS or Inconel bespoke shielding. SECA headers should be a 4-2-1 design.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/290940280835

 

As far as the comments from Scuderia Systems, just want to note a few issues from my perspective.

First it's noted the originals are both thin wall stainless and then referred to as mild steel.

They are definitely not mild steel as they are non-magnetic. (but still suffer from surface corrosion so would guess a 400 series "stainless")

Next, they talk about the stock headers as if they are severely degrading performance and a redesign is low hanging fruit for big power gains.

Again, just my opinion but I don't think that is accurate.

Many vehicles with a "log" style manifold where the primary concern was cat light off/simplicity/cost, sure, there is some power to be found there.

The F355 headers however being a 4-2-1 and as far as I can tell near perfect diameters and lengths is most certainly a part that was designed/tuned to optimize power throughout the rpm range.

As much as people hate the fact that they fail, they probably would have disliked more a cast iron log manifold that lopped 35hp off the thing. (well except for JohnK)

Materials could/should have been better. But they didn't do a tri-y header into 4 catalysts because they didn't care about leaving 30hp on the table.

Any claims made to that effect shouldn't be made without dyno results to back it up.

 

Only one way to find out . They’ll take $1k for that header. @MAD828 also mentioned it sounds pretty good. Sounds pretty good on that Giallo 355.

Should buy it an open it up. I wouldn’t mind that design, with your flanges, in 321. No shield needed.

 

It’s our one and only chance to diagnose a SECA header. Happens to be a 2.7 header too which pretty damn rare.

I’ll pitch in $500

 

Honestly the design doesn't matter (again just an opinion). Well it matters but if you know what you're trying to accomplish, looking at a seca header isn't going to help.

I see many focusing on things that aren't (or should't be) a priority. The biggest obstacle in increasing header efficiency for an F355 is the lack of large diameter dies to mandrel bend small (1.625 od) tubing).

 

I tend to think that if Seca headers actually made 30hp, Seca would have run a before & after dyno to show it. No better advertising -- and it's cheap. Why didn't they do it? I think we know.

 

I have driven (extensively) a properly sorted 97 F355 with SECA headers, 200 cell high flow cats, Capristo bypass and exhaust with rebuilt heads. In my mind there is little chance it had 30 more horsepower but it did sound absolutely wild.

 

Let’s analyze this sentence again.

“We've seen some
41bhp on a Ferrari 360 with these headers and we would expect some 30bhp on 355 in good shape with a Seca/Capristo exhaust and sport cats on as well...”


Sports cats + Capristo exhaust + SECA headers = estimated to be 30 bhp gain. Not headers alone. Never driven a 355 with a stock muffler, so I can’t speak to the gains switching to something like a Capristo if any. They also didn’t mention if that gain was specific to a 2.7 or a 5.2. However, here’s a clue that might help.




“It's worth noting that the Seca Competition Manifold set we supply, were actually designed for 355 Challenge cars running the world wide 355
Challenge series organised by Ferrari some yearsago - the whole point of
them was to increase power AND be reliable.”


I can see a 30 bhp gain possibility with these SECA headers, straight pipes all around, and a decent muffler on a 2.7. I have my doubts on a 5.2 . It’s also hard to feel a 30 hp gain if it’s all up top. A dyno comparison would certainly help.

 

That’s the thing that’s got me very curious. Most headers for the 355 don’t sound better than OE headers. It’s usually the same or worse. If SECA headers sound absolutely wild and you know I trust your expertise on this matter, they must be doing something different. Like a Capristo muffler…. it just has that magic sauce and unless one takes it apart to analyze what actually makes it different than everyone else’s attempt, it will forever be a mystery.

 

To be fair I just installed on a 355 F1 Tubi headers, Tubi cats, Capristo sound 2 and Capristo bypass and it sounds as wild if not better. I think your just wanting to believe they are the best thing due to them not being easily acquired. You love the chase. Believe me the sauce ain’t worth the squeeze on this one.

 

I had no interest in the SECA headers until you mentioned sound . But yes, I do love the chase too.

 

I believe with an order of 5 or more Tubi would be willing to do them Inconel. They already built them in Inconel for the 360/430 platform.

Kline can build Inconel headers as well, but I believe they are 4-1 design.

 

I will go for Tubi headers, Tubi cats + Capristo bypass valve. My car have Tubi exhaust from before, looking forward for the sound.

I have inconel Kline exhaust in my Porsche with 100 cell cats, sounds amazing. But tok some time before they deliver, as they make each exhaust after order.

 

Here is an interesting dyno study of Capristo 4-2-1 headers on an F430 and Scud vs. OE headers.

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/capristo-headers-only.324850/page-7

Some power and sound to be had over OE 100%. I ran my Scud with just a Capristo header change (stock cats, stock muffler) for at least 2 years feeling content. The stock Scud exhaust system left alot to be desired imho.

Only issue is it didn’t have the drama and F1 sound of an X-piped muffler. However, it did sound like a Scud with more balls and more low/mid range power.

I bring this up to demonstrate even Ferrari left something on the table with Scud headers, which also had no built-in cats. Not significant, but something. The Capristo headers felt improved in a majority of the power band range. In some ranges you can feel it, some areas you can’t. Sound quality and volume was clearly up as well.


Back then, other Scud owners asked me if Capristo headers were worth it as Scud headers were not known to be problematic. I believe my response was ….

1. Performance wise … as in quantity of the difference felt, I didn’t think $6500 justified the gains (at the time which was probably 2016). At $4k, yes.

2. If you are chasing an improved soundtrack, it helps justify the price, although the header needs to be paired up with an awesome muffler to get the full effect.

3. Scud headers rarely fail, but there are reports of it happening. They are $15k to replace with a new OE set. When you look at it from that perspective, it also helps justify the $6500. I wanted to preserve the OE headers.


If a particular header improved power, but killed sound, I’m not interested. *Think Capristo Twin Exhaust for the 355.

If a header improved sound, but made minimal to no power gains, I’m interested but wouldn’t be completely satisfied.

If a header could potentially do both well, that’s the winning ticket imo. Has nothing to do with exclusivity. Capristo headers for the F430/Scud is easily a top 3 common purchase and years later I am still pitching the Capristo 4-2-1 headers in the 430 section over the 20 other header options…. particularly the popular 4-1 choices.