juddz

Well, I went ahead and ordered the stainless Wagner header today. Man, I can't wait to put it in! I'll let you guys know what I think of it.

Roddimus Prime

i bet you'll be pleased like everyone else has been! Andy makes some great stuff when he's not under such a tremendous load!

juddz

It's going to be great. I'm already thinking about what's going to be next (after the header).

I wish Wagner was located in the northwest part of the state - I would be half tempted to drive down and get it. How's their shop, Matty?

Roddimus Prime

he's got a nice shop....nicer than mine! he's also getting an AWD dyno.....he knows his stuff.

juddz

Okay, so the header came today. The workmanship is fantastic. I can't wait to get it in... I'll keep you guys in the loop on it.

Remember, I ordered it about a week ago. So if any of you guys order one through Wagner, remember it probably won't take forever to get here. I think with the group buy, he had too many to make all at once. But if you still have your heart set on one, it will probably come as quickly as mine did.

vielster

Do the wagner and OBX headers bolt right up to the front cat? Also, are there any dyno's out there for the OBX/Wagner to get an idea of what kinda power gain we're looking at?

juddz

Okay, so the Wagner is in. And yes, it does bolt right up to the cat. With a little WD-40 to loosen the bolts, it wasn't really all that hard. Just don't forget the anti-sieze on the threads (including O2 sensor!) when you reassemble. I put it in this morning, while sipping on my morning cup of coffee! In a little over an hour and a half (I like to take my time), I was out on the street doing a shakedown run.

Wagner claims 7whp from the header. From the brief wide-open stints I enjoyed today, I would say that there was definitely a difference. The car is quite a bit faster now, and that sag in the midrange is gone. Awesome. This is a worthwhile thing to do, folks.

If you decide you want to do it, rest assured you're going to get a high quality part with great workmanship resulting in a horsepower gain you will be able to feel. I can't wait until Wagner finishes up those cams. I am sure they are going to be just as good.

Blarghman

So it looks like this is the header to get if I want to stay emissions legal in Cali, huh? Anyone know how much of a power difference the high flow cats make?

mutiny

im sold next pay day im gonna get it, also i heard that the check engin light comes on, is that when you replace the whole header and 1st cat?, also i want a cat back so will a 2.5 inch megan bolt right up to the stock downpipe?

juddz

The Wagner header bolts up to the cat. All the emissions equipment stays, if you need to keep it for annual inspections. No check engine light will come on...

If you go with an OBX or Forza header, you'll need to get the CEL module to keep from tripping the ML. Do a search on the forum for more info about it.

MichProtege5

Okay, I've been reading these boards long enough now and it's about time that I posted something. I'm also seriously thinking about the wagner header and from everything I've read it's definitly a go for me. I still have a few questions though. Juddz, you mentioned that because you live in Michigan you'd definitly get the stainless. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the jet-hot coating? Will the salt from the roads eat it off? I was personally thinking about the coated header myself, but if it's a waste of money I'll save the cash.
My other question is about the downpipe? In my opinion the first cat right off the exhaust manifold hampers performance big-time. Aside from emissions, are their disadvantages for me if I went with the cat-less downpipe?
I actually remember that I have another question. If I did got with the coated pipe, would it be wise to coat the downpipe as well? As I said before, I just don't know that much about jet-hot coatings, so any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys.

vielster

Also, can anyone give a good comprison between the wagner and the OBX? What are the benefits of one over the other?

juddz

Basically, even if you do a coating on your own, you'll want to get the stainless steel. The reason is that stainless is very resistant to oxidation, whereas mild steel is not. If you buy mild steel and coat it, it will begin to corrode wherever there is a vacancy, chip, or scratch in your coating. So, start with the stainless. And, if you decide to coat it, make sure that whatever you coat it with improves the thermal performance of the header (allows it to retain more heat, to lower underhood temperatures for a colder ambient intake charge). An alternative to coating (for thermal improvement) is to use a high quality header wrap. I have not yet done this, but plan to.

It is true that the downpipe will eliminate the high position cat, and take out a lot of restriction. The main reason I did not do this is emissions compliance and expense. A CEL fix will clear up any O2 faults that would result from also using the downpipe (and indeed this is needed with the other headers on the market). But since emissions testing and (possibly inspection?) is returning to Michigan for 2006, I am being cautious. I might do it later, but I am thinking that a brake upgrade or good set of cams is in my future first.

Hey, that P5 you are driving around out in Commerce wouldn't happen to be red, would it?

MichProtege5

Thanks for the reply Juddz. To answer your question, no, I drive a black P5. You won't be seeing me for awhile out in Michigan though because I recently moved out to Utah for school. Thanks for the info on the header though. Hopefully I'll be ordering mine soon.