DIY Header 12A
Shoot man I just picked up a 12A pacesetter header I'd let you have for $80, but this one looks ok, however short.
Welding and bending its fun though
My question is with a MIG (and the ability to use it) why not make a true duel setup? When I finish the turbo FB my SA is getting that treatment. Seperate piping all the way back
Oh and do you have any pics of the colection before it got wraped up?
Welding and bending its fun though

My question is with a MIG (and the ability to use it) why not make a true duel setup? When I finish the turbo FB my SA is getting that treatment. Seperate piping all the way back

Oh and do you have any pics of the colection before it got wraped up?
Last edited by Qingdao; Jul 26, 2013 at 08:52 PM.
Hmmm interesting point. Because someone stated that it would be best to run the primeries 120" or something around there. That would work to run them all the way back use a collector a foot before the muffler and that would be enough room to run the branch resonator... no I didn't have pics frm before I wrapped it. I made my own tri angle plate and cut into the 2 pipes evenly and ran them together.
Broke a lower exhaust maniifold stud off flush thhis morning. Not really what I wanted to do. And now I get to try and reverse drill it out and if it comes to it I will most likly have to retap the treads also... minnor set back and atleast. I have enough room to get a 90 deg drill in to work on it. Has anyone had luck with heating up the bolt and backing it out... I have access to a miniductor heat probe that will cherry the broken bolt in 3 sec.
You don't want to heat the stud. It'll make the stud expand. What you'd want to do is heat the housing and cool the stud with oil.... BUt I'd sugest trying to gently use a hammer and a probe to "urge" the stud out of its home before heating the housing.
Na, no colector strait up TRUE duel.
My plan is to use a pair of glass packs as the final muffler; with something skinny as the pre silencers maybe RB... IDK yet. That project will take place much in the future. For now the cherrybomb/flowmaster/2.5" piping is holding up.
Na, no colector strait up TRUE duel.

My plan is to use a pair of glass packs as the final muffler; with something skinny as the pre silencers maybe RB... IDK yet. That project will take place much in the future. For now the cherrybomb/flowmaster/2.5" piping is holding up.
I am going to keep soaking it with penitraiting oil... hope that will lossen things up a bit to turn it with a punch. If not I might use a reverse drill and easy out then its heat for the last resort
Well got the new header built and installed and wrapped. After fighting with a broken exhaust stud I won. So its 2.5" thick wall pipe with 0.5" mounting plate, 3.5' of primary pipe collected into a 2.75" exhasut pipe straight back to same size fart can muffler and then a restrictor plate in the end of the muffler that drops it down to 1.75 outlet. This thing sound mean as F**k now and this also took care of my decelleration back fire noise. I am sure that there was a small exhaust leak in the last system. Thanks for all your help everyone. And I will be adding to this thread once I get my drone frequency messured and I will be making a branch resonator for this system to so that is very queit in town...
Everything is installed and I have been meaning to get it on vid for everyone and post it, but I wont let anyone else in the river seat so I have to find someone to run the cam for me, I did try to take the restrictor pipe end out of the muffler and its louder than anything in town, in fact I reved my police officer buddies ears as I passed him and he tore off after me, then realizing it was me followed me home to give me some crap... anyway, I hope to get this vid recorded and a run down of what it all looks like so I can hear what you all have to say about it... Thanks for all the help everyone, I look forward to returning the favor and working on more projects with you all.
Originally Posted by Dave.Martin2008
Everything is installed... (words) ...and working on more projects with you all.
Ok so I know the muffler sticks out right now but once the body kit goes on it wont look so far out there.
this was just a short run because my other video I did with my phone distorted the audio part.
once I get this video link to work LOL
this was just a short run because my other video I did with my phone distorted the audio part.
once I get this video link to work LOL
Last edited by Dave.Martin2008; Oct 3, 2013 at 08:58 PM. Reason: messed up the link
Thanks it was a lot of work to get it to the point its at but I will post another vid this weekend if possible. I want to get a higher rev and my favortism only goes so far with the local PD
Thanks turbo project is coming along still have to get the gasket/seal kit for my other 12a before I port it out and try to get the block ready for the abuse it will undertake. LoL but its moving slowly.
This maybe a little off the subject I'm putting a 12a in a VW bug looking at building my on headers don't have much room for long exhaust any suggestions on how to build and try to keep it some what quite?
It can be done. I guess we need to know how much room you really have and how far you have to go to get there?
Motor is in not sure what you mean buy how far to go was thinking of possible of using stock manifold but would have to put about 1/2 inch spacer between motor and manifold to keep it from hitting transaxle . Someone made a statement earlier in this thread that the stock manifold made more power then a header is that true and putting a spacer between the manifold and motor be and advantage or disadvantage?
I used the correct size ID piping to achieve the most power I could and I am not sure about the statment from before because just putting the header on with the larger exhaust piping made a huge difference in lanch time. I am not sure on my 1/4 mile time yet I have a fuel drop issue in 3rd gear right at the moment.
booky, I have a 13B in my baja but I'm probably swapping it out for a 12A soon to work the bugs out of the conversion in a super simple way. My exhaust will be super simple. Speaking of super simple, you can follow me on fail book. Just kidding.
If you have a Baja then you may under stand that I don't have much room and a 12a manifold hits the transaxle but from reading this thread they want long primaries and I cant do that don't have the length.To make good power.
Just don't put the 2 primeries together. That would help out a lot. The problem with having short primeries is mixing the 2 pipes tegether too soon. If the never mix together that should help out with the shorter pipes but that's going to be ear shattering loud.
I came up with two or three ideas for mine. A turbo is an option because it acts like a muffler.
There is the stock NA iron exhaust manifod modded with a different angle outlet to clear the horn which requires iron welding, which not every shop can do. Then there is the tubular header option which lets you angle it any way it will fit. These two NA options will require at least one more muffler for a total of at least two decently sized ones in the little pocket of space between the engine and tire. I have it easier in the baja since I don't have all the stock fender stuff in the way.
For my baja, I have two ideas. Number one is a stock S5 turbo. I test fitted it in there the other day and it fits perfectly and allows a single Magnaflow 5x11 or 4x9 in 18" or 22" length. I suppose a 5x8 at 24" length could work too, buit it's longish. Then I test fired it in the GSL-SE yesterday and had to shove two 3" mufflers on it. It was loud! So I don't know if a single 2.5" muffler would be enough muffling.
Heck for that matter, I don't know if the NA option with just two mufflers will be enpugh muffling either. I tend to use three mufflers if doing custom exhaust, not two unless they're really agressive and can quiet really well. Again hoping one really large single muffler and a turbo will be enough but still don't know.
As for the NA setup, I'd do a short collected tubular header or a fabricated tubular manifold and use two 14" 4x9 with an offset/offset and a couple of 180 degree u-bends. I'd only be able to use 14" due to the extra length of the u-bends eating into all the extra space I have there. Maybe 18" mufflers could fit, but that's pushing things a bit. Again your street bug won't have such space luxuries.
As of right now I'm leaning toward the turbo and as huge single muffler with offset/offset in 2.5" like a magnaflow. 2.5" is a little small but I son't want to wake the dead every time I start it. You may want that though. It is October already.
There is the stock NA iron exhaust manifod modded with a different angle outlet to clear the horn which requires iron welding, which not every shop can do. Then there is the tubular header option which lets you angle it any way it will fit. These two NA options will require at least one more muffler for a total of at least two decently sized ones in the little pocket of space between the engine and tire. I have it easier in the baja since I don't have all the stock fender stuff in the way.For my baja, I have two ideas. Number one is a stock S5 turbo. I test fitted it in there the other day and it fits perfectly and allows a single Magnaflow 5x11 or 4x9 in 18" or 22" length. I suppose a 5x8 at 24" length could work too, buit it's longish. Then I test fired it in the GSL-SE yesterday and had to shove two 3" mufflers on it. It was loud! So I don't know if a single 2.5" muffler would be enough muffling.
Heck for that matter, I don't know if the NA option with just two mufflers will be enpugh muffling either. I tend to use three mufflers if doing custom exhaust, not two unless they're really agressive and can quiet really well. Again hoping one really large single muffler and a turbo will be enough but still don't know.
As for the NA setup, I'd do a short collected tubular header or a fabricated tubular manifold and use two 14" 4x9 with an offset/offset and a couple of 180 degree u-bends. I'd only be able to use 14" due to the extra length of the u-bends eating into all the extra space I have there. Maybe 18" mufflers could fit, but that's pushing things a bit. Again your street bug won't have such space luxuries.
As of right now I'm leaning toward the turbo and as huge single muffler with offset/offset in 2.5" like a magnaflow. 2.5" is a little small but I son't want to wake the dead every time I start it. You may want that though. It is October already.





