how to install Racing Beat header
 

can anyone help me or link some pic's of what step's i need to take to install my racingbeat header and silencer on my 85 gsl-se,i dont have stock cat's on my car anymore but i have the stock exhaust peice that go's over the rear axle,i still have the stock air box and i still have the air pump hooked up.

you might need a stock airpump because the presilenser uses that and if the stock ones are gone you might not have all the pieces, but usually you undo the assembly form the stock midpipe and the 4 bolts holding the manifold and the O2 Sensor and just remove all that and replace it with the header and presilenser and reconnect everything like the stock parts.
hope that makes some sense to you and helps

It's really just unbolting the stock pieces and putting the Racing Beat components in place. With the presilencer, you're going to discard the Air Control Valve. The air pump won't be hooked up to anything afterwards, but keep it there because its belt also helps turn the water pump.

Do you have new exhaust gaskets?
How about a shop manual? Here's a downloadable version, it's useful to know how much to torque down the bolts.

so do i need to block anything off at all?

YES you need to block off the ACV ports or it will not run and probably leak coolant. The header SHOULD come with a block-off plate kit. Its really a simple job.

Also, the presilencer does not use the airpump, I don't know why that was said.

I don't believe coolant runs through the ACV since it just redirects air from the air pump to the cat, exhaust port, or to the intake. There will be a huge vacuum leak if it's not blocked off.

????????????

How is is going to leak coolant?

You block off the ACV as in singular.

Look in the FSM for the location and what the ACV is.

You can either leave the Air pump in place or remove it. I have never had an issue with belt slippage when i have removed the Air pump.

Seconding this. This thread is a wealth of misinformation. The Doc is right, you should take off the old exhaust manifold and install the header. If you want to remove the air pump, you will need a block off plate for the Air Control Valve, as well as a cork or something to plug the stock airbox after removing the air pump hoses.

You *can* leave the air pump installed and just plug the air supply tubes that went to the old cats. I did this and didn't remove my air pump for a few years without issue.

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my mistake i guess, i was told it did but i never used the presilenser, i made a custom piece

Sorry...I was thinking there was a coolant port there too. :scratch:

so in ray green's pic is that 2 self made block off's?

I don't think so. It looks identical to the one that was supplied with my RB header. Did you buy yours used?

yea i got mine used,it came with no block off's

There might be a template to make your own on the racing beat web site. I believe its 1/8th steel and wouldn't terribly hard to fab (or have fabbed)

so in ray green's pic the upper plate is the block off and the lower plate is a heat shield correct?

Yup. Racing beat does sell it for $15 or something. You can also make one.

yea i went ahead and ordered the block off and heat shield from raceing beat didnt wana have to mess around with making one
woot 100th post

The racing beat heat shield will not clear the stock nikki intake manifold. The one shown is from re-speed.

Heat wrap ftw

Shield = Respeed
Plates = Racing beat/mazdatrix

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humm the guys at raceing beat told me that the shield they are selling me will work on my 85 gsl-se 13b

ok take a look at this http:www.racingbeat.com/frmazda1.htm i think i made the link right part number 16219

Or you could make one out of a sign. :) Amazing how after almost a year, the paint is still great.

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so the part number i linked will not work?

i might have to modify it

It won't fit a stock 12A manifold. I have no experience with a 13B, but from the description it would seem it won't.

send it back and get heat wrap. I can touch my headers after driving. only for a secound or so but still. or you can just modify the top part of the stock heat sheild. thats what I did till I got the wrap. I just pounded the back out a bit.

For the record, you do not have to remove the air pump and air control valve to install the SE-headers. I have mine installed, and they work just fine - even pumping a slight amount of air into the Racing Beat presilencer to help cool the exhaust flow.

You'll notice that on an SE exhaust there is the air control pipe that goes to the #3 catalytic converter to supply fresh air from the air pump. This has a one-way diaphragm valve and a T-connection off of it that allows backpressure from the exhaust to come back to the intake to operate the '6'-ports. The air control valve normally pumps fresh air into the #3 cat, but now your presilencer under certain driving conditions, and you can leave that system totally intact and the SE headers will run just fine.

With the emissions controls we have in my city, I've gotten to where I can swap in my stock exhaust system (with working cats) in about an hour, drive it down to have it tested (passes easily), drive it home, and have the RB header and presilencer back on in another hour. Sure, it's a pain, but necessary to get it registered and tagged here. The point being that it's simple, straight-forward, and doesn't require removal of the air pump or air control valve. HTH,

so what would be the advantage or disadvantage of leaving the acv and air pump on or taking it off? Will i lose horsepower or gain removing these part's?

also i called racingbeat today and they swore the the heatshield would fit my gsl-se 13b with stock manafold,They told me they made a new verison that work's

You will only lose the amount of horsepower that it takes to turn the airpump, which is minimal. If you've ever had an airpump out of the car, it's on bearings, and it is super easy to turn, so I'm thinking that with frictional belt losses, having to power up the airpump, maybe 1 hp, tops...?

Not worth removing in my view. You could put in new spark plugs and yield more power gains than that.

I'd leave it in, but that's me, and I did.

what about leaving or taking off the air control valve? Longduck

ok so i installed the header this weekend, DAM thing is LOUD hehe,But i used header wrap and from what ive been told i shouldnt use header wrap because water will get traped in header wrap and rust out my header real fast,I have heat shield comming in the mail but it's not here yeat, I have installed header wrap on the header allready Im woundering if i should take header wrap off after i get heat shield installed

that's total BS. if water DOES get in it, it'll only happen while driving in the rain. but then the header will be very hot and will evaporate any water that MIGHT get in the wrap. check with others that actually use header wrap. i think u'll hear different.

header wrap is fine as long as your ehaust doesnt overheat. it does deteriate faster, but will still last 15 years or so. the RB header is stainless steel. rust isnt really an issue.

the RB header is not stainless. It's a ceramic coated mild steel. If it were SS, it would weigh 1/3 of what it does.

So you're saying their Stainless Steel Header is not really SS and that they are false advertising? :scratch:

http://racingbeat.com/FRmazda2.htm

They do make a SS header, but most people do not have the SS version.

I'm still not seeing the SS header on their site. I'll have to continue my search after work tonight. Is it a FC header? I looked under the "Hi-Perf Exhaust" submenu for both the FB and FC and did not see any listings for a SS header.

It's under Exhaust Components.

I thought they were all stainless. I bought mine used, I'm 100% sure I have the stainless version though. I had no flange and I had to weld on a peace to fit my slip fit exhaust. I had to Tig it to get a decent weld. the mig just wasn't doing the job. worked for the rest of the exhast though. Its blued now like everyone elses though.

so i recived the heat shield from racing beat and it dosent fit my 13b......they told me it will fit,So im sending it back and getting my money back,Dose anyone know where i can get a heat shield that will fit my stock 13b manfold, site and part number would be nice :)

Respeed makes one that fits the stock 12A... I don't know if it fits the 13B. You can call him and ask, or PM him. His name on the forum is bwaits.

Billy at respeed does sell one for the 13b. I have one on my gsl-se. He sells great parts and has the best customer service you will find.

thx guys

what is the bolt pattern between the header to the engine?

If you are wanting to make your own header, Racing Beat sells a "make your own header" kit. Also, I believe you can just buy the part that mates to the block. Check out the exhaust components subsection or give them a call. They are always willing to sell stuff I have noticed.