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-   -   Pacesetter headers for 12a (https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generation-specific-1979-1985-18/pacesetter-headers-12a-146726/)

subgraphic 01-07-03 12:39 AM

Pacesetter headers for 12a
 
Anyone have experience with these? Are they on par with RB?

thanks

scot :peace:

RoTARY-ReX 01-07-03 01:52 AM

I wouldnt go with Pacesetter. Go with RB! I used to have a pacesetter mufflre installed.. It was very quiet, but performace seemed the same. I ahve heard that Pacesetter headers have lots of weld on the inside where flanges and such were welded up. They may be cheap, but cant compete! Racing Beat!!!!!

onepointone 01-07-03 08:02 AM

ive heard bad things about pacesetter, like they dont last and such. thats why i went with a racing beat header. direct bolt on, so far im pleased, but ive only had it since november. i think everyone else will pretty much say the same..

im waiting for mantis' advertisment :p:

error402 01-07-03 09:51 AM

I have first hand experience with pacesetter's headers....

THEY SUCK and aren't even close to the quality of the Racing Beat headers. For starters, they aren't a straight bolt on, you have to shave the bolt holes a little before you can get it on the engine. (Which is huge pain in the butt.) Second, there is left over metal piping in the exhaust pipe, where the two pipes meet. The overall quality feels and looks cheap. I returned mine the next day I got it. Their mufflers aren't as bad, but still aren't worth squat. I have one of their mufflers because it is cheap and you can see right through them. (Matches my straight piped exhaust.) ;) The paint flakes off after a hour or two of driving, really loud, and the resonators suck ass.

How is that for a product review?

-Error402

SoRRoW 01-07-03 09:54 AM

PaceSetter suck ass,

They are close in price to the RB header why not just get RB ..

onepointone 01-07-03 09:57 AM


Originally posted by error402
How is that for a product review?

-Error402


:bigthumb: although i dont have first hand experience, thats pretty much what ive heard.

if you do go racing beat (which is worth it) dont go direct. i ordered my header in late august, didnt show up till mid november after being told it would "take a week or so" i had to call them 234234234 times, and everytime it was "in the mail". i found out that they actually had to make the 12a header, which i wasnt told when i ordered. their products are good from what ive read, but their customer service is SLOW. i say order from mazdatrix. thats the suggestion i got, and is what i plan to do next time i need a racing beat product.

subgraphic 01-07-03 02:52 PM

Nuff said- Thanks guys... :peace:

JIMMY54 01-07-03 03:42 PM

I've got a Pacesetter header but i haven't noticed any real problems like you guys? Inside it was clean nothing needed to be taken care of, and well the quality didn't seem to bad? of course it rusted but eventually all headers will. With 3 years of use i have no complaints. I can't say if it lines up or not with stock exhaust because i had a custom exhaust made up so everything was matched together.

pratch 01-07-03 04:24 PM


Originally posted by SoRRoW
PaceSetter suck ass,

They are close in price to the RB header why not just get RB ..


Originally posted by RoTARY-ReX
I wouldnt go with Pacesetter. Go with RB! I used to have a pacesetter mufflre installed.. It was very quiet, but performace seemed the same. I ahve heard that Pacesetter headers have lots of weld on the inside where flanges and such were welded up. They may be cheap, but cant compete! Racing Beat!!!!!
I have a Pace Setter header and although some work on the inside was required, it does a great job. I would never use "suck ass" or "can't compete" when describing it. There are some things that are black and white (such as V8 in an Rx-7 :D) but when it comes to performance parts, there is a lot more gray.

I know I am completely happy with my Pace Setter, and feel no need to bash the others. Performance increase was evident from hour one of the install - my butt dyno will vouch for that one. :D

SoRRoW 01-07-03 04:38 PM


Originally posted by pratch


I have a Pace Setter header



Originally posted by JIMMY54
I've got a Pacesetter header
Sorry to hear that guys...If you had to buy one again..would you buy another Pacesetter?

peejay 01-07-03 05:03 PM


Originally posted by SoRRoW


Sorry to hear that guys...If you had to buy one again..would you buy another Pacesetter?

Not in a million years. I'd save up the extra $60 and get the RB part.

Redrilling the holes in the engine flange so that it bolted to the engine wasn't a problem. Redrilling the holes in the rear flange so that it bolted to the heat exchanger wasn't a problem. (Oh yeah, forgot to mention... they are designed to bolt up to the '79-80 heat exchanger and use that as a presilencer, if you do not have a '79-80 you WILL need to make your own exhaust piping)

Porting the collector was the problem! I spent forever and a day porting the flashing out of the collector and still didn't get it all out. Since I already have the headers, I plan on cutting the end of the collector off, cutting the rest of the flashing out completely, and re-welding it back together. As you get the header from them, the two pipes are cut very casually where they merge, and while the end of the collector is 2.5", the exhaust gases themselves have to go through a roughly 1.5"x2" hole where the two pipes meet.

Tests have shown that, in unmodified form, you will make less power than if you kept the stock exhaust manifold!

The fact that the Pacesetter is made out of thin gauge mild steel does not seem to pose any problems.

ASEmaster 01-07-03 05:15 PM

I have the pace-setter header and muffler. I wouldn't say I don't have any gripes, like others, I had to re-drill the mounting holes to make it fit the block, and I also had to grind out all the leftover flash and weld within the collector so it wouldn't be a restriction, and yes, the paint all burned off immediately... but on the up-side I now have a very free-flowing, inexpensive exhaust system that doesn't leak like the original did. It doesn't sound that bad either, although it's a bit loud w/out a presilencer (I've got a 40 series flowmaster on the way for that).

If budget is a concern, I'd say it's fine. But if you have the money for the RB or some other custom setup, by all means go for it.

my $0.02 :)

SoRRoW 01-07-03 05:31 PM

When I was buying my header about 3 yrs ago,I realy didnt know whats was out there on the market....and yes I did stumble across Pacesetters..What turned me off them was I heard horror stories about them leaking,rusting through,and bad surface rusting and paint shipping.

Well I got RB road race header,Its chromed and yes it changed colors,BUT Its built strong,I can get them ceramic coated and they will look like new,

I have had alot of people ask me about Pacesetter,and I am quick to say yes they are a peice of shit,and if its a car that im workin on..I just wont work on it,I wont put it on ..

peejay 01-07-03 05:40 PM

Well, as a general rule of thumb, you can not expect paint to last on headers, no matter *what* the can says. It's mainly there to prevent the headers from rusting before you put them on the car. After that, well, the heat turns the metal a pretty blue and it seems fairly rust resistant after that...

SilverRocket 01-07-03 06:18 PM

Everyone has missed the point that Pacesetter headers are nowhere near equal length, while RB headers are. The fact that they are of horrendous build quality is icing on the cake.

Bottom line, don't waste your money, save up a little more for the RB.

error402 01-07-03 06:30 PM


Originally posted by SilverRocket
Everyone has missed the point that Pacesetter headers are nowhere near equal length, while RB headers are. The fact that they are of horrendous build quality is icing on the cake.

Bottom line, don't waste your money, save up a little more for the RB.

:rofl: You noticed that to, huh? ;)


-Error402

peejay 01-07-03 06:39 PM

What's wrong with inequal length headers? I kinda see that as an advantage. By being inequal length, the powerband is widened a bit.

Rx7carl 01-07-03 07:02 PM

Good point peejay. The one I did up for pratch however, I made up the difference in length by making it a long primary system with one side longer to equal out the length.


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