I'm thinking about doing a header upgrade, but am trying to find out which is better, the megan or the obx. I see that a lot of people on nam run obx's. I've done some searching on the site but have not found a comparison between the two. From what I have read though, the megan seems to be louder than the obx. Any info is greatly appreciated.

 

No comparison info here, but you may find it helpful anyway.
car: 2006 MCSC, a little over 10k miles

This spring, I installed an OBX header about 2 weeks after I had a 15% s/c pulley installed. Before putting the header in, I was hugely impressed by the increased hp provided by the new pulley. I thought adding the header might also give me a small hp boost. After installing the header (which I had thermal coated by Jet-Hot Coat), and resetting the ECU, I was surprised to find that the prior gain (from the pulley) seemed to have vanished...not completely, but I definitely lost a lot of the pull at the low rpm range. This is my butt-dyno talking here, no actual measurements have been made.

As I also have the JCW intake and a 1-ball exhaust mod, I have decided to get a custom tune to see if that will restore the lost pull. This tune is going to happen tomorrow (6/7), so I'll come back to this thread on Monday and edit this post with the results. However, I'm also having JCW injectors installed just before the tune, so this will undoubtedly affect the outcome.

Since I didn't seen any stories like mine here on NAM as I was researching header recommendations, my point is you need to be prepared for anything after you install a header, and possibly keep a few extra coins in your wallet for additional work.

Update: HP from 201 to 209, and torque from 161 to 169 (peak at 3500 , oops, I mean 4500) after installing 380 injectors and Jan waving his magic wand. Me like.

 

I had an OBX on my stock JCW car for about a year. Never ran any numbers(dyno) with hit, but it definitely hit 2nd and 3rd gears much harder than it ever did in the past. A couple of observations: My car jumped up a couple of notches in the loudness department with the OBX and stock JCW cat-back. Also, the standard ball-socket joint is horrible for how much the drivetrain moves in the Mini. Be prepared for some leaks. I cut the ball joint out of mine and welded in a double wall flex joint before it was pulled for the RMW exhaust system.
I have no experience with the Megan.

 

So it sounds like you get low end loss and top end gain with the header??? The last thing I want is an loss in the low end.

 

Actually, the header is great across the board, from 3000 on up. If you mean by low end below 3000, I don't know anything that will help these little engines down there. Get it up in the powerband and let it sing.

 

Below 3K is no biggie. Since the RPM level wasn't specified I thought that there might be a loss below 3,500 or something. These cars make most of their power at 3K+ anyway, and thats where I live!

 

If you Thermal wrap the OBX you would not have to worry about loseing buttom end torque. It is a way to get big dollar header performance from a less expensive header. If you do decide on the OBX try to find an old design. The new one the tubes do not mate as well at the flange and need a little grinding.

 

where is the best place to get an older generation OBX? thanks

 

I didn't know there was an early and late version. Mine's hacked anyway.

 

So are you presently running the RMW race all the way, or just the RMW standard cat back ready with your JCW cat back? And how does either sound compared to the stock JCW and the OBX plus JCW that you used to run. Obviosuly louder, but insane louder, deeper, etc. ? And at all rpm or just when hammering, etc.?

 

YA. It is to bad I think that OBX tried to correct the flange bolt clearance problem on the original design. And in solving that they made big flow interference issue the primary tubes at the flange. It can be repaired with about an hour on the di grinder.






Thermal Tech Wrapped

 

Very nice job there on the thermal wrap, it looks very professional. Did you likewise end with those clamps? Also, does the thermal wrap really do anything measureable? I am sure there are some theoretical benefits, but is it significant? Do we have dyno numbers before and after a wrap?

 

It started out JCW, then OBX with the JCW catback. Was a couple of notches louder with the OBX, and a lot more backfire/burble. That setup was was reasonable, not to loud or obnoxious.
Now it's the RMW race from start to finish. It's definitely not for the timid. Sounds like a small block with very free flowing mufflers at idle, and goes up from there. A very deep tone. For my taste it could be quieter below 3500, but after it passes 4000, it is without a doubt the sweetest 4 cylinder you have ever heard. Every person that hears it, has a compliment, but at certain throttle settings it will chase the women and children back up on the sidewalks Actually, when hammering it, it seems to settle down to a good purr. For what it is, I wouldn't trade it for anything. But, that being said, I am trying a couple of tricks to massage the tone down low without losing any top end power.
I thought a comment by a person who knows the exhaust well said it best, "For you, it's a little loud, but the Honda guys wish they could make their cars sound like this!"

I was visiting a client's ranch, he was there with his father in law(in his 80's) and got a call after I left. I was afraid I had spooked the horses or something. He said his father in law thought the car was the greatest thing ever, and the exhaust sounded like he was at qualifying for Indy

 

when looking to buy, where can you find the older version?

 

I have not found a way to eliminate the clamps yet. You have to look all the way back in the engine bay to see the header anyway. And in my MINI most of the header is covered by a fan . And if you stay with the OEM heat shield you never would.

“Wrapping the headers maintains exhaust gas heat within the header. This translates into more exhaust flow due to maintaining exhaust temperatures as it flows out of the engine. By improving the scavenging of spent gases, the engine breathes more efficiently. This reduces contamination of gases, thus allowing the engine to develop more power”. http://www.thermotec.com/faq.php

I guess if you ran first a unwrapped header and then a coated one and compared it to a wrapped header you would notice the difference in the power line. I have not done any DYNO comparisons with my MINI. Prior to wrapping the OBX I was having many of the same heating issues as many others. I actually have a controlled header fan to help with some of the problem. After wrapping the OBX the fan never comes on now at the temperature setting of 200. Now I will say I do have other thing that work in combination top lower all of my temperatures but the wrapping made the most noticeable difference.

 

Good question ? The pictures that I posted will at least help you to identify

The pictures that I posted will at least help you to identify the new from old. E-bay at one time was flooded with them.

Try calling Helix
http://www.helix13.com/mini/products/exhaust



Also by the picture these guys looks like the old OBX

http://www.sparktecmotorsports.com/h10350s.html

 

spartec looks good. im going to order late tonight, if anybodysees the old one for under 175 please let me know. sorry to hijack, just tryin to order before i go on vacation.

 

I'm having an extremely hard time wondering why you would bolt a header up to a D port head with an oval port header.... but hey.... it's cheap... right?

Maybe Chad can post the pictures we have on our header comparisons for everyone to see....

this is REAL.... data .... not something we checked with our butt dyno's

I think the results are quite shocking....

 

Do you happen to have any real data on wrapping ?

 

we have wrapped numerous headers and there wasn't anything worth mentioning besides keeping the heat down while the car is sitting. When you are going 100+ mph around the track the heat is getting sucked out of the area anyway. I'm sure there are plenty of willing butt dyno-ers around who will give their quantifiable data. I'd rather have someone come out to the track where it matters and show us how fast these butt dyno's are.

If things work, we use them religiously. If they don't I shy away from them. I look at all performance parts very closely. That's what we do , we look for the edge and use what works. You could probably make more HP by making sure your CAI and intercooler are sealed than worrying about some header wrap. Better yet... make sure your header fits the ports on your head

 

That sounds like pretty good advice!
Thanks....

 

It does not matter on a non-ported head. If the flange and primary tubes are larger then head port then running Oval flanged header on a D port will not alter the exhaust flow.

I would like to see the DYNO comparison on wrapped and unwrapped headers as well. I believe that you recommended wrapping at one point?
http://www.thermotec.com/faq.php

 

Another option is to call Way at Way Motorworks. I have a custom ceramic coated header with the stock cat that fits my Miltek catback and was ported for my RMW head. The cost was a little more than the obx with a cat welded on but it's made by Juston (sp?) who is known to make quality custom headers. Subjectively, the torque down low (2.5-3k up) is much better and it's only a little louder.

 

Most would just make the header right from the start. But when the header costs about $60 to make in China you really can't expect much. My stainless 304 flange costs me more than it takes to build a complete header in China

I'll have to dig through a bunch of dyno sheets. I have hundreds of them. Like I said before, the real benefit of the wrap was heat under the hood sitting at stop lights.

 

+1 on the RMW header flanges! I've shown this header (steet version) to a few muscle car guy's who are amazed with the quality of this header.