Stainless steel header vs mild steel header interest - Toyota GR86, 86, FR-S and Subaru BRZ Forum & Owners Community

mav1178 · 03-03-2017, 03:29 PM

I'm working on a project... I don't know if the market would want it, but soliciting some opinions:

Ignoring UEL vs EL benefits/drawbacks for a moment, some questions:

Would you prefer mild steel or stainless steel for an aftermarket header?
If the headers was coated, would the type of material make a difference?

I'm trying to get a Japanese brand to offer a quality made in Japan aftermarket header at a price point much lower than what their stainless steel competitors have on the market, but not sure how many of us would accept a mild steel construction header. One plus of mild steel is that it is less prone to cracking and less sound than stainless steel, but it's also heavier than stainless steel.

-alex

weederr33 · 03-03-2017, 03:40 PM

If I could afford it, and didn't care about the sound, I'd get titanium headers like the Blox

mav1178 · 03-03-2017, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by weederr33

If I could afford it, and didn't care about the sound, I'd get titanium headers like the Blox

Thanks for your feedback. I'm only asking about stainess steel vs mild steel.

Teseo · 03-03-2017, 03:55 PM

I had a car with mild steel manifold and got cracked. I would go with stainless steel as long its "beefier" like my JDL UEL header, assuming staying NA.

swarb · 03-03-2017, 03:56 PM

I'd prefer a coating over stainless.
Cost and performance over material.
Bang for the buck is always good.
Gruppe-s is hard to beat, but if your product made more power I'd consider it.
I actually like mild steel or an optional heat shield for an oem look. Stainless and/or heat wrap screams send me to the REF.

fika84 · 03-03-2017, 04:25 PM

Non stainless steel would scare me for the sake of lack of corrosion resistance.. If your coating worked well to counteract this than I could be persuaded.

As a mechanical engineer, if you could develop a header (or know of one) that had great (provable) gains at a great price without being too thin (to avoid cracking) and had good corrosion resistance I would be keen to try it out.

I'm the type of buyer that puts their money on R&D, Quality and Price. I currently own the Nameless Stepped 4-2-1 header for those reasons. Couldn't quite justify the added cost for the ACE. Both of which have great quality and R&D. Between those 2 it came down to price. What I refused to do, was buy a knockoff..

Calum · 03-03-2017, 04:32 PM

I've had a mild steel header on a previous car. It cracked off completely at the collector flange on my way home from work one day.

I'd never consider another mild steel header.

mav1178 · 03-03-2017, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calum

I'd never consider another mild steel header.

Even if it was made by a top company in Japan?

Summerwolf · 03-03-2017, 05:14 PM

No interest at all. Too many good stainless options, and subaru manifolds always seem to be pricey.

Silver Cervy · 03-03-2017, 05:39 PM

So basically what you're saying is that it'll be a very well-made header, just with a cheaper material used so it'll cost less.

I don't see the point in that.

zc06_kisstherain · 03-03-2017, 05:58 PM

stay with stainless...why risk and pay more in future? do it right at first

mav1178 · 03-03-2017, 06:27 PM

With coating on a mild steel header.

Gunman · 03-03-2017, 06:54 PM

Are you coating the inside too?

mav1178 · 03-03-2017, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gunman

Are you coating the inside too?

That's one of the plans, yes.

Trying to get it coated locally in SoCal. Obviously if everyone hates on mild steel then I just won't be as aggressive in bringing them in.

03-03-2017, 03:29 PM	#1
mav1178 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Drives: 2005 Toyota Camry Location: 91745 Posts: 6,562 Thanks: 493 Thanked 6,093 Times in 3,029 Posts Mentioned: 95 Post(s) Tagged: 3 Thread(s)	Stainless steel header vs mild steel header interest I'm working on a project... I don't know if the market would want it, but soliciting some opinions: Ignoring UEL vs EL benefits/drawbacks for a moment, some questions: Would you prefer mild steel or stainless steel for an aftermarket header? If the headers was coated, would the type of material make a difference? I'm trying to get a Japanese brand to offer a quality made in Japan aftermarket header at a price point much lower than what their stainless steel competitors have on the market, but not sure how many of us would accept a mild steel construction header. One plus of mild steel is that it is less prone to cracking and less sound than stainless steel, but it's also heavier than stainless steel. -alex

03-03-2017, 03:40 PM	#2
weederr33 Airborne at your service Join Date: Sep 2014 Drives: '17 BRZ Series.Yellow Location: El Paso, Texas Posts: 6,326 Thanks: 4,529 Thanked 5,586 Times in 2,928 Posts Mentioned: 33 Post(s) Tagged: 2 Thread(s)	If I could afford it, and didn't care about the sound, I'd get titanium headers like the Blox __________________ Series.Yellowbird - http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122135 MS, CSCS, TSAC-F, CPT

03-03-2017, 06:27 PM	#12
mav1178 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Drives: 2005 Toyota Camry Location: 91745 Posts: 6,562 Thanks: 493 Thanked 6,093 Times in 3,029 Posts Mentioned: 95 Post(s) Tagged: 3 Thread(s)	With coating on a mild steel header. Attached Images

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03-03-2017, 03:55 PM	#4
Teseo Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Drives: frs Location: Gunsai Posts: 4,877 Thanks: 7,146 Thanked 2,922 Times in 1,769 Posts Mentioned: 23 Post(s) Tagged: 2 Thread(s)	I had a car with mild steel manifold and got cracked. I would go with stainless steel as long its "beefier" like my JDL UEL header, assuming staying NA.

03-03-2017, 03:56 PM	#5
swarb Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Drives: BRZ Location: Los Angeles Posts: 3,053 Thanks: 1,773 Thanked 2,451 Times in 1,271 Posts Mentioned: 79 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	I'd prefer a coating over stainless. Cost and performance over material. Bang for the buck is always good. Gruppe-s is hard to beat, but if your product made more power I'd consider it. I actually like mild steel or an optional heat shield for an oem look. Stainless and/or heat wrap screams send me to the REF.

03-03-2017, 04:32 PM	#7
Calum That Guy Join Date: Dec 2011 Drives: 2013 asphalt FRS MT Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia Posts: 4,865 Thanks: 5,058 Thanked 2,867 Times in 1,499 Posts Mentioned: 82 Post(s) Tagged: 1 Thread(s)	I've had a mild steel header on a previous car. It cracked off completely at the collector flange on my way home from work one day. I'd never consider another mild steel header.

03-03-2017, 05:14 PM	#9
Summerwolf Panda Trueno Join Date: Jan 2015 Drives: No twin now. Location: North Indiana Posts: 3,347 Thanks: 2,113 Thanked 2,407 Times in 1,332 Posts Mentioned: 17 Post(s) Tagged: 2 Thread(s)	No interest at all. Too many good stainless options, and subaru manifolds always seem to be pricey.

03-03-2017, 05:39 PM	#10
Silver Cervy Some really cool title Join Date: May 2016 Drives: 2014 Subaru BRZ Limited Location: Matthews, NC Posts: 343 Thanks: 39 Thanked 211 Times in 125 Posts Mentioned: 2 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	So basically what you're saying is that it'll be a very well-made header, just with a cheaper material used so it'll cost less. I don't see the point in that.

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