Before you think you have bad rocker valves....check this out!

[chazmuska]

So I purchased a used Borla UEL header from a private party. I should have taken better precautions so that's why I'm posting this to save someone else the ordeal! Basically, I put the header on and thought it sounded fantastic, that is UNTIL I started noticing some loud valve ticking sound coming from my engine every time I accelerated off the line (just normal driving). I was like, wtf, my engine is already going bad with under 50K? I heard about the rocker valve recall and thought I was experience the same issue. So after taking a look under my car I thought it was just a bad gasket initially, changed those out but it still was making that awful ticking sound! Well, as it turned out, the header cracked where the pipe meets the flange! ...and it also looks liked the previous owner tried to file it down further because you can see the grove marks in the pic (as well as the crack).

Do you guys think a welder can fix this or is this header just scrap metal now? Anyone else experience similar issues? I have the stock header on now and the "valve ticking" problem I thought I had is gone...thank god! But now I have to decide what do do with this Borla header!?

[NoHaveMSG]

After some media blasting that can be welded no problem. Take it into a welding shop and chalk it up as a learning experience.

[chazmuska]

Originally Posted by solidsnake11

Ask them to use a tig, to weld it. If they don't have one go somewhere else.

Thanks man, I'll definitely take that as some good advice!

[Lantanafrs2]

Header leaks can have a metallic sound however if your car was a year older you might actually be losing your motor at under 50k lol

[Ultramaroon]

What's a rocker valve?

[mswbrz]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

What's a rocker valve?

You a bish and a hoe and love mocking people . (ᵔᴥᵔ)


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[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by mswbrz

You a bish and a hoe and love mocking people . (ᵔᴥᵔ)


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That does not answer the question!

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by solidsnake11

Its code for rocker arm.

[Tristor]

FYI, since it's clear people don't know this as well as I thought they did. Borla sucks. They used to be good, but they stopped manufacturing stuff in the US. Pretty much everything they make now is garbage. Stop buying their stuff. This is far from the only Borla UEL header to have cracks or bad welds.

[Grady]

As stated above, weld it. Headers crack it is no big deal. Also it not a bad idea to check the flange for flatness when off and fix it. this can be done with a flat file or sand paper on a flat surface.

[HaXx]

yeah, not the first time ive heard of borla heads cracking. thanks for the heads up OP, valuable, easy fix to a nerve racking valve tick mystery.

[ls1ac]

It looks like someone who did not know what they were doing thought they would do a little porting. They saw the weld bead around the flange and thought they would clean up the transition. Cut it too thin and it broke away. Every time that cylinder fired it would move and return making the noise.
Easy fix.

[chazmuska]

Originally Posted by ls1ac

It looks like someone who did not know what they were doing thought they would do a little porting. They saw the weld bead around the flange and thought they would clean up the transition. Cut it too thin and it broke away. Every time that cylinder fired it would move and return making the noise.
Easy fix.

Thats exactly what I think happened, or perhaps they had already cracked it and tried to jbweld it or something and then file it down thinking they were doing a port job. Just an FYI, I did drive it hard sometimes and it took about 2 years until it started making the valve ticking sound (yes its a Rocker Arm not rocker valve...I don't know what I was thinking at the time lol )