MXP Equal Length Header and Dyno (updated fitment with skid plate, second post)
 

Just wanted to share this and give you all my initial impressions.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42713
(my first post about mods and tune)

I've been pondering whether or not I should get headers for a while now but was always afraid that it would be way too loud for my tastes. The Perrin resonated headerback I have is pretty close to my volume limit. However, I saw a post from No Limit Motorsport about MXP headers and an overpipe for a great price ($699 listed on their website). The pictures looked halfway decent, so I figured for the price, I would give it a try.

I choose the equal length (EL) headers because I personally like they way it sounds. UEL headers do sound great from time to time, but they seem to be a lot louder overall. Plus, even though we do have a flat 4 subaru engine, I think the "classic" subaru UEL sound should be reserved for those with turbochargers...just my opinion. Power wise, I was not expecting too much, just an overall increase. I am personally ok with the torque dip, especially after my Visconti live tune.

Dealing with No Limit Motorsports was great, and they got the stuff to Pure Automotive very quickly. Pictures are in the post below, and they speak for themselves. It's not JDL/P&L, but they do look good. Hopefully they will hold up over time.

As usual, Brady was great with the install. The headers initially had a slight leak on the drivers side, but a quick tightening fixed that problem. Overpipe clearances look good, nowhere near as tight as I have seen in other posts.

What is most interesting after the first startup was the sound. There appears to be a slight UEL character to the sound...not much, but it's subtle and was pretty neat to hear. That being said, it still is a EL header and sounds exactly like one. I took various videos, however, only one (which is in the next post) truly captures the sound accurately. All pictures and video were captured using my iphone 4s, so no @F1point4 or similar quality photo capabilities here.

Attached is the dyno. No re-tune here. Brady and I did not want Visconti's previous work (which I have enjoyed) to go to waste. It's a very safe tune still. AFR's are still right where the original dyno was in my first post (a slight bit richer in the midrange...indicating potential, but, short of another dyno tune, I am happy with what I have).

Driving the car: You can tell something is different at startup, there is a bit more growl at idle...it's a strong sound. Power delivery is great, I can feel more oomph everywhere, but the area after the "dip" is freaking fantastic. It caught Brady by surprise during his test run, and it surprised me even after he told me about it. It sounds great inside the car too. Yes it is louder, but not too much, which I am thankful for. It's like turning the BRZ radio volume knob up 3-5 units, if that make any sense.

One problem I do have is an overpipe rattle. It only happens during one specific set of circumstances. We all know that the engine shifts slightly when starting from a stop. If I don't give it enough gas (i.e let go of the clutch before ~1700 rpm), I hear the overpipe hit the something. It goes "clunk" (literally). However, if I start with more gas (great than ~1700 rpm) no noise whatsoever...sometimes (damn). Brady explained that stiffer motor mounts will solve this, and I am sure he is right. However, that may be saved for another day, not exactly a cheap part.

Edit the overpipe issue is clunking a bit more frequently now...will try a fix tomorrow

Overall, I am VERY happy with these headers and overpipe. First, they are a fantastic deal. I feel that you get more quality than what you expect for the price. The power is there, but the kicker here is the sound. This combo sounds GREAT! For the daily driver, these headers combined with my Perrin catted front pipe and resonated exhaust are still refined and relatively quiet (music and phone calls are good to go).

So thanks to Adam @No Limit Motorsport, Brady @Pure Automotive, MXP for some great parts, and @Visconti for a continuing great tune!

Pictures and Video (plus skid plate fitment)
 

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5478/1...da974a8e_c.jpg
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2833/1...779074df_c.jpg
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3808/1...49b749a8_c.jpg
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3810/1...412ebc91_c.jpg
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5505/1...6e3811dc_c.jpg
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5527/1...25a5d41f_c.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7376/1...92a998a2_c.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7434/1...2140dc5a_c.jpg
[ame]http://youtu.be/2hnqljmfoFs[/ame]



I might have a picture later on, however, we had to do a bit of work to track down some vibrations. The overpipe clunk was fixed by going back to the stock unshielded, but there was still some graininess and just some unpleasant sounds at low rpms. Turns out, the skid plate (the metal one) was resting against the bottom drivers side primary runner, about where it merges with the other bottom runner. Brady and I simply decided to cut a small window where it was rubbing (about 3 inches by 1 inch) precisely where the rub occurred. Problem solved...Brady @Pure Automotive calls it "header cleavage" ha!

Looks great.

Video isn't work for some reason...

Overpipe update
 

Fixed the overpipe rattle...went back to the unshielded stock overpipe. It went from resting on the frame to full on clearance all around. No more rattle now.
Video works now, below is a longer one that shows a better representation of the sound.

The sound is very interesting. I swear I hear a bit of uel rumble at low RPMs before switching to the classic el sound higher up. Awesome.:happyanim:

Here is an example (not the same run as above):
[ame="http://youtu.be/qdpwXfJqNGY"]http://youtu.be/qdpwXfJqNGY[/ame]

Nice write up. Hear what you mean about the low RPM rumble. Did you notice any power difference going back to the OE overpipe?

Not at all. Wasn't too upset about it either...at this price point, the overpipe was just a nice bonus. Overpipes seem to a hit or miss thing for people.

Are you going to get an updated tune? Might pick up some top-end. Mid range looks good.

Drive by/ Cabin/ Start Up/ Cold Start sound please! :D

So this header will also fit the stock OP? Would this be the case for the UEL as well?

Curios why they welded additional tube sections (which looks like different grade steel) before the first collector? And the collectors themselves are cast items?

By the way...I didn't realize the heat shields on the stock OP could be removed.....LoL

You are getting UEL rumble because that is most certainly not an EL header...

Look at the difference in length of the primary runners.

Good gains though. A re-tune will probably eliminate the dip and give you better top end.

Might be right. When I first saw it, it looked nothing like the HKS, and looked have more in common with the UEL headers we all have seen.

@sw20kosh, @Dimman Regarding the tune...I may want to do this in the future, but am happy with what I have now. If I do do a re-tune, I would like it to be another live tune.

However, just want to reiterate that I am still loving what I have right now. The chart indicates that I still have the dip, but I swear I cannot feel it anymore.

I will try to do a bit more in the upcoming month. I know that people are always interested in how the whole thing sounds. I will say that (on my iphone) drive-by audio and anything further than 2-3 feet away from the car makes it sound a lot more high pitched. It could be confused with a rasp-like sound, but it is definitely not the case. The above dynos are the most similar to hearing it live. Perhaps someone in the Baltimore, MD area has some proper equipment for sound.

Cabin noise is about the same cruising below 3k rpms, a touch louder, but not that noticeable unless you are thinking about it. Under load, 2-3k (i.e. starts from stops) it is louder, which might be the UEL-ish character on the low end. Not what I expected, but not unwelcome either. Extra-legal highway speeds (75+) is noticeably louder than the stock header. Again, not unpleasant, but certainly different. All depends on load though, cruising brings the volume down a good bit.

Above 4k rpms (...lets be honest, at this point we are all usually gunning it anyway, so this is with a good amount of load/gas), it seriously sounds like a racecar. Awesome, powerful sound.

Hopefully, this gives at least a sense of what the header is like.

Here are pictures of the official UEL MXP header for comparison purposes

http://i.imgur.com/jHlsTQE.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/d153mK9.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/vsSkcnm.jpg

looks nice, I'm glad someone was able to do this as the original shop I wanted to do this through is moving locations, and their dyno isn't ready yet