Quote:
Originally Posted by nikitopo
I have not seen many cases of cracks on the factory manifolds. The same cannot be said for the aftermarket ones, but anyway I guess it is a matter of preference.
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Big, thick, MIG welds can be more reliable, yet OEM manifolds crack all the time, and those welds aren't exactly a sign of an amazing build quality. TIG welds are definitely prettier, as well as, having polished stainless steel or nice titanium. I'm pretty sure the incidence of cracking is proportional to cost and OEM headers aren't exactly on the cheap end, so they may not be best to compare to cheap headers that are known to crack. Also, OEM headers are often on stock cars and lightly modified cars, which are not known for having extra heat buildup in the exhaust or track-level vibrations and stresses like modified cars with aftermarket headers, so it may be like comparing apples to oranges.