Quote:
Originally Posted by CSG Mike
Basically this.
Ace's welds were top notch, and it was obvious when you looked at the end product. The ultimate power and powerband speaks for itself. Unfortunately, the general concensus is that FRS/BRZ guys will take a product that gives you 80% of the gains for 20% of the price. Porsche owners on the other hand, are willing to pay a 80% premium for a 20% larger gain. Case in point, a GT3 owner who pays 180k for a 500hp car, vs a Mustang owner who pays 40k for a 460hp car.
Some used Ace headers are still exchanging hands.
Nameless is plagued with copies.
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I didn’t really see the welds being that great. The used header I bought had cracked at the head flange and had been repaired. I inspected the other welds and found penetration to be lacking on most of them. I added my large, amateur welds to reinforce the pieces. I think the differences between the Ace header and other cheaper examples from eBay aren’t the welds, as much as, the quality of the metal used and the overall design. EBay metal seems thinner and seems like it is an alloy that isn’t a true 304, but a cheap 409 or something. EBay turbo manifolds are notoriously made out of the same thin-walled steel that headers are made out of instead of cast Schedule 10 stainless tubing.
Based on the welds I saw, my guess is they are using the same type of cheap, low-skill, cold welding technique demonstrated in the videos below. It can be done by machine or low-skill laborer. It leaves prettier welds with uniform size and shape with minimal heat/staining into the metal, so sanding/finishing may not be necessary. The process results in poorer penetration, which is why cracks happen along the fisheyes. It results in less fill of the joint too and more of a concave joint, especially when filler rod isn’t used, and while some concavity is typical of thick joints, it isn’t ideal on 16g, thin-walled pipe. I could be wrong, but I have my suspicions. I would love to be proven wrong.
Example:
Explanation:
Ace inside and out compared to a custom turbo manifold I had made. Maybe the guys at Ace are like a cold welding machine in their technique. It is possible.
