what is the difference between a 4-2-1 header and a 4-1 header? also, which is better, a one piece or a two piece? i think i read somewhere a one piece is better but im not 100% sure. and should i get ceramic or stainless steel? whats the difference? im looking to get a dc sports header.

 

very quick and to the point overview:

4-2-1 = better low end
4-1 = better midrange + top end
1 or 2 piece? doesnt really matter
ceramic = holds heat in better but coating cracks and peels over time
stainless = wont rust, bit hotter, turns purplish over time from heat

of course this mainly applies to a lot of the mass produced headers out there. there are also hybrid headers combining the best of a 4-2-1 and a 4-1.

 

which kind would you suggest? ceramic or stainless? i believe the stainless costs a little more

 

the stainless looks cool cause it turns in it's own unique way and wont rust, but the ceramic just might work better since it holds in heat.
the ceramic coat can come off tho and then nature will take it's toll on the metal.

 

so should i be leaning towards the stainless? are there any differences in power gains between the 2?

 

i think there are enough varibles that i can't say that one is definetely better than the other.... i'm just a noobie tho. I went with the ceramic.... but come to think of it tho I've never seen ceramic piping on a turbo setup. They are usually stainless, so maybe ceramic isn't the better of the two, i mean you'd think the best tuners would be using it if it were.

 

I'd suggest a stainless steel... I know this may or may no be important to you but when ceramic coating burns off, it looks dull, but a SS one looks just dead sexy... as far as performance goes you can't go wrong with either if you get a quality system.

 

ok, ill go with SS... should i get 4-1? or 4-2-1? the only other mod i have right now is apexi n1 cat back

 

4-1 > 4-2-1

Think about it this way: you're really only using your low/mid power off the line which is so little of your power band. You use the mid/high end power SO much more than the low/mid power because you may be driving on a highway or just cruising down the street. You will get more use out of a 4-1 header, imho.

Also, don't believe all the hype about SS headers. They do rust too. I had a DC 4-1 CC and it rusted after a while. I simply resprayed it with some silver BBQ paint and it looked brand new and didn't rust again.

hih

 

wow, never thought of repainting. i think im going to get a ceramic one now, so i can save a lil bit of cash and repaint it when necessary. thanks wcs!