Hi guys! I own a 2002 Honda Civic LX(D17A1 1.7L SOHC non-VTEC) that has a cracked exhaust manifold. The manifold is made up of cast iron and hence difficult to weld. I went to a couple of welders to get a quote. Turns out it will cost me around $75-$100 to have it repaired. While searching for used exhaust manifolds,I came to know that the exhaust manifold and catalytic converter for this particular model is in one piece and as a result if i want to change the manifold, i will also have to get a new catalytic converter. This is turning out to be quite expensive so i decided to look for some after market headers. I came across a couple of them on ebay.The sellers say that they will bolt on to the stock catalytic converter. I wanted to get opinions from people who have experience and that is why i am posting this here. Another thing that i am concerned about is the position of the O2 sensors on these headers. The position is different from the one on the stock manifold. Would i need an extension for that?I would really really appreciate your help. Thanks.

Following are the links to the after market headers i am talking about.

LINK1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2001-...Q5fAccessories

LINK2

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2001-...Q5fAccessories

LINK3

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Perfo...Q5fAccessories

 

Wow.... I was reading through them quickly... I love how people can say there will be a 10-16 hp increase. Ha! More like 1-3 hp increase IMO.

Regarding ALL the ones you posted above, don't get any of them. They are no name brands. Some people get lucky and get a decent ebay header which will last for years and years. However, that doesn't happen too often. You could run into problems regarding fitment, and the header itself is known to crack because of the cheap/crappy welds. Remember, you get what you pay for!!!

It is hit or miss with ebay items. Your buddy might buy one and have great success. You go out and buy the same thing and it breaks/fails within 6 months. Go for something name brand (DC, Greddy, etc etc)....and don't get anything that states "DC style"...that's also no name ebay junk IMO.

 

Megan Racing is the best bang for your buck header under $500.