Re: More on Headers

[John Karasaki <johkar@teleport.com>]

At 10:21 AM 4/5/96 -0600, you wrote:

>  I though I should ad a little to what I wrote the other night. I was 
>speaking to Mike at Mountain Automotive about the issue of manifolds and 
>lack of a good header for a reasonable price. Now lets think about this 
>for a moment. Does it cost $2000 to make a high-quality set of SS 
>headers. Simply put, heck no. Mike told me he would consider taking up 
>the project if I could prove to him their was a market. Does he know 
>exhaust theory? Most definitely. Mike is a mechanical engineer and a 
>perfectionist.

That doesn't say much.  I'm a registered mechanical engineer and a
perfectionist with somethings, but I don't know a thing about designing
headers.  The reason the Audi Sport headers cost $2000 is probably because
there is a lot of R&D involved in designing a variable pressure, variable
flow, variable temperature, air ducting system that has to withstand thermal
shock, vibration, heat accelerated corrosion, etc. AND still be efficient
and quiet and compact!  Whew!

The cost is also high because this R&D cost is dispersed over only a few
units... Their not selling thousands of these as the Honda or VW tuners are.
If Mike has an Audi Sport, ABT, Hoppen, whoever header that he is copying,
he may get it right.  If not, he's probably winging it.  Not that educated
guesses are always wrong, but you can extrapolate from theory only so much
before actual testing must be done.

This is expensive.  Design a header, fabricate it, install, and test...
Throw in garbage and repeat until it's right.  This costs.

In the May issue of European Car, they try all these thing that "should"
make more power, but it doesn't.  I'm glad they are honestly, though very
carefully, discrediting some of their own advertisers products.  Truth is,
there is alot of snake oil out there.

Anyone want to buy a rear anti-swaybar kit for a 4000sq?  How about a front
strut tower brace for the same?  I guarrentee that these are "good"
according to "common sense," but you won't see me put them on any of my
cars.  The front strut tower brace is an Audi AG part too!  Pure snake oil
though!  But the rear swaybar kit has polyurethane bushings!  So what.

I don't mean to flame you or others; I just wish there was more truth out
there and more humility and accolades where it's due.

P.S.  Ask "Mike" if he's a registered engineer.  If he's not, or doesn't
know what that means, he's not an "Engineer."  It's illegal in most states
to call yourself an engineer if you are not a registered professional.  I'm
sure the Washington State Board of Engineering Examiners would have an issue
with some Audi computer modifier we know; though he's too nice of a guy to
go there!

Regards,

John Karasaki

The Karasaki's, proud owners of AUDI automobiles

1981 Coupe
1982 TQC
1984 5000S Wagon
1990 V8