[SouthernGypsy]

Who makes inexpensive headers/exhaust?

Who makes inexpensive headers that work with the stock muffler and/or the least expensive full exhaust system - That are tougher and thicker than the factory headers?

 

[GrMeyer]

Stock header flows very well. Do a search and you will find out that just doing a muffler will only gain you a min HP increase. The intake on the XP is where the Hp is made for just bolt ons. If you are looking for louder exhaust then thats about what an aftermarket muffler is good for. I built my own muffler and very happy with it. My car doesn seem to run as hot in the dunes. Other then that, I wear a headset so the louder exhaust doesnt get to me that much.

 

[SouthernGypsy]

My issue isn't trying to improve performance and I certainly don't want it any louder. My problem is that my second set of factory headers cracked and busted this weekend. They are such thin metal they just crak out right in the first bend on the lower pipe (the place where they would be the hottest). Factory set did it at 2400 miles, Polaris exchaged them under warranty with a new set, which I also had Jet Hot Coated inside and out before installing them, and now that new set has also cracked only 700 miles later at 3100 miles, and I do not drive my machine excessivly rough or abuse it or anything like that.

 

[GrMeyer]

wow thats crazy. I wonder if adding a muffler that flows more would help with this allowing the gasses to exit easier.

 

[bigastrk]

Have you looked at the engine mounts to make sure there is not excessive play? Just a thought to look at.

 

[bitsiphon]

Go to an exhaust shop and I be they tell you something is wrong with the exhaust hanger or the engine mounts. That looks alot lot like a stress fracture caused by excessive vibration. I used to see this alot on cars that hung mufflers off of the headers with no support. When I look at the picture I see what appears to be movement of the headpipe at the header flange?

 

[SouthernGypsy]

Here is what my original headers looked like when they cracked....

 

[bigastrk]

It's hard to tell from the first pick, but are the blowouts in approximately the same area?

To me it looks like stress fractures though. I am by no means an expert but it is just what it appears to be.

 

[480Brad]

I have a stock exhaust with 200 miles on it for sale if you want it.

 

[HIGHOCTANE]

Looks like your exhaust is getting VERY hot to me..with 2 failures I'd be looking at fuel type and air fuel ratio as a possibility. Also on second thought..any chance your muffler or spark arrestor is partially clogged..I'd make sure it's flowing properly...a restriction will cause extreme heat and some pressure..

 

[so-illrzr]

Definitely has to be something else going on, haven't heard of many headers splitting. Especially ones that are coated after only 700 miles, has to be some stress on it somewhere.

 

[SouthernGypsy]

I put a new spark arrestor in it they sent with the new header last time. Heard from Polaris today and they are going to replace it again under warranty, hopefully will be here before the weekend. Even before someone mentioned it I had taken these by my muffler guy today and he believes there is a stress somewhere on the exhaust system. He is suggesting letting him cut the new set and add in one of those short sections of the flexable pipe in it. He said would need to choose where and how long of a piece after I brought the machine and the new headers by. He thinks something is keeping the pipes torqured. So he thinks the flexable pieces added in and on the backside of the flexable piece a tab with a post in a rubber groomet for flex that comes down from the frame to support the header on that side part way back would also help, so the whole wright of the header pipe isnt hanging on these bends.

He also suggest running it withOUT the front heat shields on, the clam shell ones tha clamp on around the pipes right in the area where its cracking, he thinks they are holding in too much heat. But of course that also increases risk of causing other things in the area to be heated up, so he said better check and see if anyone else has ran them without the clamshell heat shields.

 

[bitsiphon]

The 1st head pipe split right on the seam. That is probably a defect. Not sure I would go with modifying the stock head pipe . You reallt need to fix the problem not treat the symptom as there is no telling what else is getting stressed.. IMHO

 

[HIGHOCTANE]

Should seem obvious if it's being stressed..did you have to force it to line up with the muffler ? It's spring connection and rubber mounts on the muffler...so unless you had to force it to install it or the engine is flopping around I doubt it's that kind of stress?

 

[SouthernGypsy]

It mounts right up easily, everything seems to align right up.

 

[SouthernGypsy]

Think we figgured out what was wrong today. One header cracking is odd, two cracking says that something else is wrong causing it... The cracked header pipe is the symptom, not the cause.

One possibility was that it was running lean which was causing excessive heat to be generated but they checked and said it was almost right on spot. Another was that something in the hanging system was outta whack and someone here sent me a pic of his that did it twice showing where the hangers for the muffler were welded with one cocked off at an angle, about 1/2" inch out of aligniment which was enough to cause a binding in the spring hangar system which prevents stress from being transferred forward to the header pipes.

After the system check the dealer pulled the bed and sure enough one of my hangars was almost 3/4" of an inch off the mark... You can even SEE the indent made in the subframe rail where it was SUPPOSED to sit into while being welded and some welder at the factory missed the dam thing by 3/4" of an inch. The dealer manually bent the hangar back as a temporary fix so I could use it this weekend and had the small crack in my header welded up by an actual muffler shop. Deciding not to put the new header assembly on until they could order me in a whole new subframe assemnbly which should be in next week. Yes, it could have just been cut off and re-welded too but this is nicer of them, just replace the whole piece.

The welding shop actually said it was a very minor crack and man they did a sweet job of welding it, they finished it, sanded it a little, and then coated it inside and out with ceramic header paint and by the time I got home you couldn't tell anything had ever happend. Sweet. They said that as long as the stress has been relieved there is no reason I couldn't keep using that header forever. But hey, Polaris is doing it all udner warranty and new is better for everything. After all, this is some slug at the factories screw up.

 

[HIGHOCTANE]

Glad you got it figured out...weird how it mounted up with no problems but was off enough to cause it to crack. Did you install it or someone did it for you and said it mounted up no problem? Sounds like you have good dealer..too bad your experience is the exception. I know helps to be friends with them..but that's kind of service should be the standard IMO.

Think we figgured out what was wrong today. One header cracking is odd, two cracking says that something else is wrong causing it... The cracked header pipe is the symptom, not the cause.

One possibility was that it was running lean which was causing excessive heat to be generated but they checked and said it was almost right on spot. Another was that something in the hanging system was outta whack and someone here sent me a pic of his that did it twice showing where the hangers for the muffler were welded with one cocked off at an angle, about 1/2" inch out of aligniment which was enough to cause a binding in the spring hangar system which prevents stress from being transferred forward to the header pipes.

After the system check the dealer pulled the bed and sure enough one of my hangars was almost 3/4" of an inch off the mark... You can even SEE the indent made in the subframe rail where it was SUPPOSED to sit into while being welded and some welder at the factory missed the dam thing by 3/4" of an inch. The dealer manually bent the hangar back as a temporary fix so I could use it this weekend and had the small crack in my header welded up by an actual muffler shop. Deciding not to put the new header assembly on until they could order me in a whole new subframe assemnbly which should be in next week. Yes, it could have just been cut off and re-welded too but this is nicer of them, just replace the whole piece.

The welding shop actually said it was a very minor crack and man they did a sweet job of welding it, they finished it, sanded it a little, and then coated it inside and out with ceramic header paint and by the time I got home you couldn't tell anything had ever happend. Sweet. They said that as long as the stress has been relieved there is no reason I couldn't keep using that header forever. But hey, Polaris is doing it all udner warranty and new is better for everything. After all, this is some slug at the factories screw up.

 

[SouthernGypsy]

It would mount up ok, but where the header part meets the muffler part and it has that large, thick dougnut gasket you could see that it was angled and not straight and the two little bumps up under the center of the muffler that those two springs hold it pulled into it was missing them, one by almost 1/2" of an inch.