Performance Exhaust For Stock L24

[dhayes5]

What type of performance exhaust systems do you (club members) have on your stock or mildly modified L24's? How happy are you with the sound, build quality, and HP/torque improvements?

Does Ansa still make exhaust systems for the 240Z?

[jcdozier]

I have Hooker headers and a 2.5" exhaust system on my 240.

- I like the sound.

- The headers are prone to warp, (this isn't just a Hooker problem).

- With a stock L24 engine and E-88 heads, the HP/torque improvements are minuscule.

If you want HP/torque, look around for an L28 block and newer heads, perhaps the N-42. With that setup, headers and bigger exhaust systems will provide better performance.

[Ken]

I have a 72 240Z (build date 10/71). I use the MSA jet hoted header with a 30 in glasspack tucked up in the transmission tunnel and a Dynamax Super turbo muffler, 2 1/4 inch system.

Excellent throttle response and not too loud. See my ride under members.

[2ManyZs]

Well, my 280 IT car has an MSA header on it with 2 1/2 inch straight pipe. Oh, it's not street legal, sorry. BTW, the Motorsport header has been on the car since 1989 and it does not leak, never has. So not all headers leak. I took a flat file and filed the ports to make sure they were flat, and used one of MSA's header gaskets.

My 71 will be getting a header with the Jet-Hot coating made by Pacesetter ( nice thick flanges) and a 2 1/2 inch pipe with either a Flowmaster or Borla turbo muffler. How does it sound? I'll tell ya as soon as the engine is back where it belongs.

[Dan]

I took all the smog stuff off my 72, took off the heavy exhaust manifold and replaced it with msa headers and a 2.5 exhaust with thrush turbo muffler. The sound at idle doesn't sound stock, more throaty like a V8 and has a rich sporty sound when i get on it. I noticed a good bit of extra power when i did all this.

[2ManyZs]

I was thinking about something else and this popped into my mind. A lot of people just bolt on a header without thinking and then after a while it starts to leak or the header flange warps a little and they blame the header. Well, it may be the header and it may well have been prevented.

To those of us who have taken the intake and exhaust off a Z know that the studs and the cone shaped "washers" under them don't seem to be the best way to secure two separate manifolds to the head. One thing to check when installing a header is to check the thickness of the header flange as compared to the intake flange. If the header flange is even a little bit thinner than the mount on the intake you will not get the same amount of torque on both when you tighten the mounting nuts. If the header flange is thinner try a flat washer ( a little grinding might be necessary to clear the intake flange) under the cone so that when you torque the nut you will be applying the same ( or close to the same) torque to the header and the intake. A properly torqued header with a good quality gasket should not warp or leak, so take a couple extra minutes to check, you might save yourself a little grief later down the road. And before you slap that header on take a minute with a wide flat file to make sure those ports are flat and have no welding slag hanging off them to ruin the gasket. Just a light touch is all that is necessary, if you file too much you will end up with one port lower than the other and then you will have a leak for certain.

[Ken]

Another suggestion that works very well is to add a flex coupling between the collector and exhaust pipe. This takes the strain off the header when the engine revs and as motor mounts wear the movement can place stress on the header and studs>

[dhayes5]

2MANYZ's:

Where did you get your Pacesetter header?

[2ManyZs]

I bought the Pacesetter header from Impact Parts in Glen Wild,NY. It has been "ported" to a degree, which is to say nearly all the welding slag is ground off before the header was coated. It was in excess of 300 bucks back then, which was a year or so before MSA and some of the other suppliers started offering headers with the Jet-Hot coating.

Their info line number is 1-914-434-3338. I bought this a couple years ago, so you may want to check and see if it is still available. I don't think they have a web-site, or at least they didn't last time I checked.

BTW dhayes5, I posted a new thread under Technical articles about the gear ratios for the transmissions if you haven't seen it already.

[santamaus]

Recently got the MSA header... looks like good advice here. Anyone know what the torque values are for the intake and exhaust manifolds?

Thanks,

Chris

[2ManyZs]

Acording to my old Haynes manual the torque specs are:

8mm--12ft-lbs

10mm--35ft-lbs

[ZmeFly]

6 inot one and msa twice pipes. love the sound and love the performance.