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[T3] S&S Headers and the T3 header: Don't buy it!


<x-charset iso-8859-1>Where to look:
http://www.ssheaders.com/4Cylinder.htm#COMPETITION%20SEDAN%20HEADERS

To email them:
techtalk@ssheaders.com

Okay, I received my header and, guess what?, it didn't fit!  Well, it would
fit if I removed the bottom cooling tin and thermostat :(  Of course, this
is not acceptable as we all know it.  The #2 and #4 pipes did fit and clear
the fan housing, yeay.  The rest of it was nice looking and the welds and
merged collector looked great.  If anything, I would recommend just buying
their merged collector and having a muffler shop do all the pipe work.

I called them and ended up talking to the design engineer (and I *just*
found out it's the company president) and, in a nut shell, he didn't care.
He said they've been selling this system for over 20 years with no problems.
I explained to him the necessity of the cooling tin on the TYPE THREE engine
but he said that the Cali. and Arizona cars didn't have any complaints.  I
explained that operating temp and warm up were important, especially for the
majority of us in cooler climates.  We even discussed pipe lengths and that
the necessary lengthening would lower the designed 8000rpm power band the
current exhaust is designed around (yeah, you read that number right...let's
get real!).  I took some measurements
(http://www.icbm.org/erkson/temp/ssheader-fix.jpg) and emailed a message but
didn't get a response for a week.

So I called them this morning and talked to a nice lady about customer
support.  She basically echoed what the president said and she and I had a
very clear understanding of each other's position (I work in customer
support so know the routine and I kept cool).  My only options were to
return it for a full refund or keep it and modify it.  She said I'm the
first with "my opinion" about the cooling tin.  I suggested that if I could
get a fellow T3 member to their shop w/car that they could make the
necessary changes.  Well, they charge $90 per cylinder so that would cost me
$180 and I wouldn't mind but she said they won't make it a template or for
production!  Say what?  The only way they would make it for production is if
20 or more were made (and I can't afford that).

This is what I'm requesting out of all of you who have bigger-than-stock
engines and are looking to after-market exhaust systems (they do have stock
diameter stuff as well).  If you are honestly looking for a system, call or
email them and tell them you want such-n-such a system but only if it will
work with all of the cooling tin in place.  Maybe if they get enough
requests they will change their mind.

Hmm, maybe everyone who cares should just tell them they are wrong about the
cooling tin and thermostat.  Several hundred individual T3 enthusiasts may
persuade them.  Oh, please feel free to my name!  I gave them my name, email
address and told them I was on an enthusiast email list that knows these
cars but that doesn't seem to matter to them.  Let them know word does
spread and that THEY ARE WRONG!

  Toby "yeah, I'm a little miffed!" Erkson
  air_cooled_nut@pobox.com
  '72 VW Squareback 1.6L bored and stroked to 2.0L, Berg five-speed
  '95 VW Jetta III GL 2.0L, P-Chip, Jamex suspension, 2.25" MagnaFlow
exhaust, etc.
  Portland, Oregon, http://www.icbm.org/

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