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

["Keith Park" <topnotch@nycap.rr.com>]

<x-charset iso-8859-1>Goodness I feel for you Toby... I swear, each aftermarket exaust piece
should come with a big mallet and an Oxy Torch!!
and all those people who think everything is fine and dandy and never
complain about their aftermarket parts not realizing that they are getting a
life or 20 or 30K miles out of thier engine or even LESS by not having
things right.
    Sometimes when I get into these conversations I just put the phone down
and finish making my point by talking directly to the WALL... at least it
wont tell me that im the only one with these complaints... :)


Keith

Keith Park

Top Notch Restorations
topnotch@nycap.rr.com
71 Squareback
65 Notchback
65 Squareback
75 Opel
87 Golf
88 Rx7 10th Anniversary

----- Original Message -----
From: "Erkson, Toby" <toby.erkson@intel.com>
To: "'Type III List'" <type3@vwtype3.org>
Sent: Monday, April 08, 2002 1:44 PM
Subject: [T3] S&S Headers and the T3 header: Don't buy it!


> 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/
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> Too much? Digest! mailto:type3-d-request@vwtype3.org Subj=subscribe
>
>

</x-charset>