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Extractors and cats... *UPDATE Pg 6 Dyno Results

mikey-

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With abit more looking at the extractor/cat combo for $830 I noticed they are also stainless.

Struggling to understand this cheapness.

They appear to be by a company called ultrex performance, do a heap of stainless import car exhaust stuff.
 
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K-Man

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Just get some Pacemaker 1 3/4" - 4 into 1. Ive had 2 sets of pacies, they are awesome.

/ End
 

itsagixa

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The price difference is heavily related to the materials used, pacemaker may use a thicker material to construct their headers whereas those ebays ones may be thinner and as such would sound tinny.

As above its simply down to the effort and r&d put into the development of the headers,
from what i have read there is only a marginal diiference between the exhaust systems +-10kw (full system) so the headers would only have a range +-2-5kw difference between the manufacturers.

Do you care about the 5kw? if not go for the cheap one
 

Not_An_Abba_Fan

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Basically, the difference in pricing is manufacturing costs and materials.

X Force is made in China, as are Ultrex, (out of the same Chinese manufacturer I believe), The stainless steel used is a thin walled, higher "grade" stainless than proper exhaust grade stainless. It polishes up nice, looks pretty, but when you compare the actual quality in the build and the attention to how the pipes merge, you will see the difference.

Australian made extractors are designed and manufactured here using a test vehicle. Most manufacturers will even flow test and dyno their extractors to produce optimum results.

Imported extractors are generally a copy of an existing extractor that has had small changes to the design so as not to infringe on the original maker. You can't reinvent the wheel, it already exists, but you can make it look different.

The biggest issue with imported extractors is the way they made in regards to flow. Pipe length, collector design, flange thickness etc, they all add to how the extractors perform. X Force (I am only using this brand as an example as I have removed enough of them and replaced with Pacemaker or Hurricane) have a collector that basically rams all the gases into one pipe rather than merging them. The collector is basically a 4" pipe that is formed to fit over the primary pipes and then welded. Pacemaker and Hurricane use a merge style collector that reduces slightly in diameter and directs the individual flows from the primaries into the collector. They also have an "arrow point" at the merge of the 4 pipes to aid flow. This extends the point at which the 4 pipes end and doesn't leave a void for a low pressure area to exist that will affect flow.

China has lower manufacturing costs so what ever comes out of there will be cheaper than an Australian product. Simple economics. The difference between outsourcing manufacturing and just plain copying is the standard that is applied to the product. A lot of products are developed here but are manufactured in Asia to strict standards, these are mostly good quality products, extractors are not made this way. Chinese extractors (or exhausts for that matter) are made from a sample that an Australian company has sent over just to be able to put a cheaper product on the market without going through all the R&D themselves.

Also, just to clarify, I sell a quality Australian product at a discounted price because I deal direct with the manufacturer and have no overheads. I don't sell cheap products, I just sell good products cheap.




Disclaimer: In no way am I bagging Chinese products, merely pointing out the differences between local and imported products.
 

turbodragon

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Not sure if it's been mentioned before but when I was building my R33, I was wondering why there was such a huge price difference between high-mount turbo manifolds ($1200+ VS $400).

After researching, it came down to the welds and material grade and thickness. Not all, but alot of the cheaper manifolds couldn't withstand the intense heat (and actually supporting the weight of the turbo) and start developing cracks before eventually giving way.

For that reason, I paid $1200 for a 6Boost tuned length exhaust manifold and had never looked back.


Not sure how relevant it is with N/A V8s (no heat generated from turbo, no turbo weight to support) but I'm sure the cracking issue would probably still come into it at some stage or another.
 

Kinng

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Put it this way, Pacemaker extractors with Ceramic coating hasn't let me down on previous cars.

Same with ballastic cats.

Kinng
 

mikey-

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Thanks guys, will be purchasing non-cheapo products.

*PM's NAAF
 

Kinng

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Thanks guys, will be purchasing non-cheapo products.

*PM's NAAF

Thats the way man!

Do it once, do it properly!

Kinng
 

mikey-

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At the end of the day, we are only talking about a $400 difference between the absolutely cheapest chinese made parts, compared to parts an Aussie company has invested a heap of R&D into, and then manufactured to a higher standard.

For the sake of $400 extra, I'm not sure I can be bothered risking it with the Chinese gear... I'm still not convinced though that it is as bad as some people try make it out to be though. Saving $400 on something that is a 100% waste of money... well, not much of a saving anymore.
 

Stig

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By the Way,what have u Decided on? I am also looking at finishing off my 3 inch Catback ,Xforce,,,,,Looking at 1/78 Hurricane Headers and Manta Cats,,,Is that what you were quoted for? Is that Stainless.
 
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