I am trying to get some feedback from anyone that has installed JBA longtube headers. I received one pair of headers and found I could not get the h-pipe to slip onto the header collector more than 1/2". After looking further, the collector is out of round. I called JBA and they sent out another pair of headers. These arrived today, and are worse than the first pair. I can get the h-pipe to slide about 1/2" onto one of the headers but, I cannot even get the h-pipe onto the second header.

So, what I am trying to find out is: has anyone else that installed these headers found the collector was out of round and you had problem putting the h-pipe on?


Thank you.

 

That's odd. Mine didn't slide on at all. The collectors, H-pipe, and stock axlebacks were all the same size tubing. Mine just butted up end to end with a special clamp. Good tight seal too.

 

Get a tailpipe Expander tool from your local auto parts store. You can probably just borrow one. (Sears has them too if you don't have luck elsewhere). Use that to ever-so-slightly expand the collector, that should remove any "out of round" easily....

If your headers aren't in the car yet, you can take them to a local muffler shop. Give the guy $10 and ask him to expand the ends for you.

 

I think that is what I am going to do. The headers and h-pipe are laying on the floor. I called an exhaust shop and they said to bring all the parts and they will get it fixed. It kinda sucks I have to spend more money on something that I expected to be ready to go out of the box...

 

I've been kind of confused as to how it is all supposed to fit together...

Is it supposed to be a slip on between the LT's and the H-pipe, or is it supposed to be clamped together, or is it supposed to be all welded together?

Also, what about between the H-pipe and the axlebacks? How is that supposed to work, do you have to cut the existing piping and then weld it together, slip on, or clamped?

Basically how is it supposed to work for the JBA LT/H-pipe system.....

06TRGT, could you take some pictures of it all layed out, how about from under the car once you get it installed???

Thanks,

-R

 

The back of the new H-pipe butts up to the stock axle backs just like the factory H-pipe did, and re-uses the original sleeve style clamps. The collectors butt up to the front of the new H-pipe and uses the new sleeve style clamps supplied with the new H-pipe. The old skool style muffler clamp goes on the joiner of the H-pipe. There is no cutting, welding, or beating to get them to fit. It is a true bolt in system. I'm very pleased with mine.

 

Then what are mid-pipes that Magnaflow talks about in their Cat-back exhaust? Is it just a special name for an H-pipe?

 

I ended up going to an exhaust shop and getting the collectors on the headers back to round. Next they expanded the end of h-pipe so it will slip onto the collector like it should. They are finally ready to go onto the car.

Time to vent!

The first person at JBA I talked to at JBA told me to a) send the headers and h-pipe back to them and they will fix it (I pay the freight) or b) take it to an exhaust shop where they have more technical ability so they can install them correctly. The next person at JBA I talked to told me to just keep hitting the h-pipe with a mallet until the collector goes all the way into the h-pipe where the expanded portion is. None of these are options I am willing to do.

I don't know if I am just being picky, but if I spend $1200.00 on a part I expect it to be able to be installed out of the box without me spending more money...

One other piece of information I did not share before, besides the collectors being out of round one of the headers had a bad weld. Where the tubes meet the collector the was an 1/8" spot where there was no weld which opened a hole in the collector.

I have put on exhaust before and have never had to go through something like this. So, just a warning to any of you looking at JBA headers you might end up spending more money to get them so they can be installed correctly. Also check the quality and fit before you install them on your car. JBA told me they have shipped hundreds of these and have had very few problems. Maybe I had a bad experience, but I have 4 headers here with 5 different issues between them.

I am not writing all of this as an attack on JBA. Their service was very good; they got me a new pair of headers shipped quickly when I called about the issue. I just want to make sure people know what they might be getting themselves into when they order JBA headers and h-pipe.

Ok, I'm done venting!

Fly - I called and asked them about your experience to make sure I was looking at all this correctly and they said they collector needs to slip all the way into the expanded section on the h-pipe.

Ponyman - Here are links to some pictures:
Passenger side header to h-pipe, you can see the collector will only go on 1/2" or so.
Driver’s side header to h-pipe, you can see the scratches from trying to get the collector into the h-pipe.
H-pipe crossover and h-pipe to mid-pipe connection, the h-pipe and mid-pipe butt together and get clamped with a band clamp.
Mid-pipe to muffler connection, the mid-pipe slips into the pipe going to the muffler.
Everything laid out showing how it all connects together.

2006RedGT - In the 5th picture the mid-pipe is between the mufflers at the bottom and the h-pipe right behind the headers at the top. It can also be seen in the 3rd and 4th picture.

 

Wow, it sounds like you had some pretty bad service.

My Dynatech kit was perfect, except for a pretty nasty burr on the outlet of one of the cats. It only took a minuite to cut it out.

The Borla catback that I bought went together perfectly. However, one of the XR-1 mufflers that I bought had one of the pipes slightly undersize. I had to take it to the local muffler shop and slip the guy $5 to expand it for me. Not a real big deal, but a pain in the butt for sure--and certainly inappropriate on a $130 muffler!

 

I appreciate the heads up. I'll put mine back on the lift and check that out. Looks like I might be in the same boat as you now, only mine's already together and I dang sure won't be taking them back off to get the ends swedged! Strange though, because they sure did fit good and seal tight...