Anyone have experience with this header?

Just note that a Pacesetter style header will sound kinda buzzy with a 3" exhaust, like trying to play a tuba with a trumpet mouthpiece. It will also set up some annoying drone at mid-range with a 2.5". That's why the engineers don't just put headers and big pipes in from the factory. Everything is a compromise and you don't get that much benefit - literally looking for tenths of a second performance gain. I installed a Pacesetter back in the 90s and then spent over $3,000 in the space of a couple months trying over and over and over...... and over...... again to build an exhaust system that I could live with. This was while still using the mk2 as daily driver. It was literally like trying to build a musical instrument without knowing even how to read sheet music. Wound up back down to 2 1/4" with a big resonator in between the cat and muffler.

Since your mk2 is not likely a daily driver anymore at this age, maybe you are just building a toy for autocross or such, you can do whatever your ears can tolerate. Just fair warning, go too big and you may not like what you hear, especially behind a long-tube header like that.

I've seen a lot of modified cars for sale that languish online for years because the seller spent all their money on an ear-piercing exhaust system, can't afford to do it over, especially knowing its kind of a risk whether it will sound any better and nobody will buy it for the same reason. So whatever you do, don't cut up, discard or lose any of your stock exhaust system. That way if you can't stand the Pacesetter clone, you can at least put the stock system back until you decide to try something else, or if you decide to sell the car.

Drone can be a terrible thing. I built an exhaust on my Jeep 4.0L 20 years ago using baffled muffler with no packing - Raven, Midas' house brand and at 115Km/h, normal highway speeds around here I couldn't hear the radio or the phone but could hear the fillings in my teeth. I added a Red glass pack in place of the tail pipe and that calmed it down perfectly.

It is hit or miss. That's why I am glad I got the Raptor Racing stuff. George has done the trial and error and found a combo that doesn't tend to drone. According to him mine is the louder of the two exhausts. Even though it has a resonator and a muffler. It stays quiet, when you hit it past 4000RPM it sings but you CAN hear the radio and phone and my filling thanks me.





This was one of the prototype exhaust systems. The later systems have a dual output muffler. I also have no idea why there is orange silicone on there. (Because Prototype??)

No issues with my Raptor header:



Do you have to notch the other header to clear the bracket ( the one with the shiny bolt head) ?

1982 Dragon said:

Also of note... it does not have a provision or bracketry for the alternator support like the oem cast setup does.

Click to expand...

None of the aftermarket headers have provisions for the power steering pump support bracket.
The tubular header material is not strong enough to resist bending.

I don't know if anyone running headers without this bracket have power steering pump drive belt issues. It helps keep the power steering pump pulley in alignment with the drive belt.


Power steering pump support bracket. Photo by BillyM


Stock exhaust manifold - Support Bracket Mounting Point






Josh brings up a good point, but I can't imagine that this is a common problem. If it were, no one would run headers.

Has anyone had this problem?

Dale