Custom headers?

I don't wanna buy on of hose pacesetter headers that we are stuck with. When I return to school in a few days I am gonna be taking my intermediant welding class and I am thinking that I wanna make my own custom header. what do I start with, cut up a stock header? How would i exhuast flange or collector or how should I get this started?

could get a collector from Summit or Jegs.

easiest way to get the pattern would be to tape a piece of paper onto the flange, then do a "rubbing" with a pencil, then cut it out of the paper and transfer it to poster board or cardboard and fit it up to the head to make sure it fits

then trace it onto a piece of 1/4" steel and cut it out with a plasma or torch....plasma would just make a much cleaner cut with less to clean up....

or a mill would be the best thing, but MOST people dont have access to one....

Wouldn't cutting with a torch warp the metal possiblly? Anyway I can cut up factory header?

wouldnt want to use factory exhaust manifolds, because they are cast

you can just cut the holes with a hole saw and chamfer the edges for a smooth flow using an angle grinder with a grinding disc. you can also shape the whole flange with the angle grinder, if that is all you have

what tools do you have access to?

would help

I'd start out with the Flange that bolts to the block, and then from there choose your size of pipe, and bend and cut them to fit, and then combined them into 1 and also near the bottom make your spot for your 0²sensor, and then put your exhaust flange on. it'll take some time, but im sure its makable.

you dont have to worry about warping the flange cause you can just mill it flat or fuck it bolt it up and it will bend back to the block anyways id just build the whole damn thing but you say we are stuck with pace setter headers but they arent that bad a lot of thought and technology goes into making a header you have to think about back pressure, tube lengths and all the other things that are already done for you ofcourse i greatlyrespect building your own but just welding pipes together wont make it very good id definatly check into some sites about making a header try to google it

TRACE THE EXHAUST FLANGE ON THE HEAD, AND YOU CAN USE EITHER
1/4", 5/16", OR 3/8" STEEL FOR THE FLANGE, THE THICKER THE METAL THE LESS YOU WILL HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WARPAGE. CUT IT & THE PIPE OPENINGS OUT WITH A PLASMA CUTTER OR A BAND SAW / HOLE SAW WITH COOLING /CUTTING FLUID. DON'T MAKE THE I.D. OF THE PIPE LARGER THAN THE EXHAUST OPENINGS ON THE HEAD. USE A PIPE THAT IS THICK WALL AS A THIN WALL PIPE WILL RUST AND WARP FASTER (BEST TO USE STAINLESS AS IT WON'T RUST AS FAST) BEND YOUR PIPES (LESS BEND LESS RESTRICTION) AND PUT THEM INTO A COLLECTOR WITH A FLANGE. DON'T FORGET AN 02 SENSOR BUNG ON THE COLLECTOR AND IT WOULDN'T BE A BAD IDEA TO MAKE SOME PRESSURE EQUALIZING TUBES INBETWEEN THE MAIN PIPES OF THE HEADER.

i agree with pancaked, most (can't say ALL) companies usually spend a lot of money to research and test their ideas and see which ones perform the best. that model usually is the production one. or the one with the right balance of power increase, fitment, price, possibly emission output? who knows. what i'm trying to say is they probably put out the best header they could. it's not a bad header, i own one, and noticed an improvement...