Has anyone had any experiance with these cheap extractors?

[Steve695]

Hey all.
I just got a brand new motor put in my S2K and am looking to do the exhaust for my first modification.

On ebay, there are several stainless steel extractors for $50-$60us (so it's a bit less in Australian).
Yes the shipping is around $150, but still seems like bargain.

Here is one example: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/00-08-HONDA-S2000-F20C-AP1-AP2-STAINLESS-EXHAUST-HEADER-/370511309600?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item564431eb20

Claims 15-20hp gains.

Are these too good to be true, or are they legit?

[dlai5552]

ahh lol. that would claim a 11-15kw gain, if that is at the wheels gtfo lol.
But nah, I haven't tried it, but it doesn't seem to legit. That's a big gain from the F20C just from changing over headers.
Unless, someone can justify, please do so :)

[AusS2000]

Those headers are cheap, but so are claims of huge increases in power. :D

Give cheap sh!t the miss. This is a Honda S2000 not a Hyundai Excel.

[Steve695]

Yeah would have to be at the motor, I doubted that it would be 15-20 at the wheels. They just seem too cheap for headers though, most people I know pay $400+, but then again they all drive falcons and HOMGadores.

But even for the sound (in combination with a decent cat back), and a slight gain in power would be good, they just seem too cheap, so I thought I would ask.

[dlai5552]

you have pm! :)

[zhong]

The only "extractor" which will give you noticeable power gain is the one that comes with a snail. Buy it if you want it to look a bit different, it will probably work and all, but keep in mind that the oem has been designed by HONDA and it's ECU is tuned to it. I wouldn't be suprised if you lost power. All to their own I guess!

Peace.

[Steve695]

The only "extractor" which will give you noticeable power gain is the one that comes with a snail. Buy it if you want it to look a bit different, it will probably work and all, but keep in mind that the oem has been designed by HONDA and it's ECU is tuned to it. I wouldn't be suprised if you lost power. All to their own I guess!

Peace.

Well I want the car to make some noise. Will just a cat back do the job?

I want good noise too, no tinny crap, lol.

[sae]

Sorry to get off topic, just wondering how much you paid to get your engine installed?

[Steve695]

Sorry to get off topic, just wondering how much you paid to get your engine installed?

8600 with all the labour, that's with a 1200 dollar clutch and new engine mounts too.

I only had to get a new engine because the one that was in the car when I bought it, had a damaged piston (I was not aware) and it scratched the cylinder bore, and yeah, it was beyond repair.

[euromandeluxe]

if you want noise, intake, catback, or both.

intake if you want it sounding stock when you're not hard on the throttle

[IEVAQ8]

I can guarantee dat if u go do a dyno power run with ur stock s2k & then did exhaust and headers/extractors....and another power run......u will b very very disapointed to notice ur car have the same power as stock...if not less....

[zhong]

I second Intake, or just remove the cover on your stock airbox - you will have heaps of noise, not tinny crap but maybe something like a vacumn cleaner hum at idle and a roar at 6,000rpm. But an ebay catback is definately more worthwhile than an ebay header.

[Steve695]

Alright, I will skip headers then and probably go with catback/intake.

Is removing the stock airbox bad for the intake though? won't it suck in crap? (People tell me different things on this one)

[zhong]

You're only removing the cover, not the filter.. so technically it won't suck in "more" crap that it does through the hole, just that it has a bigger area to suck from, including heat from the engine bay. Take it out and try it for yourself, it won't blow! (Hopefully anyway :P)

[s2kjn]

I can guarantee dat if u go do a dyno power run with ur stock s2k & then did exhaust and headers/extractors....and another power run......u will b very very disapointed to notice ur car have the same power as stock...if not less....

How can u guanrantee this? before i purchased my exhaust/extractors, I had a good read on s2ki at the dyno runs. Nothing but increases on their graph.....

[Steve695]

You're only removing the cover, not the filter.. so technically it won't suck in "more" crap that it does through the hole, just that it has a bigger area to suck from, including heat from the engine bay. Take it out and try it for yourself, it won't blow! (Hopefully anyway :P)

I just took the air box on and gave this a try. The sound it makes is great, but I felt a little less throttle response, even on a cold day like today.

Awesome sound though!

[VeYzZii]

How can u guanrantee this? before i purchased my exhaust/extractors, I had a good read on s2ki at the dyno runs. Nothing but increases on their graph.....

Yea i agree IEVAQ8.. I doubt youll lose power to the ECU with a small mod like extractors.. Itll mess around abit but i doubt ill take power off.. Maybe until the ECU learns. But after that you should be seeing gains..

Also, you guys where argueing about 11-15kW gain at the wheels or fly.. You lose about 15 percent to drivetrain, so its still a pretty big increase 8-12kW (if it is true)

[9large]

You can easily lose power by replacing parts Honda spent thousands of hours designing, developing, testing, and optimising. To say you can throw in any kind of <exhaust/extractor/intake/part x> and gain more power than stock is absurd and misguided at best. Having said that, if you do a little research, over the years there have been a few parts that have been tested and reliably reported to make gains. They aren't usually from ebay though. Let's just say that, you usually get what you pay for, and you usually pay for what you get...

Naturally through depreciation, the S2000 is now in the price range of someone looking for a brand new Corolla. Folks, it's not a f_cken Corolla.

[VeYzZii]

You can easily lose power by replacing parts Honda spent thousands of hours designing, developing, testing, and optimising. To say you can throw in any kind of <exhaust/extractor/intake/part x> and gain more power than stock is absurd and misguided at best. Having said that, if you do a little research, over the years there have been a few parts that have been tested and reliably reported to make gains. They aren't usually from ebay though. Let's just say that, you usually get what you pay for, and you usually pay for what you get...

Naturally through depreciation, the S2000 is now in the price range of someone looking for a brand new Corolla. Folks, it's not a f_cken Corolla.

Yea. Thats a good point. But i see it as Honda had different aims then us enthusiasts.. They wanted a race car, but also to make it reliable, economical ETC ETC.. So on the same boat as yourself, im quite certain there are a wide range of parts that will be a gain.

[euromandeluxe]

In short 'cheap' and 'S2000' usually don't belong together in the same sentence.

[s2kjn]

You can easily lose power by replacing parts Honda spent thousands of hours designing, developing, testing, and optimising. To say you can throw in any kind of <exhaust/extractor/intake/part x> and gain more power than stock is absurd and misguided at best. Having said that, if you do a little research, over the years there have been a few parts that have been tested and reliably reported to make gains. They aren't usually from ebay though. Let's just say that, you usually get what you pay for, and you usually pay for what you get...

Naturally through depreciation, the S2000 is now in the price range of someone looking for a brand new Corolla. Folks, it's not a f_cken Corolla.

OF COURSE, I definitely agree with you here. No way i'd spend shit $ on shit products that are unreputable and have no assured reports on gains on the S. Hence why I spent top $ on buying closest to the best for my car. Cheap Ebay shopping for drivetrain parts for the S is just stupid. I think that more research needs to be done by ppl who are buying and compare $ to gain to rep of the company.

PS if you know an 09 model for the price of a corolla, let me kno ;)

[9large]

PS if you know an 09 model for the price of a corolla, let me kno ;)

LOL At the rate depreciation's going, give it a couple of years :D

[s2kjn]

^ hmm but some say the S is soon to be a collectible, so it may appreciate in value which would be very good for us!

[zhong]

^^^ Only for the last models that is.. So if you have a 09 model, then congrats. But if you have a 99 model like majority of us, then let's buy a corolla! :D

[9large]

^ hmm but some say the S is soon to be a collectible, so it may appreciate in value which would be very good for us!

As much as I love the S2000, it's not a collectable. What makes you think it would be a collectable? That goes for any year model. The later models may be more sought after, but that doesn't mean they're "collectable". The number of tacky and bad examples around really detracts it from being a "collectable".

[s2kjn]

I read it on s2ki one of their articles a while back. No doubt if ur car is "tacky", u can forget about the S being a collectable. Im sure not all the cars that are considered to be "collectables" to date have all had their tacky runs. Who knows what the future holds for the S, but as I said in the post 'some say' so I'm not suggesting to store ur car in a safe and wait for retirement to sell it.

[9large]

Yep, that's fair enough. If the S2000 ever becomes a "collectable", IMO it won't be for several decades.

[VeYzZii]

Yep, that's fair enough. If the S2000 ever becomes a "collectable", IMO it won't be for several decades.

I wouldnt say 'collectable'. But seeing as production has stopped, and the rarity of the car, it will definanty help buying price of the S..

[ap1.2]

i think you will find that most of the china headers are copys of good brands so are good deals to be had just depands on what ones you get

[ap1.2]

now that is a p plater car im sure you will see more and more bad exaples of the s2k around as

[AusS2000]

i think you will find that most of the china headers are copys of good brands so are good deals to be had just depands on what ones you get

I take it your spell checker is a cheap Chinese copy as well?

[zhong]

LOL

But with all honesty, I think what everyone is saying is that, it's not worth the hassle and/or risk of playing around with "ebay extractors" to gain the extra kw's. Although, if the car was turbo, then personally I would give it a crack (until it cracks :P) - as ap1.2 is sort of right, most of the copies are copies of the major brands and manufacturers. More of a bling thing IMHO.

But DO IT anyway and show us! :D

[AusS2000]

You realise you can't use a header with turbo?

[zhong]

Manifold. Header. Extractors. Spaghetti Pipe. Whichever tickles your fancy!

[AusS2000]

Oops, sorry I forgot I was on OzHonda. Carry on.

[zhong]

Maybe I wasn't clear enough, my apologies. I wasn't really reffering to a turbo'd S, was more of a general turbo statement. And I never mentioned "header" in any of my posts. So I don't know why your hating on me. Haha only carrying on because I'm bored at work.. But I'll stop now.

EDIT: Ohhh... you weren't talking to me.. LOL or WERE YOU? :eek:

[AusS2000]

All I'm saying is that cheap chinese copies are generally cheap for a reason. And whereas I wouldn't use a cheap chinese header (a passive part) there is no way in hell I'd use a cheap chinese turbo kit (a very very active part). This is the quick path to a screwed up engine.

YMMV

[zhong]

I don't disagree, you really get what you pay for - but sometimes there you could grab yourself quite a bargain. Say for something like a DUMP PIPE, as long as I'm happy with the "COPY" I wouldn't be losing sleep cause I know it's China made, but to the fact that it's a part that doesn't really need much workmanship to make beneficial for a specific application. China parts are usually cheaper because they're wages are LOW, they manufcature in the MASSES and they did not need to spend much (or at all) in the R&D department. Only purchase a genuine item, copy it, then make a million.

Driver maintenance and driving could also play an EQUAL part in a path to a screwed up engine.

All to their own I guess.

[AusS2000]

Driver maintenance and driving could also play an EQUAL part in a path to a screwed up engine.


It doesn't matter how you drive or maintain your car if your cheap chinese turbo kit throws a bearing causing the compressor wheel to hit the housing and throw metal fragments into your engine it's toast.

As you say, 'All to their own' but personally I think I'll drive sensibly, maintain rigorously, and not use crap on my car if it's ok with you.

[sae]

i'm afraid to use ebay test pipes also....when it is literally just a test pipe.

Metal Pipe* :P

[zhong]

Lol relax, I won't use a cheap chinese turbo kit... I never said I would be buying a cheap china turbo... I'm just saying with all other things, in MY opinion that doesn't require that much effort in producing, ie. Exhaust bits which in effect is just a piece of pipe that directs exhaust gases out of the engine, then it MIGHT be okay to think about if your ballin on a budget. Or even if it's a ZPOON fluid resovoir cover, VEAKS lower tie bar, BUSCO strut brace etc etc. Something that requires much more precise mechanical manufacturing standards, ie Turbos/ECU's/Blah blah blah's, I'll leave that to the reputable companies.

Thumbs up to you driving sensibly, maintain rigorously and not use cheap parts! I do the same! OzHonda FTW! :D

[AusS2000]

You think an exhaust is just a piece of pipe? Maybe you need to read up on header design:

http://horsepowercalculators.net/headerdesign/header-design

[zhong]

In my PREVIOUS POSTS, I did not reccomend it to OP because "headers" are a bit more complex than that, but generally speaking I just don't think that it was a fair call that you make out that all China Manufactured Parts are rubbish. But w/e, it's the internet, and it's your car - do whatever makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up!

My 0.50c.

Peace.

[AusS2000]

Ok, so you don't recommend headers or turbo kits. So what are these great chinese manufactured products sold through ebay that you do recommend. Perhaps I can spend that 50¢ on them?

[zhong]

Clicky. (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/FRONT-LOWER-ARM-BARS-BRACE-00-01-06-HONDA-S2000-AP1-/370498247827?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item56436a9c93)

Just need a few extra coins though. Why must thy hate on me! :(

[AusS2000]

If you think disagreeing with you is hating then that's another thing we disagree on.

[zhong]

Lol. Fair enough. We just weren't meant to be.

Anyway, topic please continue as per usual.

[AusS2000]

BTW, here's another reason why I am against chinese knock off/ebay products. I'm pretty familiar with the underneath of my car. I'm also familiar with the Spoon and Whiteline Front Lower Braces. And that link you sent looks like neither. What it does look like however is the Spoon REAR lower brace. It even has the holes for the EVAP canister guard plate.

So my contention is, why would you buy a product from someone who doesn't even know what part they've copied.

Some people say you get what you pay for. In this case you get something altogether different.