HIOP headers installed

**eclou** · 10-27-2002, 10:24 PM

Just installed the HIOP headers on my 97 M3. This was the best thing I have ever done!! Oh my god, car just rips and snorts now! Took it out for a spin tonite and it changed my life. Get this:

pulled out of my driveway and got on my favorite overpass. It is a 540 degree decreasing radius turn. Had so much speed going into it I actually got 2 wheels up on on the concrete barricade at 170 mph while passing a Z06 on the outside! The young, nubile, and bisexual females riding in the Z06 instantly ovulated and started licking their glass windows!

Then I outran 3 LS1 highway patrol cars through an auto-x course that just happened to be in the K-mart parking lot. I "cleaned" the course in record time and never even touched a cone. I was so entranced by the new neutral handling characteristics that is a byproduct of improved weight distribution and the new ability to throttle-steer at will that I started weeping. Then I noticed a crowd of 20-30 Hooters girls were watching and cheering me on! One of the girls was a BMW Motorsports automotive engineer visiting from her hometown of Nurburgring and could not believe how perfect my toe and camber settings were now.

Then as I came home Davey Jones himself came over to congratulate me and offered me $100k for my car. I went to the bathroom and saw that my penis had grown to 11"!!! EVERYONE MUST GO BUY THESE AND HANS AT HIOP IS JUST THE GOD OF E36 TUNING!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, enough of the BS hype. The real review:

1:they fit perfectly
2:airtubes are tossed aside
3:exhuast note is about 1/2 octave lower at idle, but not any louder at any throttle
4:no CE lights
5: dyno results in 2-3 days

http://www.986host.com/gallery/eclou/DSC01307

Eugene

**frayed** · 10-27-2002, 10:29 PM

So, they came with no O2 injection ports?

No seat of the pants increase in go-juice?

Be sure to bring your dyno printout to the track. Gonna have to check it out. Sheeit, may even have to remove the governor off my carb an open 'er up to hang with you.

**eclou** · 10-27-2002, 10:35 PM

The car spun the tires in every gear tonite - heavy misting outside so I cannot give any feedback on power.

They came with O2 sensor bungs but no O2 injection ports - the ports themselves just fit flush on the exhaust gasket itself (there are no holes in the head itself). I just pitched the tubing and plugged the valve with a PORSCHE shoulder harness threaded plug.

**frayed** · 10-27-2002, 10:38 PM

You may get a MIL every now and again w/o air injection, thowing a code for insufficient secondary air. No biggie, just reset your computer with a Peake Tool.

Did you install them yourself at Eugene's House of Poon, or did you consult a pro?

**jww///95** · 10-27-2002, 10:50 PM

What's hiop's website? And what's the going price for these beauties?

**eclou** · 10-27-2002, 10:52 PM

Here is the pro, I'm just the assistant.

Eugene

**Amir** · 10-27-2002, 10:53 PM

www.hioprace-tec.com

**frayed** · 10-27-2002, 10:56 PM

damn dude, that lil' shiot got big.

**frayed** · 10-27-2002, 11:01 PM

I'm still diggin' these though.

**MaDoX** · 10-27-2002, 11:02 PM

HIOP headers will cost ya around $550
My friend installed one just 2 weeks ago, it's not an easy job though....add an AA track pipe to that and you got a monster!
http://www.hioprace-tec.com/

**eclou** · 10-27-2002, 11:14 PM

I got mine from sportandimports.net for $650.

Install can be done with just hand tools and patience. Took me about 4 hours which includes chasing my dog across my yard twice when he heisted my 11mm ratcheting combo-wrench (BTW, unless you are a total masochist, you MUST get one of these prior to doing the job).

Oh BTW, here are some pearls of the install:

1:remove the computer first otherwise you can't access the rear manifold
2:remove your x-brace also (if you don't have one then please leave this board now)
3:unbolt your rear caster-block and pull the control arm forward (allows more arm room to work from underneath)
4:for tools you should find a 11mm combo wrench and bend more angle into the box side (easier to clear lip of metal valve cover), an air-ratchet with 11mm deep impact socket, and an impact wrench with 14mm socket.

Eugene

**eclou** · 10-27-2002, 11:20 PM

Hey Jeff, ask Brad to install his new design with the head and motor still in the car. The way his runners go I guarantee you it cannot be done without dropping the crossmember and steering rack.

Eugene

**BJO** · 10-28-2002, 12:51 AM

nice man, i'll have to check them out sometime.

**BSH** · 10-28-2002, 12:52 AM

OK, hold on here....

Do headers provide a HP/torque gain???

I thought the gain was negligible, and perhaps even hurt performance.

Do the HIOP headers bolt to the stock cats?

**TYE** · 10-28-2002, 07:02 AM

Regarding the headers frayed posted. They are made by Jose and though I like the Hiop headers, the JP ones are really nice and better engineered IMO. Thats what I am putting on my car. The ones Jose is making me is different than the pic though as it going to be a stepdown header. As for installing those w/o removing the crossmember or steering rack, trust me, you can install them without doing that.

**frayed** · 10-28-2002, 07:37 AM

TYE,

I talked with Jose a while back about his headers, and shot the bull with Brad about what he and Jose are doing to your car. Jose said the stepdown headers are a true racing header to compete with the ones that Stickley sells. I suspect they'll surpass those given that Jose really knows his stuff. Nice guy too.

I think Jose said they are a month off or so? Let us know how it goes. I'd do the stepdown headers as well, but I want to be able to bolt the stock cat back in place if I have to.

As far as the HIOP headers go, from what information I could get, they are better than the SS headers. However, HIOP did compromise 1 or 2 of the pipes, and the length of the header tubes still vary by up to 3". See the #2 pipe on the first header unit. So, b/t the closer length matching (not sure if the collector design is better or not) and the inside and outside Embee TBC coating, the Evo ones definitely look to be better.

No exact numbers on the HIOP vs. the Evo yet though. Given the price differential and depending on exactly how much more hp is made, it may not be worth it to some folks to spend the extra cash. HIOPs are $650 + $200 (ceramic coating for heat retention) vs. $1200.

**eclou** · 10-28-2002, 08:18 AM

Tye,

The prototype picture of the Evosport headers show the #2 and #5 primaries running transverse and next to the head. I cannot imagine being able to squeeze a human hand and forearm to access the lower flange bolts in there from underneath the car. Just thinking about it is upsetting my stomach.

Eugene

**Cobra Jet** · 10-28-2002, 10:25 AM

Wow - those are the best looking headers I have seen for an M3 (BMW in general too)!

Those remind me of the type of long tube headrers available for the 5.0 and 4.6 Mustangs (GT & Cobras)!

That's an awesome design, very smooth, very clean welds and screams "performance" just looking at them!

Are these available for all E36 M3's (1994-1999)? Or just for the later 96-99 M3's? I'd be interested in a setup like that if it's available for my 95 M3... those headers are awesome looking and I bet there is a seat of the pants feel/difference too after installing them.

Great pics and write up (I was LMAO before you got to the no frills NO BS write up)!

**frayed** · 10-28-2002, 10:31 AM

Phil, the HIOPs and the Evosport units are available for 95's. In fact, 96+ E36 M3's are more problematic due to the use of air injection ports at the manifold.

**M3corey** · 10-28-2002, 10:32 AM

looks great man.. that is my next mod after the cam kit

**Cobra Jet** · 10-28-2002, 10:46 AM

oh boy oh boy oh boy.... I'm stoked about those headers, they look awesome!

That's great to hear they are a direct fit on the 95's!

So, I would not need to be concerned with the air injection port issues?

Here's a question too - I'm a fan of nice exhaust systems and "free flowing" exhaust. I've read all of the threads on exhausts and such, but I want to know, what aftermarket free flowing catalytic converters are available for the E36 M3's?

I don't want to be bothered with deleted cats, too much of a hassle for NJ inspections purposes (been there done that with my prior Mustangs). I'd be interested in a better flowing cats, if they are available - any direction to point me in? Who has the best prices, and is the honeycomb material inside the cats opened up more (not as dense as the factory stuff)?

Thanks for this thread, I never heard of HIOP until now, and the price is great compared to what I have seen recently!!!!!!!!

**frayed** · 10-28-2002, 11:03 AM

Cheap and easy: 96+ cats. The entire exhaust system on 96+ cars is free-er flowing than 95's. You may want to look into a used 96+ cat.

Not sure about aftermarket units.

No worries about air injection for 95's. Both the Evosport and the HIOP are direct bolt-ups.

**Cobra Jet** · 10-28-2002, 11:06 AM

Hey Thanks Jeff!!

Just one more quickie - is the 96+ cat system a direct fit or bolt up on the 95?

ECLOU - are you going to get dyno numbers on yoru set up next? Do you mainly track your car, or is it a daily driver?

Do you think you will have any state inspection issues, or does your area of TX have the emissions exempt status? My mom lives out in TX and certain areas I know do not require the emissions tests, just saftey inspection...

**frayed** · 10-28-2002, 11:17 AM

I believe the 96+ cat is a direct bolt up. If you look into this route, I'd investigate a little more as I've only *heard* about the free-er flowing cats.

As for TX emissions, it goes area by area. No tailpipe sniffer or OBD II port plug ins around here. In Houston and Dallas, for 96+ cars they plug into the OBD II port. I think you'd pass with that test, since they are just pulling oxygen sensor info from your dme.

OTOH, if your area does the sniffer, you'd not pass w/o cats (well, most likely anyway). I suppose, you could try running your car really hard before the test, and dumping a bottle of that emissions supression additive, but I don't know if that stuff is harmful.

**B.Watts** · 10-28-2002, 11:20 AM

Originally posted by frayed
I talked with Jose a while back about his headers, and shot the bull with Brad about what he and Jose are doing to your car. Jose said the stepdown headers are a true racing header to compete with the ones that Stickley sells. I suspect they'll surpass those given that Jose really knows his stuff. Nice guy too.

You might want to look into what Bimmerworld is offering from Kromecraft (sp?) these days. The newest prototype stuff is really cool. It's a 6 into 1 setup with equal-length stepdowns. That's an absolute race setup, not sure about its street use.

There is also a sweet 6 into 2 into 1 stepdown setup that they were using on the ITS and World Challenge cars in the past.

As for my money, I walked around they World Challenge paddock to see what folks were using, and I can tell you, they weren't running the EvoSport stuff.

Any header system that bolts up to the stock cats is probably not going to be as great a performer as a system that isn't limite by those constraints.

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