Header/Exhaust Manifold Thoughts - LCE

So my truck has an LCE header. I’m not the original owner. Have had it for 2 years. 242K miles on truck and not sure when it was installed or how long it’s been on BUT it has a crack and needs to be replaced. Seeing that this is a $500 header I would’ve thought the quality would be better I.E. it would last forever. My dilemma, buy one for $500 or go to Rock Auto and get a stock style manifold and pipe for under $200. I understand the factory manifolds crack but I don’t see the hype on a $500 header that doesn’t last. Thoughts? Opinions? I also thought about the mini header swap but that’s expensive too. Like $350 for the manifold alone. I emailed LCE and they responded wanting pics which I sent but I haven’t heard back since. Was maybe hoping for a little help but I know that’s a long shot. Thanks.

 

Bump

 

Yeah it’s worth it. But that’s just bc I just installed one, so probably not an objective opinion. If you don’t care, go cheap.

 

Just wish it would have lasted for that price. Back in the day I had Hondas for like 10 years with headers and never had cracking issues. They were half the cost. I’m torn lol.

 

I never saw one in person is it a real header made out of steel not cast steel or iron like a normal exhaust manifold .

I welded many headers in my Youth when I was into Drag racing.

Lots of stock cars for the dirt track.

Just where did it crack?

 

Says it’s stainless steel tubing. It is cracked where the 4 tubes go into 1 before the collector. Hard to see exactly where. I did the ol’ shop vac thru the exhaust trick to find the leak. The pics attached shows kinda where. Btw, I tried JB Weld high heat and some British Firegum Paste and neither worked. Figured they wouldn’t but gave it a shot.

 

That was always an area prone to cracking.

Any friends that can weld? Already cracked nothing to lose.

Headers never did hold up in street vehicles all that well compared to racing.

Constant Thermal Cycling .

If I was close I be glad to help. Good luck!

 

Appreciate that. I do have a friend who is a great welder but he seems to think the location is a tough repair. Guess we could at least try.

 

No No !! You need to remove the header !!

It needs to come off either way. Correct!

 

Got it. Haha. I’ll see what we can do. Worth a shot before I drop $500 on a replacement or $200 ish if I go back to stock style parts. Appreciate the feedback.

 

Where at in SC are you? I know a welder

 

In Lexington but went ahead and pulled the trigger on a new one from LCE earlier today. They reached out after I sent pics and said the one on my truck is over 10 years old based on pics I sent them. Maybe they will give me some sort of discount before the payment finalizes…the guy said he was gonna pull my order. $566 total so I hope this thing lasts…

 

You said it was stainless steel, but why is it rusty? Something is fishy here.

 

That’s what their site says???

 

Some grades of Stainless will rust.

Seems like there are new grades every month.