Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
Racing Beat SS 4:1 headers
Beautifully made, but I lost power and torque with these compared to a set of X force 4:2:1. My car has a microtech piggyback, Tighe 805 c cams(252 duration) a steel cat , CAI and free flow exhaust.I had a set of XForce (actually for an NB) headers 4into 2 into 1 and it made almost 94RWKW on a Dyno Dymanics dyno. The NB headers had some clearance issues(which I basically solved) and I decided to spend the big $$$ on the Racing Beats. I went back to just under 92 RWKW and lost about 80 units of tractive. More importantly the car needs to work much higher in the rev range to produce the same urge it used to have down low. If I hadn't given the Xforces to a mate I would revert.
The above may be just a consequence of the mods I have made, but on my setup, they just do not deliver as I expected.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
This is the header offered through Moss motors, part # 903-702. It's definitely a good looking piece. Very nice welds and materials throughout. The header is essentially a 4 to 1 with a downpipe attaching to the cat. It comes with a heavy duty gasket for the downpipe but no gasket for the engine to header attachment. The instructions say that gasket can be reused if there were no leaks, but I went ahead and bought a new one.
REMOVAL:
Removal was pretty straight forward. Start hosing down all bolts and nuts with penetrating oil about 2 days before installation. I'm taking some auto shop classes and had access to a lift and air tools. The day before installation, I put my car on the lift and used an impact gun to loosen 2 bell housing bolts where a bracket attaches the stock manifold to the transmission. Once I removed the transmisison bolts, the bracket fell to the floor but I do believe there is a bolt holding the bracket to the downpipe.
If you don't have access to a lift, I recommend going to a service station and slipping a mechanic a few bucks to loosen those bolts, and the bolts to the cat converter. It will make the install much easier.
The EGR tube is also tough if you do not have a short handled wrench. A long handled wrench will not allow much clearance; I kept hitting the brake lines, and other parts. I couldn't find the metric size, but used a 7/8" to get it loose.
The instructions say the O2 sensor can be left in the stock header but I had to remove it to clear the steering column. *For easier O2 sensor removal* I traced the O2 sensor wire to the harness plug in (black connector next to CAS) and unplugged it.There is also a small plastic clip in the wire that must be removed. This will also allow the wires to twist freely while removing the sensor. Once the header is unbolted from the engine block and cat, I twisted and moved the stock header deeper into the engine bay so I could get under the car and access the O2 sensor.
Once the header is out, install the the tranny bolts. it will be much easier without any exhaust pieces in the way.
INSTALLATION:
The RB unit goes into place fairly easily. I noticed that the pipe is closer to the transmission than before and may require some extra maneuvering when doing a clutch job.
I attached the following in this order. 1, the O2 sensor. 2, the nut directly in behind the EGR tube. 3, the nut on the lower right side of manifold, also blocked by EGR. 4, the EGR. 5, the remaining header bolts. Torque them down after all bolts are in place.
I also added a trackdog heat shield which will be in my next write up. I have a 97 with racing beat intake, racing beat power pulse muffler and midpipe. I went with this header to round out the Racing Beat collection.
So far, I like it. It sounds pretty much stock, maybe even a little quieter with the thicker heatshield, until you mash the gas. The sound is just gorgeous. Nice and deep but not raspy. Power gain is negligible. I think I got more out of the catback exhaust. The header doesn't really increase power as much as move the torque curve a little into a move useable spectrum if you don't like revving the engine very high. Engine feels stronger at low and midrange power. The last bottle neck I have in the exhaust is the stock cat.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter
I received the headers about 9bussines days from racingbeat,delivery took a while.When i got it it was nice and shiney,the annoying part was trying to take the original headers and downpipe out of the car,the bracket thats connected to the down pipe and the tranny was rusty along with the 2 bolts connected to the converter.it took only 10 minutes to install the racingbeat header after removing the OE headers and downpipe
After the installation i immediately started the car to check for exhaust leaks everything is good,I immediately notice power past 5gs after driving it for a minute,The CHOKE feeling was gone between 2-4 thousand rpm,the car can be taken to higher rpm easier,i got what i expected 4hp gain,didn't notice any decrease in torque throughout the rpm band.
i recommend this to someone that doesn't care about the price i paid a total of 458bucks,i was upset to see the stainless steel headers get burnt i didn't expected that to happen ,No one was kidding about soaking the bolts i started soaking mine 2 days before i got the headers and it was still tough to remove.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '99-'05 1.8 liter
Racing Beat's stainless steel 4-1 header,for 99-00 1.8l
When i recieved my RB header in the mail the first thing i noticed was a huge dent on one of the primary tubes. As i found out later that is supposed to be there for clearance issues with the steering shaft. The header itself looks great. Construction is great. Welds are consistant and clean. The mounting flange was slightly warped, i was instructed to install the header anyway as per the instructions. I have noticed some leaking around the places where the flangew was warped, however, i re-used the old gasket. The instructions state you can re-use the old gasket. I would suggest getting a new header-to-head gasket. A new header to mid-pipe gasket is supplied.
Verry pleased with this product. GREAT power on the 99. The hardest part of the install is one of the three nuts connecting the two "down pipes" i had no problems with my O2 sensor. My only suggestion for the diffulct nuts on the "down-pipe" section is LOTS of PB Blaster. I had to let mine sit over night and spray it regularly. A good flex head ratchet and a strong arm will let you get the hardest nut off, reaching up from underneath just behind the front wheel. The factory EGR tube was re-used as per the instructions. This was a tight fit. Make sure you take your time with this part if you find it fitting tightly.. as you can easily cross-thread the fitting into the header. After instalation, i can notice a VERRY slight change in exhaust note. However, other people outside the car comment that the exhaust sounds verry "healthy" now. With top down in some situations you can hart the differance of the exhaust tone. Slight resonance just below 3k RPM. Underhood temperatures! are much higher. OVERALL - extreamly happy with the results. Looks great and on the 99 it makes amazing power. You really feel the hit around 4k rpm where the power really starts to come on and hangs on till redline. I have been told some 99s see numbers as high as 14hp at the wheels. All i can say is if you are driving a N/A 99, you should consider this header.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '99 + 1.8 liter
Racing Beat 4-1 SS 2001 - 2005 Header
Prior to installing, I had prepared the stock header by spraying down ALL the nuts and bolts of the entire exhaust system. I repeated this daily for a week prior to installing. The install was very straight forward provided you have the proper tools. Suggestions for anyone attempting, ensure you have an open end wrench of at least 21MM for the EGR fitting, and a 17MM socket for the main downpipe bolts, its very difficult to break torque (and very easy to break your knuckles) undoing these two spots. After the stock exhaust is removed, rotate the top of the header to the drivers side of the car, be patient and it slides right in.
I definately feel (butt dyno) more power, I'd say I gained at least what Racing Beat proves in their dyno results for the header (average of 15HP above 4,000 RMPS) I installed this header along with a Good-win racing 2.5" midpipe and Borla carbon fiber tip race muffler.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
The shiny new, all stainless 4 into 1 header from Racing Beat. Purchased through GoMiata.
Ditto what the other reviewers have said - beautiful piece, perfect welds, excellent machining. Make no mistake - this is a fairly big job - lots of (sometimes reluctant) nuts and bolts to remove, in odd places, at odd angles - give yourself some time. My one useful tip - the O2 sensor is moved 180 degrees around the pipe - wait until the header is bolted in place before screwing the sensor in place. It's easier to slip the header into place without it, you're less likely to damage it, and it's quite easy to wrench it into place from underneath.
My '96 already had a tubing-type header from the factory, so I knew I wasn't going to get a big horsepower boost. There's maybe a little extra kick, and it's a good match for my Jackson CAI. Mostly it looks great and I know I'm giving the engine the best breathing possible - sort of the ultimate non-forced induction combo I can do.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97
Stainless Steel Racingbeat 4-1 Header for my '95. Very purty, almost considered hanging it on the wall.
Installation was pretty simple, but they are really serious when they say soak nuts and bolts with penetrant for 2 nights before attempting installation, also, you may require a new manifold gasket, but not likely. After getting the old stuff out, the new header just slid right in, bolted on the O2 sensor, FM race pipe, and cat-back and went driving.
HOLY @!&% what a difference, not only do these look sweet under the hood (turns a golden color with heat), my car flew compared to stock, I need an intake to round off the package. By far the best dollar power gain I could have done.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '99 + 1.8 liter
Exhaust header; 4-1; stainless steel
Product quality is high. Installation was relatively easy except for EGR connection at back of manifold/engine block. It makes the engine compartment look much better without the heat shield and truly ridiculous factory manifold that was in sections. Also installed the mid-pipe by Racing Beat.
Definite mid-range performance gains. Looks great. Sounds much better too. Wish I had done this sooner.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '99 + 1.8 liter
Stainless Steel Headers, 4-1 design. Designing for better mid and high end torque.
Took the whole day to remove the stock manifold, and install the new header because one of the bolts was rusted and took forever to remove due to it being rusted. Other than that, it was fine.
Once I test drove it for the first time, I could defenitely tell the difference in power. Especially in the gears 1 to 3. Sounds much deeper and stronger. Overall, im very happy with the product, I haven't had any problems at all since. I would recommend this product to anybody who is interested in headers.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter
A 4-2-1 header ceramic coated
It fell apart 9 months after I bought it, but since I bought it from one of their dealers(motorsports for miatas) they are giving me the run around and expect me to pick up shipping expenses just for them to take a look at it...even though I sent them video of the cracks
They do not stick by or even support their products and I will never buy anything from them again. OBX isnt looking so bad...
Difficult to remove without leaving damage
Applicable to: '99 + 1.8 liter
Racing Beat's new header. All stainless steel construction.
WOW, pretty! I installed it in about an hour and a half. That's removing the old manifold and installing the header. Dropped right in, no fittment problems. increase in HP/torque is definite. not a whole bunch, but worth the money spent.
this is a very nicely made product, if nothing else, it makes the engine compartment more interesting to look at!
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
Racing Beat 4 to 1 stainless steel header for my 96 Miata. Was so nice out of the box I didn't know weather to install it or hang it on the wall for art! First class Quality!
Total time for removal of old manifold and installation of new header was 44 minutes. Perfect fit. No hidden issues. Easy install. Just another quality product from Racing Beat
No noticable difference in sound when installed directly to the factory exhaust. The seat dyno did receive a nice kick from 4500 rpm to redline.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '99 + 1.8 liter
Racing Beat 4:1 Headers
Even when it comes to todays cars. The basics still apply, intake and exhaust will help you on the road to better performance. In this case the 4:1 headers by RB is one of the best that I have worked with in a long time. There was a delay in receiving them, but it was worth the wait. The car pulls well in all gears and over all performance is improved. Thanks to Mr Tanner and the rest of the Racing Beat Team, and Bill at Flying Miata for the recommendiation.
It is a help if you remove the ERG valve tube so that you can make adjustments. other wise you can make a mess of your hands as well as your mind. The other notes apply as well, soak the hell out of the nuts and bolts and you will be a happy boy, with out the loss of blood. Get the O2 sensor connecting kit from RB for Calif cars or you get to stare at the check engine light on a continual base, all other tricks have failed to put the light out.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter
This is the newly designed header for the 1.6. It is the same in design as the header for the 1.8. This has to be one of the most beautiful pieces of automotive art you can put on your car. It is constructed entirely of high grade stainless steel and incorperates cast stainless flanges. The welds must be seen to be appreciated.
I ordered the header from F.M due to the fact that I really like dealing with them. It arrived right on time and in a red mist of new part excitement I ripped the package open. The Header was as sweet as it looked in the ad. Now to mount it up. I had been hoseing the manifold and cat nuts down for a week with wd-40 so everything came free without a hitch. I had the old manifold out of the car and the new one in in under and hour. All of the flanges mated up perfectly with no modifications necessary. Racing Beats directions were well written and included even the torques for the manifold and cat. Racing beats attention to detail and love for what they create are evident in every aspect of this header.
After mounting the header the performance of my miata changed for the better. The car now idles smoother than with the stock manifold in place. Spent gasses are now expelled much more efficiently. I can tell both horse power and torque have been increased. Power now comes on quite strong at around 35k, you feel the header pull with authority and the sensation continues till redline. My exaust is a bit louder but not in any way unbearable or ricer. You can hear the header itself when you get into the gas. It sounds like a bundle of snakes beneath the intakes fierce burble. I have also found that I appreciate it on hills. I highly recommend this product, and will definately purchase more Racing Beat products. I am so impressed that I am considering replacing my Greddy/Trust exaust with a RB.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '99 + 1.8 liter
Ceramic coated 4-2-1 header for 99-00 miata
I bought this header from a UK company that deals with all Racing Beat products (Rotechnics). This was the first header they had supplied for a 99+ car and unfortunatly i was the first to run into a big problem regarding installation. I found out that UK and possibly all European spec cars have a different manifold to US spec cars, My manifold has a Male fitting for the EGR pipe where US cars have a female fitting. This obviously made fitting the egr crossover pipe impossible without some complex adapter fabrication. I asked for some advice on Miata.net and they advised me to buy a US spec crossover pipe from a US Mazda parts supplier which i did (Part number BP4W-20-310A), the part arrived 10 days later from Mazda South and fitted perfectly. Generally the installation was a slow process and not much fun, but relatively easy, just make sure you soak all the nuts well prior to installation.
After all the waiting i was hoping the end result would be worth it and i think it was, the midrange power of my car is noticably improved and the car feels more eager and responsive through the rev range. I informed the supplier of the header about the problems i had and hopefully future customers wont have the problems i did.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
Racing Beat 4-1 1995 1.8L stainless steel headers.
They look great and installed easy; unfortunately the stock manifold was a living hell to remove because of 1 bolt, the bolt to the transmission bell housing. People have reviewed headers saying oh make sure to WD40 the bolts the night before they mean it! Removal of the stock system was trying to say the least I disregarded the advise of those who have reviewed before me and sprayed the WD40 on at the start of the job. My wife became worried when I came back into the house for the Sawzall. Really the install was a breeze the headers fit great and the instructions were clear and concise. The results were fantastic my Miata breaths easily to red line and 0-90 times were drastically reduced. I love the headers just wish I had headed the advice of those who had installed before me to WD40.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '99 + 1.8 liter
Complete exhaust system consisting of a 4-1 stainless header, straight through midpipe with no Catalytic converter and a highly polished dual outlet muffler. (one pipe on each side of the car.)
Awesome. Once the factory system was off, the RB parts slid right in. No bending, no flange matching problems, nothing. All gaskets and bolts were included, and the instructions were great. The looks of the muffler are fantastic, and I've already had a few envious glances at gas stations when I start it up. The headers also look terrific under the hood. One of the technicians at my dealership who drive a GT Mustang was blown away by the quality of the heliarc welds.
Power is terrific. The car pulls so much harder and smoother, and it is no longer necessary to shift 3-2 when you slow down, then accelerate. The power is now there in 3rd. Sound is awesome, not ringy or tinny, just a smooth bassy "whooooooppp" under hard acceleration. Highly recommended, but one warning: When you remove the cat, even if you relocate the rear (after cat) 02 sensor (federal emissions model) your check engine light will come on. The guys at RB assure me it's fine. No biggie, the only drawback I can think of to the midpipe. 99 out of 100, buy one today. It's like having a new car!
Difficult to remove without leaving damage
Applicable to: '90 - '97 '99 + 1.8 liter
The new Racing Beat 4-1 header.
I just installed this header on my 95, this is the best money I have ever spent on a miata performance part. I was haveing a problem with power above 7300 rpm,I was thinking it was spark, but it wasn't, now I have more power than ever pulling all the way up to 7700 rpm.
Go get you one!!! best $425 I ever spent.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to '99 +
Ceramic coated 4 into 2 into 1 header - re-designed!
Very nice piece. I was waiting a while to receive the newly re-designed header, but it was definitely worth the wait. The only PITA during the install is taking out the factory manifold and downpipe, and taking out the 2 bolts that go through the bellhousing and motor that hold a bracket. I haven't experienced any of the ringing some of the other reviewers have, but maybe that was taken care of in the redesign.
I was originally going with the RB header, FM mid-pipe and FM duals - but the addition of the mid-pipe with the header made the car LOUD. The header, factory mid-pipe and n/a duals are a great combo. The car pulls a little smoother and stronger. With the factory exhazust, the car would seem to run out of breath at about 6800 - with the header, it pulls hard all the way to the rev-limiter.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
The Racing Beat Header is a 4-2-1 design made of mild steel that is chromed to help prevent corrosion. The product, to date, is not CARB certified.
I had this header installed at a local muffler shop for $100. This time around I didn't mess around with installing the product. However, my experience with RB was a good one (as I always go there in person). "The chrome isn't presentation quality," (this is a direct quote from the RB salesman) "but looks real nice."
The only difficulty experienced in the installation of the header was the heat shield, which the installer said would require modification to the mounts. I elected to go without the shield, but kept it for possible future use.
RB claims they have dynoed this product with a 10hp increase at the wheels...maybe they should concider redoing the dyno to see if they are losing hp anywhere. To me the miata felt a lot better during acceleration, but probably not worth 10hp. While it seems that I am being a little hard on RB, the bottom line is that I would buy this product again. The only real gripe I have with the RB header is that it has no CARB certification and prompts California buyers to look elsewhere.
Bolt-on replacement for stock header. 4-2-1 design.
So far the experience has been great. The exhaust note is a bit muffled now. I have a Candoo loud and it is quieter, but has a more pleasing, smooth note to it. Engine revs more freely and gets to the redline quicker in each gear than stock. Installation was a snap; only trouble I had was re-installing the O2 sensor (very difficult angle). Had to get at it with a very small pair of channel locks.
Take the advice to put WD-40 or some kind of similar agent on the manifold and catylitic nuts so that they come off easily. Do it the day BEFORE you plan to take off the header so they have plenty of time to soak. I didn't have the time so I let it sit for 4-5 hours and I almost rounded of a cat nut because of it. The hanger that is affixed to the transmission to hold the stock header in place cannot be re-used because there are two pipes at that point instead of just one. Instructions could have been a little more clear, but were sufficient. Racing Beat claims that this unit adds 10 horsepower at the rear wheel as indicated by their dyno tester. The car is quicker and that added power makes it hard not to play with it all the time. Every little bit helps. My Miata's intake/exhaust has been completely replaced now and for the ~$700 I spent to do it, it is the best alternative to turbo or sc.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
A high flow 4-2-1 design exhaust header.
Installation was quite easy. I used Liquid Wrench on the manifold studs while the engine was warm (not hot!) and the nuts posed no problem. Be sure to remove the lower bracket that holds the old downpipe to the bell housing. Otherwise, the header won't clearence when you try to slip it into position. Have some high-temp anti-sieze goop on hand for the cat nuts/studs. The O2 sensor picks up two of the pipes. Installation was about an hour.
I like the performance improvement. However. it "rings" a little when I go off throttle. I driven an MX-5 with the Jackson and thought it was "quieter". It's a nice product and considerably cheaper than the Jackson. Recommended.
| Back to Product Reviews | 24 October, 2009 |
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