Off Road SHO Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 So, for those following along at home... I removed the header and down pipe from my Superformance S-1 so that I could get them Jet-Hot coated in an effort to reduce some of the engine compartment heat. They were installed by the previous owner along with the muffler to repair a cracked OE header. He had wrapped the down pipe but not the header with heat insulating fiberglass tape. When I removed both pieces from the car, I noticed that the fiberglass tape had become very brittle and basically fell apart in my hands. Not a problem, I was going to get them ceramic coated anyway. However, I did find that the bottom of the down pipe had been rubbing on the frame and whomever had installed it had even ground away a small part of the corner of the bottom tube to give it more clearance Clarence. Now seeing what a beautiful work of art the welds were on these pieces, I called up a fabricator buddy and upon seeing it, he thought that something might be wrong with one or both of the engine mounts, allowing the engine to ride lower than normal. Before I pay to have a new down pipe fabricated, I was hoping one or two other S-1 owners could measure the height from the top of the engine mount to the plate on which it sets. Mine is 1.30 inches right now, and if it's lower than most, I can either add a spacer washer or two to bring it up or get replacement donuts made or bought. Thanks in advance for any help. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S1Steve Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 (edited) Tom, I have to guess that you have a Zetec in your S1. My engine mount is 1.30 as is yours. Now I have a Caterham header on mine but I had the stock down pipe that was fitted to the Superformance made header . Both were no were near hitting the frame support as yours does. Strange !!! Sent a few photo's for you to examine. Hope this helps, Steve Edited January 21, 2014 by S1Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Off Road SHO Posted January 22, 2014 Author Share Posted January 22, 2014 (edited) Steve, Thanks for the pics. Evidently, my original Zetec factory header had cracked, so the previous owner spent 1,700.00 on a new header, down pipe and muffler. This new header ends as 4 separate pipes, inside the engine compartment. From there, the down pipe converts the four to two, which then goes through the skin, above the bottom rail, in a one above the other arrangement, which then converts to a single right before the muffler's v-band clamp. It doesn't touch by much, since only the surface was scratched up a little, but that's still too close for me. The coupling for the four primaries is a slip fit and when I went to take off the two double-nutted cinching bolts, I noticed that both of them were very loose. The more I think about it and after hearing that your engine mount height is the same as mine, I think I will trim off 1/4" of the four male primaries and see if that gives me enough clearance at the bottom rail. My fabricator friend was admiring the workmanship of my headers and down pipe (he himself being a very talented Tig welder) so I am not anxious to build anything new. Tom Edited January 22, 2014 by Off Road SHO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S1Steve Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Glad to help. As a piperfitter welder myself, Proud member of Steamfitters Local 420 here in Philadelphia. We have a 100 year old saying " measure twice, cut once". Your header sound like the same as mine. Good luck..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Off Road SHO Posted January 22, 2014 Author Share Posted January 22, 2014 (edited) I will try and upload two pics here: In the bottom pic, what looks like a single pipe is actually two, one on top of the other. Edited January 22, 2014 by Off Road SHO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Off Road SHO Posted January 24, 2014 Author Share Posted January 24, 2014 Well, I trimmed 1/4" piece off the ends of all 4 primaries to no avail. The secondaries didn't move up and away from the bottom rail, just inward more. Still have less than .050" between the secondaries and the bottom rail. I will have my Tig guy weld in a shallow but long "dimple" to give it a .25" or more clearance. He is also going to make a new thermostat housing-to-radiator pipe to get it out of that tight spot next to the driver's footwell. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhubbard422 Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Tom, Just saw this thread... The mount on my S1 is 1.52" +/-.01 (measured from the top of the "biscuit" to the top of the bottom frame rail). Per the build sheet #53 has Zetec "Performance" headers. There is about 3 fingers of clearance between the bottom of these headers and the top of the bottom frame rail. If you need a picture - let me know. I didn't snap a quick pic as I'd have to unwrap the headers in order for you to see anything (the PO wrapped them in a couple of layers of heat shielding...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Off Road SHO Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 We'll rats, maybe my mounts have just sagged a quarter inch. I don't know how easy it would be to add shims. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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