Best Headers for 2002 3.6L in Boxster

[easyc]

Thats a difficult question... ideally since you are running .4 more liters, you would want headers bigger than those made for a 3.2 or 2.7... but 996 headers do not fit under a Boxster... so just find the biggest you can.... BUT you want to pass emissions... thats a whole other can of worms which would start with does your state check emissions? or do they rely on the OBC? do you want to run your secondary cats? etc etc... that answer can be searched on here...

[m2speed]

Originally Posted by easyc

Thats a difficult question... ideally since you are running .4 more liters, you would want headers bigger than those made for a 3.2 or 2.7... but 996 headers do not fit under a Boxster... so just find the biggest you can.... BUT you want to pass emissions... thats a whole other can of worms which would start with does your state check emissions? or do they rely on the OBC? do you want to run your secondary cats? etc etc... that answer can be searched on here...

Well you made a very good point about missions. In Austin they only check for codes on OBD II cars. Older ones they do the sniff test. I think that is correct anyway. If so I could forgo the secondary cats and use thoses bypass sensor adaptors too keep the trouble codes away.

[tholyoak]

Any header made for a 986 is too small for the 3.6. With the 3.6 Porsche enlarged the exhaust ports size significantly. Previously the 996 3.4 and 986 engines used the same size exhaust ports so using a set of 3.2S performance headers was a good solution. Not so with the 3.6 and 3.8 swaps. This obviously ignores the primary size and length, which are also wrong for a 3.6 on the 986 based headers.

-Todd

[m2speed]

Originally Posted by tholyoak

Any header made for a 986 is too small for the 3.6. With the 3.6 Porsche enlarged the exhaust ports size significantly. Previously the 996 3.4 and 986 engines used the same size exhaust ports so using a set of 3.2S performance headers was a good solution. Not so with the 3.6 and 3.8 swaps. This obviously ignores the primary size and length, which are also wrong for a 3.6 on the 986 based headers.

-Todd

So what is the solution? Does anyone make a good header for the 3.6L to 3.8L in a 986?

[easyc]

Im using a set of the Maxspeed/ Schnell type... they had the largest diameter I could find plus O2 bungs.... until I get a custom set made OR crack them they will have to do

[tholyoak]

Top is gasket for a 3.6L engine, bottom is 986 Boxster/996 3.4 gasket. As you can see, you aren't doing your engine any favours by running 986 headers on a 3.6L engine.


-Todd

[m2speed]

Originally Posted by tholyoak

Top is gasket for a 3.6L engine, bottom is 986 Boxster/996 3.4 gasket. As you can see, you aren't doing your engine any favours by running 986 headers on a 3.6L engine.


-Todd

What header are you using? Maxspeed has one with sports cats and one without that they state are a good fit for the 3.6L conversions.