Are you thinking about upgrading your 606 to a bigger turbo? Are you also thinking you need an exhaust manifold (header here in the USA) that flows better? I’ve wanted to build one for quite a while now -- for the experience -- but the port design presents a major pain for me. The ovals in the header flange drive me nuts!!!
I’ve been asked, almost since day one, to sell headers. I’ve always referred people to F-Tune Performance and/or KKD Motorsport. Unfortunately, the wait time for an end product is quite long. It’s common to have a two to three month wait time. This can be a problem if you’re near the end of a build and want to wrap things up.
I hope to put an end to this supply and demand issue by offering header fabrication parts (kits) and eventually fully built manifolds.
- Oval manufacturing: The first major challenge is to make accurate ovals. Bending a tube in a press or vise is not fun. And it isn’t accurate enough either. I’ve encountered issues in which the round end becomes slightly oval. Sometimes tubing needs to stretch in addition to becoming oval. Or, as with one set of ovals I bought, they don’t even cover the hole – I still had to cut metal to cover the ends!
My fabrication quality isn’t on par with “the best” yet, so I know I can use all the fitment help I can get. I’m working on having 14 gauge, mild steel ovals CNC milled! They will fit perfectly. And, the final product should only require about 1” from head to make the transition – that’s only half as tall as the yellow 3D print below. Best of all, they should only cost a couple bucks more than the ones that don’t fit.
- Flanges: In addition to the ovals I will have om606, om603, T3, T4 and divided flanges cut on a waterjet out of ½” or thicker mild steel. This will be a much thicker, beefier flange than the one pictured above. I often mention economies of scale and this is one of those situations. Waterjet cutting can be costly but per-unit cost decreases when the quantity ordered rises.
Phase 1, for BenzForce, is to offer a flange and oval package. Turbo flanges may be added to the package, but not at this time. Once the header jig is done and I have a compact design that can be produced to my quality standards, I will move into full production.
Stay tuned,
Rodney
P.S.: I know there is another option, but before chiming in on the other supplier, please don’t bother. Just because a company may sell the same or similar parts doesn’t necessarily mean they are my competition. My focus is on BenzForce and how I can benefit our little Mercedes aftermarket.