What header?

I think the one that will get the most thumbs up here is the A1 Sidewinder.

Do you mean the one that exits on the side, near or below the middle of the valve cover?

They exit there, usually aft of the valve cover, unless you have it modified for a center exhaust as several here have done.

Yeah thanks, I would prefer the center exit. I don't suppose you could direct me to pictures of their modifications?

Thanks again

@musbjim has his done that way, I believe.

Okay, thanks

@MusbJim

Photos of your A1 Sidewinder are being requested.

Ah, so the lack of capitalization is why my notice to Jim didn't work?

Lane Anderson posted:

Ah, so the lack of capitalization is why my notice to Jim didn't work?

No. You probably just typed the "@" symbol and typed out "musbjim". When you start to type his name the drop down box opens up and you have to "select" his name from the drop down box. I know it seems like just typing his name should work but you have to select from the choices.

Paul - here is a picture of my A-1 Sidewinder with center exit.

I had the heater box j-tubes flanged for a better fit & eliminate air-leaks.

So is this a customized version of an A-1?

I think the standard configuration of the A-1 is the exhaust tip pointing down from the muffler. I requested the center exit. Some SOCers have dual-tip set-up (similar to stock exhaust configuration).

Keep in mind that the A1 was designed for a VW pan, and will NOT fit a Beck as it comes from Tiger.  The headers fit fine, but you have to cut the muffler and rotate it flatter in order to clear the tube chassis in the rear.  I was never able to get Tiger to make a "Beck specific" exhaust.  That said, he does send me headers and unassembled muffler sections so at least I don;t have to cut them apart anymore, we just make our own from his pieces...

I bought from Tiger (he new it was for a speedster) and my muffler is flat. I can adjust valves with removing the muffle.

Also, unlike Jim's, you can't see my pipes from the rear of the car as the J-Tubes are set a bit tighter. Great exhaust!

Bill, what did it cost? Also, can you post any pictures of it? Sounds like what I want.

It was in the $800.ish and I'll take a pick later and post it. 

My Berg extractor looks like a basket of black snakes tucked under the rear of the car (as oppoed to Jim's silver snakes......  I bought the "el Cheapo" version.

Personally, I think seeing the pipes back there from the rear looks pure "Bad Ass" and says to the rest of the original 356 club (when I'm leading a tour);

"Hey!  TRY to keep up!"

Gordon- Do you have a pic of the back of your car that shows the exhaust?

It's dirty right now but I hope this helps.

And yes, Jims car looks BadA$$ as is...

I don't really see the exhaust. I'm not sure which I like, the snakes or no snakes.

I believe the center exit A1 has the muffler vertical, blocking the valve cover and the side exit A1 has the muffler flat, exposing the valve cover.

I have the center exit and it only takes a few minutes and 4 bolts to drop the muffler.

@Michael McKelvey

Not necessarily   http://vwparts.aircooled.net/A...kes-p/a1-sw-dual.htm   

They come in many configurations.

My A-1 Sidewinder comes tomorrow. I'll take some pics and post them. The main header will be stainless and the muffler and related pipes will be in sections and raw. I can hardly wait.

And The Madness continues. 

Well, the 1 5/8 header arrived from A-1. The main header was supposed to be stainless and the pieces raw steel. Unfortunately, the entire header was raw, except for the muffler which was stainless (very shiny). The receipt shows a stainless header and j-tubes and the additional cost. My choices were ceramic coated or stainless, with the exception of the miscellaneous pieces which would be raw. I guess I could send it back but I think I'll just ask for credit on my credit card. I'll have it all fitted and welded and then coated. No harm, no foul.

My engine case is being tweaked a little, lifters notched along with the lifter bushings. The new Empi CNC heads are getting a little clean up and the thick walled 92 pistons and cylinders being carefully measured and examined as well as balanced. It should be a really nice 2180 when I'm done.  

Just got off the phone with Tiger and ..... found out I don't know crap about metal. The header is stainless, but not polished.

Long story short, I got exactly what I paid for.

It's good that you checked. I found Tiger good to deal with when I ordered my A-1.

Thanks for letting everyone know.

Yeah, the guy on the phone was very patient and didn't make me feel like an idiot, which I appreciated. It's just hard to tell the difference when holding the pieces and comparing the stainless against the mild steel. I had expected stainless to be like the muffler which had been polished. The header is not polished.

You could have put a magnet to it good stainless steel is not magnetic (if very low nickel content it might be just a little.  The magnet would stick to raw steel.

I'll try that. Looking closely though, the stainless has a satin appearance when side by side with raw. Apparently, I can run the main header the way it is but the raw needs to be coated to prevent rust. Having it all coated would reduce the heat, so that's what I'll do.

If I remember correctly, welding stainless is different than regular steel.

Paul- Again, have a good look and consider the benefits of the Hoover mods for better lubrication and cooling.

As you know, I spoke with CE about it. I've done some business with a small shop that is next door to Arizona Transaxle Exchange. It's just a two man operation. The owner is Steve Holingston or Holingsworth or something like that. He has been into VWs for forty years and everyone in the Southwest knows who he is. CE refers some of their machine work to him. It turns out that when Cory needed his rods resized, CE sent them to Steve. I only learned that recently when talking to Steve. Anyway, Steve has done a lot of R&R with Total Seal and really knows his stuff.

One of the things Steve recommends is spotfacing the bolt holes around the case and using thicker washers which allows you to torque the nuts and bolts a litter more than usual, resulting in better sealing and almost the same benefit as shuffle pinning. He also recommends notching the lifters and bores for better oiling. I asked him about the Hover mods and he said he knows about them but then tried to explain why he didn't do them. Unfortunately, I didn't really understand what he was saying, even though he was using a partially assembled case as a visual aid. It was way over my head and I certainly wasn't going to try and talk him into doing something he didn't recommend.

CE sold me the pistons and cylinders but it was Steve who asked me if they had been checked for clearance (how well they fit together), not to mention balanced. I'm not trying to pit one shop against the other, when in fact they actually work together on some things. The things Steve recommended sounded logical and weren't very expensive so I asked him to do it for me. That's two well know local shops who were not doing the Hover mods, or recommending them. I'm done at that point.

I"ve heard Steve Hollingsworth's name before; he's very respected in the VW community. It would be interesting to hear his reasons for not trying these modifications. VW used all these updates on their type 4 engines, and everyone I've either spoken to or read about that has actually done them says they are worthwhile. 

I'd like to know the details re "notching the lifters." Like, put a groove up one side to let oil get by? And bores?

Hmmm.

Yeah, its a small notching on the lifter, I'm not sure about the lifter bore. The Bergs have been doing it for years.

If I remember right, the lifters come with two grooves around the circumference and a new groove is added between these two connecting them.  

Yes, that is what I saw, a small cut across the two grooves.

Here we go-

Thank you.