only one company that makes headers ??
 

I was just cleaning my boat. And thought to my self. How there is only one company who makes headers for boats? Does anyone ever make there own? I have a rig welder and could get my hands on all the supplies so I'm just kinda thinking I should tinker around and try to fab a set up

What one man can do so to can another . CMI and Hardin Marine have the SS tubular headers and Diamond Performance sells the cast aluminum Thunder & Lightning headers . If you have the skills and know the proper process , go for it .

Thanks for the boost of confidence. Can some one give me a few pointers or tips for things I should look out for / do as I build them ??

You better do a lot of research before you attempt building your own . One little leak can be deadly to your engine . Then there's that pesky tailpipe design thing that can cause reversion and also kill your engine .

Work for one of those companies and learn all the pocesses they do that car header people don't have to do.....and then make/sell them fo you fellow boaters (us) fo cheap. Hah !

Make sure you use 316l stainless. If you put a magnet on the cmi headers you would think that the magnet would not stick. But it does on the inside . Not good. This means less nickel and will fail. Stainless steel can only fail or rot when it is void of O2 . So these low nickel metals are failing earlier then they should because of carbon build up in the exhaust side and rotting INTO the water side. We have been doing autopsies on the failed headers and it's all the same story. Anyone with headers should use POWER TUNE every outing to release the carbon build up. I have made the change to stainless marine manifolds because of the crappy headers. Also if you cut them open you will see that the water ports are not evenly gapped causing hot spots leading to failure . Good luck in you project I hope it works out

fyi there ae more then one..harden sources their headers out to another source....lightening is another header.jen will custom make you a set to your preferance...correct you want to use a 316 tubeing..when bending the header tubes they put a tube inside a tube..fill the tubes with the soft metal similar to lead and cap off the ends..then they make their mandrel bends then cut where they need to then the pipe goes into hot water..the soft lead stuff melts out of the tubes leaving them hollow and the lead stuff sinks to the bottom then reused on the next set of tubes..when tig welding to the head flange the inner pipe is welded to the flange facing the port and the outside pipe is shortened pryer to being welded..you want to use 317 welding filler rod.more nickel and flexable so your welds wont crack like mercs 525 cmi headers..to but cc flanges look up stainless works..i use their ss header kits to build headers for race cars..

BTW polishing is done either with ellectrolisis or they have a hopper that the header goes in and its filled with water and polishing stones...

There is one company that takes a simpler approach. I forgot their name but they take a header and use stainless sheet metal to make a traingel looking box around the header. This floods and surrounds the entire header.

Chris

http://www.hitekmarine.com.au/products.htm

Chris