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Sat May 31, 2014 3:37 pm

So today I tried installing my new bugpack header. From what I had read is that they are higher quality header compared to empi. I cannot get the upper tubes to mount up for the life of me. I tried bolting up either side at a time and it will not fit. Is this normal for a header? The motor is a 1641 so its not wider or anything like that.

Sat May 31, 2014 5:29 pm

No matter how much you spend, they never seem to line up just right. But just to be sure, it isn't off by more than, say, a half inch? Any more than that and you might need a pipe bender.

Get one side started on the studs, but just over the first few threads, and use your strength to pull the other side on. After that it should slide on with a little persuasion from a mallet. Threads shouldn't get chewed up badly in the process. Don't forget gaskets!

Sat May 31, 2014 5:34 pm

Pictures will help.

Sat May 31, 2014 6:29 pm

Dunno but I bought 2 sets of scats already. One at 1 1/2 and the other at 1 5/8 and they both fit great!! Apparently now scat now subcontracts to ALs Headers but still fit great. As for those Bugpack...I consider them Empis big brother. If they're far from close u might have to oval out a hole or 2. Done that before in other engines and as long as u tighten them down enough u will b fine.

Sat May 31, 2014 8:54 pm

I had the same exact problem with the merged BP header I bought. Even after some bending, it just didn't fit "right". I took mine back to where I bought it and got a Vintage Speed, fit perfectly...

Sun Jun 01, 2014 7:06 am

I just installed a merged header that may have been a bug pack, though I bought it second hand so I can't be sure. Anyway, it was a real bear to get installed. The two slip joints at the rear of the header to allow for differences in width wouldn't close enough to allow for the header to bolt up. In other words, when I had them slipped in far enough that I was close, they were seated so deeply in the other tube that I couldn't get them to turn to align the flanges. I ended up cutting a half inch off of each pipe that slipped in, and then the flanges for 2 and 4 bolted up easily. The pipes for 3 and 1 fought me to the end, as the angles were a bit off, and some bending was needed.
Next time I buy a better quality header, lesson learned

Sun Jun 01, 2014 7:52 am

i sent back 2 of them,& 2 trimils, the scats were a totaly different quality all togeather, they were acctuly made right(other than being to close to an object or 2) the collectore were almost perfect, the pipes fit great,the ceramic was crap. there is no reason for making a header that 1 dosent fit&2 dosent work.

Sun Jun 01, 2014 5:51 pm

So I had a break through with it today. I was able to shoe horn it on and finish the installation. Or so I thought. Upon startup I have exhaust leaks like crazy and smoke filling up my whole garage. Also the backfires were a nice touch. What gaskets did you guys use when installing yours. I'm starting to think the ones they ship with the header are crap. Also what is the best way to get the slip joints on the J Tubes to seal?

Sun Jun 01, 2014 5:55 pm

I thought Berg headers were marked up Als Headers. Either way Als seem to be the best affordable header out there. I just got a 1 1/2 and it fit like a dream

Sun Jun 01, 2014 7:07 pm

I bought the 1-5/8" Bugpack ceramic coated, merged header about a month ago as it was the only option at my VW shop at the time and I needed to drive the car.

Most of what I ran into were clearance issues with the tins and that stupid clocked flange vs the apron. To install the header intended for a stock body sedan required removing the rear tin section and sled tins completely, bending up the sides of the section around the crank pulley and trimming the body seal on the right side. Otherwise it then actually fit quite well, decent appearing welds, near equal tube lengths, 3/8" flanges etc. My main gripe other than the modifications I had not planned on is that in just a few weeks it is already rusting.

As far as gaskets I used stock replacement steel gaskets instead of the paper ones in the box and I have no leaks at the flanges with brass lock nuts.

Sun Jun 01, 2014 8:24 pm

Ive only used copper gadgets, they dont blow out or rot.cheep & last if the system is in a bind you may be able to use a propane torch to heet tubes along a 4~6" section to releave some"torsion" some times just 1 tube some times 3 or 4 tubes and may need more than one spot heeated to get them to relax enough to make it fit.you dont want the heads/cylinders in a bind while it's running remember there all held on by 8 tiny diameter foot long studs.torqued to a wopping 23 fp.......

Sun Jun 01, 2014 8:29 pm

awreed wrote: No matter how much you spend, they never seem to line up just right. But just to be sure, it isn't off by more than, say, a half inch? Any more than that and you might need a pipe bender.

Get one side started on the studs, but just over the first few threads, and use your strength to pull the other side on. After that it should slide on with a little persuasion from a mallet. Threads shouldn't get chewed up badly in the process. Don't forget gaskets!

All I can do is agree :wink:

Mon Jun 02, 2014 10:17 am

mark tucker

i sent back 2 of them,& 2 trimils, the scats were a totaly different quality all togeather, they were acctuly made right(other than being to close to an object or 2) the collectore were almost perfect, the pipes fit great,the ceramic was crap. there is no reason for making a header that 1 dosent fit&2 dosent work.

have you checked to see where SCAT gets there headers?? they don't make them there that's for sure. from what I was told from there support line they buy them from BUGPACK so sometimes its hard to believe some of the things TUCKER says...

Mon Jun 02, 2014 10:36 am

The Scat headers are made by Al's Headers. They even have the emblem on them. Awesome fit !!

Mon Jun 02, 2014 10:53 am

yes that is true A1 makes the sedan style I was referring to the TRI mill tucker was talking about

Mon Jun 02, 2014 9:42 pm

I had another question about the J tubes. When I slip the header over the J tubes it seems like there is not a lot of the tube going into the header. If I push it all the way in will the clamp hold it in place or will it want to slide out? Also is putting a good amount of high temp silicon in the slip joint a good idea?

Tue Jun 03, 2014 10:11 am

I don't trust clamps in those slip flanges. Tack weld the two pieces in several spots and goop something called muffler mender around the flange. The stuff I've used looks like grey mud, but hardens like jb weld. The tack welds will keep the tubes together and the muffler mender will keep it from leaking.

Taking the exhaust apart, however, is a pain as you'll need to grind away the spot welds.

After 5+ years and more than 30,000 miles, this is what my tail pipes on my 70 look like. No leaks.

Tue Jun 03, 2014 1:44 pm

simplyfresh wrote: mark tucker

i sent back 2 of them,& 2 trimils, the scats were a totaly different quality all togeather, they were acctuly made right(other than being to close to an object or 2) the collectore were almost perfect, the pipes fit great,the ceramic was crap. there is no reason for making a header that 1 dosent fit&2 dosent work.

have you checked to see where SCAT gets there headers?? they don't make them there that's for sure. from what I was told from there support line they buy them from BUGPACK so sometimes its hard to believe some of the things TUCKER says... I was told kymco made the scat header,It looks just like it,I was also told al's make's it for kymco.but kymco said they make thier own header.same price to the penny as the scat. they were not at all the same header as what bug pack had sent me.simply stated any body can make shit& a good product under diferent names&prices. the scat header I receved had the best collectorI have ever seen for a vw it was made corectly the rest were pure junk good for nothing performance related. Also many companys carry products from different manfactures, 1 header form this guy another from that guy,baja from jobob,type 3 from beebob, not much consistance like v8 stuff unless you get from a known builder like a1 or al's.and no I dont care or know whose fan club is has the freshest supply of crap . and shops change venders& manufactures all the time, so it can be hard to tell just what is what when you cant hold it in your hand& inspect it each time you buy something , then there is the guy that just cat tell a turd from a donut....and dosent care either.

Sat Jun 07, 2014 9:27 pm

So I have the header on but the j pipe gaskets are leaking at the head. I am going to remove them and replace with the copper slip in units. I am going to unbolt the exhaust clamps where the J pipes meet the header. Can I reuse the exhaust donuts?

Sun Jun 08, 2014 1:15 pm

made4me58 wrote: So I have the header on but the j pipe gaskets are leaking at the head. I am going to remove them and replace with the copper slip in units. I am going to unbolt the exhaust clamps where the J pipes meet the header. Can I reuse the exhaust donuts?

You might be able to but you will do better getting some copper gaskets. If your header is larger bore than stock, the gaskets provided with exhaust kits do not work properly. The donut bit around the exhaust port does not get squashed to make a metal seal. For a while the gasket will hold until the ceramic between the metal sheets falls out then it leaks again.

With the cheaper headers - over here in the UK I ordered BugPak and got EMPI.. you need to use a lot of force on them to get them to line up.
I used big bits of wood and directed jumping up and down on one of mine to stand any chance of getting it to fit.

Get some proprietary exhaust gum sealant to smear the gaskets . But if you cannot get the header square to the heads, hello machine gun noises.

Trouble is if you try to use the exhaust nuts to straighten the exhaust header to line up with the head you are going to be doing them up very tight and you are running in danger of tearing something apart.