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MG MGA - Racing Headers

I was trying to find three into one headers for racing. I know of Maniflow, and Hi-Flow, but was curious if anyone knows of another source. Ken Prather makes one, but requires much mods to the inner fender liner and frame. Thanks
ASH Andrew

MG Owners Club in the UK has them for MGA in the catalogue
dominic clancy

ASH,

For a start, 3 into 1 "Don't go" and you won't get any performance if you do.

You need the 3 into 2 into 1 system.
These are what I have raced with for ages and pull apart for easy installation and removal...
Fast Removal is the key if you racing.

http://www.moss-europe.co.uk/MossUK/ProductList.aspx?SubSubCategoryID=MGA_UMGA-082

Mine from memory have a less sharper connection between the end two cylinders though.
Also I have them covered in exhaust tape... Magic stuff...

You need to check if they still fit with S.U.'s and LHD, as the better UK one's don't suit LHD....
My Twin Cam body is still LHD and these were OK when I purchased them...

Plus they are larger diameter.
The best extractors don't fit SU's and come out straighter from the exhaust ports, so you must run a webber and long manifold... (Long manifolds require inner wheel arch persuasion though).

Hope this helps.

Mark.
Mark Hester

Hello,

Ansa has a 3-2-1 header, very nice and of good quality...

Cheers,

JGC
Jean Guy Catford

Jean, where can you get more info on the Anza header? What does 3-2-1 mean?
Steve
Steve Meline

Steve,

The Siamese head already converts 2 exhaust ports into 1.

Thus you start with only 3 ports for 4 cylinders.

Then the stock manifold tries to ram those remaining 3 pipes into 1, causing a huge bottleneck.

Exhaust people will talk of the sausage effect where each cylinder of exhaust gas forms a sausage of gas, which must travel down the pipes. The advantage of extractors is that these sausages of gas can travel more smoothly and freely.
Thus the next compression stroke of charge stroke has less exhaust gas still remaining in it.

But what you asked is 3 pipes into 2 pipes into 1 pipe out the end of the car.

If you look at the link above you will see what we mean.

Hope this helps.
Mark.
Mark Hester

Well Steve,

Mark gave a very good explanation. For ANSA here is a sirte that could help:

http://www.ansaautomotive.com/index.html

Chers,

JGC
Jean Guy Catford

An add,

I found also a Starla header on the net, I never heard about it but cheap in price. Any advice on that will be welcome.

Another suggestion: Stay away from Monza products if not in SS, as in the past I had a noisy and urealiable horror experiments with their product.
Cheers,

JGC
Jean Guy Catford

I bought the Maniflow MGA header from Moss. I'm still (re-)building the car so I can't comment on performance. However, I will say that it is a well-made long center branch steel header and it is designed in a way to take the maximum advantage of available space. I am using it with a 5 main 18V engine with a Moss SC and it fits well for the application.

Steve
Steve Brandt

Just as Steve, I have the Maniflow LCB header on an 1800 5 bearing. I have a Piper 270 cam and 1.75 SU's with K&N filters (tapered)

I first ran it with the MGA manifold, I than tried to modify a cast MGB item following advice I found on the net, but there was no way I could get it to fit. It kept rubbing the steering system.
The Maniflow on the other hand fits perfectly and makes the engine feel much sharper, more responsive, Definitely a great improvement over the cast MGA item, but I have no figures to prove or compare. The sound is great too.

Huib
Huib Berger

I have been tempted by Hans Petersen's design. It also looks like it might be a larger bore than Maniflow: http://www.hi-flow.com/HPEH1.htm . Feedback? Has anyone tried them.

Some old-guy (which cold be anyone older than me) said, essentially, if you are using a muffler all your 'Sausage' get backed up anyway so you are wasting your $ unless it's a race car.
Steve
Steve Meline

This thread was discussed between 29/10/2006 and 04/11/2006

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