Pros
The Buddy Club 4-2-1 full stainless steel racing spec header is truly a work of art. From its three-piece, spring-loaded design to the seamless welding techniques, Buddy Club stands by their header as the exhaust manifold is the same unit used on BUDDY CLUB No. 91 DC5 race car. Buddy Club representatives claim the use of their headers will increase overall performance and engine response throughout the entire RPM range.
Cons
Installing the header proved to be time consuming as fitment with the factory sway bar became a compatibility issue. The Buddy Club header was designed for the JDM DC5 (RSX), creating a clearance problem as the larger diameter primaries came into contact with the sway bar. Buddy Club reps inform us that the simple and most effective cure is to purchase a JDM DC5 Type R sway bar which can be ordered at your local Acura dealer for an inexpensive price.
Parts
Header, bolts, sticker.
Tools
10-, 12-, 14-, and 17mm socket, 10-, 12-, 14-, and 17-open end, ratchet, extension and swivel socket
Installation Time
60 minutes.
Notes
After addressing our minor sway bar issue, we made our initial pulls on the dyno and found our K20Z1 responds well to the new header. At 2500rpm, we found a jump of 6 lb-ft of torque as horsepower improvements ranged from 2 to 3 at lower rpm's. The largest gains occurred at 5700rpm when the secondary lobes kicked in, delivering 8 hp and 8 lb-ft of torque as power figures improved over our baseline numbers until redline.
Dyno 2:
Buddy club Racing Spec Header
Peakhp 198.4 / peaktq 142.0
Horsepower Gain
1500 to 3500 HP range: 0 to 3
3500 to 5500 HP range: 3 to 4
5500 to redline HP range: 9 to 5
Torque Gain
1500 to 3500 TQ range: 1 to 5
3500 to 5500 TQ range: 0 to 2
5500 to redline TQ range: 2 to 7