Help! Nobody Has Paired Port Exhaust Manifold Anymore!

[finnie3d]

I've got a '94 MM 2.4L F/I and there's a crack in my Exhaust Manifold just above the mid-pipe flange. Truck doesn't seem to lack power but often ticks on startup. Nobody carries the paired port manifold anymore however, and unless I'm mistaken, Doug Thorley only made a paired port header for my truck for a short time and doesn't anymore. I plan to build the truck for performance later, but right now, it's my A to B so I need the least expensive most bolt-on option for efficiency of cost and time. Does anybody know of an option I may have missed? Here's what I've considered:

Salvage Yard paired port manifold.
- How do I know the manifold I pull doesn't have cracks too? (They're all cast iron) Short of just looking, any way to test the "new" one before taking it home?

Swapping to another SOHC head that has evenly spaced ports.
- Will 16v Triton head bolt on with same connections?
- Will earlier gen MM 2.0 SOHC head bolt on and I still have enough airflow for 2.4L block?
- Is there a SOHC Galant head with Cam Exhaust and Intake in right place when on a RWD 2.4 motor?

Custom-made paired port headers.
- Pretty expensive option though very effective... IF I was planning to stay with the paired port head forever...
- May be a waste of money if I swap to DOHC or evenly spaced head anytime this year or maybe the next five years

Naturally I could swap in the DOHC head (which is my ultimate plan), but I'm building a FWD Laser for the circuit track right now and think that's where my performance money should go right now. Plus, until my Laser hits the street, I can't afford to have my daily driver down for that long. I just need my MM to keep reliably getting me to work and the grocery store. (gotta eat)

If anybody has any helpful insight on this, please let me know. I do a good bit of driving and I'd like to maximize my fuel mileage as well, but can't get a true picture of what the motor is doing if it's ticking from exhaust leak. Plus A/F ratio numbers could be off and I might be prematurely fouling my O2 sensor.

'Preciateit!

[Ram50man]

I know this is an old thread, but i would just take the head and new standard exhaust manifold to a machine shop and have them pair it. Or just do it yourself. Really all you need to do is place the new gasket on the manifold, and trace each port with a permanent marker on the manifold so you know the max circumfrance of the port and still get coverage with the gasket, then take that same gasket place it on the head, and do the same. If the ports on the head arent all the way to the lines you drew then go ahead and open them up, using a dremmel, grind away till the port is opened to the lines you drew, and do the same on the exhaust manifold, and viola you know have matching ports.

[4doorciv]

Hi. I'm a little confused with this thread a bit. You can always get a custom paired port headsets for your truck made but the won't be cheap. Best option would probably be salvage yard digs for a replacement.

Also port matching, I think easiest would be the described method with wither a sharpie.

[camoit]

You can always call Dom. at M&M Muffler he can build you the flangs then you can make your own headers from readly available U bends if you have fab skills. 530-823-2633

[4doorciv]

I think the first post was edited..... Didn't have that much information he first time. Or did I skim throught it.....
well for starters, you could always get the laser streetable, then put the truck in project mode and go back to the laser. That's what I'm doing right now with the talon. Blew the truck 4g63 and getting a rebuild done. Currently waiting on the head to come back from the machine shop and going to buy a new small 16g or 14b to replace my damaged small 16g. When the truck is done Im leaning toward a hx35 holset with the bolt on housing and swapping the fuel lines to 6an lines and getting an adjustible fuel pressure regulator. Make the truck the daily and talon the weekend car.

[pennyman1]

A while back someone was talking about making paired port headers if a good one was around as a master. I have a brand new pacesetter paired port header for my 86 that could be used for this project, but I am not going to loan it out to just anyone. I will check with a friend of mine who owns a Meineke muffler shop that does all of my custom work to see what it would cost to get the pipes bent for this, then see what it would cost for the flanges. If there is enough interest, I will have the parts made; LMK what interest there is and I will procede from there.

[4doorciv]

Hey pennyman. Did you wanna start a new thread on advertising a paired port headers as a group buy? I guess with enough interest would push a move to get it done. Anyone told you thanks for helping the comunity?

[pennyman1]

I wouldn't be making the headers, just the parts to assemble them. The last time this was tried, it fell flat on its face due to lack of money put towards it. I still don't know if we could make the thing since Pacesetter probably owns the copyright. But I will look into it to give people an idea what it will cost. I also thank you for thanking me for the help I have tried to give to the community - having these trucks for over 30 years gives me an unique perspective on these vehicles.

[4doorciv]

I remember the topic about pacesetter headers. This was also tried with the second gen valence also. A thank you can go a long way. Often goes unused. Lol.

[finnie3d]

Thanks for the replies guys!

I even bought a salvage manifold and that one was cracked too! But now I have a model for someone to make a custom version.

Cam - I would really LOVE to have the fab skills, but that's one area i leave to the pros right now. If I tried to weld something now I'd likely find a way to tack my elbow to my a**hole by mistake. Your truck is looking awesome though. Nice work on the cage!

4Dr - I considered passing the baton to the Laser for a while, but my truest goal is to have them BOTH up and solid by summer. The truck is already strong, I just want to be able to get true O2 #'s if I dyno or tune it at all. The Laser won't be a trailer queen, but I want Max to be able to tow her home in case I DO break something on the track. Plus whenever I take Max out of the game for a bit, I'll probably go ahead and have the motor rebuilt. I'm really just trying to keep it OE maintenance and repair... with very light mods (you know how we gearheads get)

Pennyman - I was the Mayor of Poorville when they did the Doug Thorley group buy so I didn't get one, and everything I read said they were good quality. If there was another buy like that - for a quality product - I'd definitely be in. I honestly think (personal opinion based on some fact rather than undisputable evidence) that we leave a LOT of potential on the table when we build our SOHC motors. Mainly because most times we don't. We swap for 4G63T or DOHC 2.4 builds and neglect what the well built SOHC 4G64 can do. I understand it's a catch-22 though. If we had REAL headers for the paired port head, we'd have more options to build it BUT if more people built it (or were willing to spend money on the group buy) more people would already make headers for it. I'd be willing to purchase a one-off and hopefully start a trend if you knew of someone who could do it well and not charge me $1K for it.

What do you guys think? Do you think people will bite? Am I correct that only some 1G 2.0L and 2G 2.4L have the paired port head? Is there enough market for someone to mass produce? If the paired ports are honestly fading out, I'll move forward with my plans to for a DOHC build too.