Camry Header

[bendrr]

'97-'01 Camry's with the 5sfe engines have a manifold that is basically a 4-into-1 header. I was looking at one today and got to thinking about it, so I called a local salvage yard and bought a Camry manifold.

It took some modifications for it to fit. I had to cut part of the front exhaust pipe and fabricate a new section, since the Camry manifold doesn't mate up with the Celica's front pipe. And the O2 sensor is different. The Celica has one with a 2-bolt flange and one wire, while the Camry had a 4-wire sensor that screwed in. So I installed a General Motors 1-wire sensor (with a quick splice of the wires) and the "check engine" light didn't come on.

The Camry manifold doesn't have a catalytic converter right below it as does the Celica, so if you have to pass emissions you won't be able to do it. Where I live, we don't have smog checks so I don't have to worry about that.

I can see a little more power above 2000 rpms, and more around 3-4k. But I'm not out to run record times in the quarter mile, I'm just out to milk every last mile per gallon I can and I'm out for top-end since most of my driving is on the Interstate at maybe 90 or so.

I was getting 25mpg before the manifold swap. Will let y'all know what I'm up to in a couple of weeks.

Mike.

[H8PVMNT]

So how did it turn out on the milage? Which gaskets did you use?

[dups90gt]

Cool I have the same mainfold but havent hooked it up yet, did you have to do much welding? The older camry manifolds have cats like the 5sfes. i think your mpg will go down with headers so i dont think you will be saving at the pumps.. but youll get there a little quicker. do you have pics? I want to know how much work I have to do to get mine on.

Thanks

Fernando

[H8PVMNT]

Dups dude,

I think I was asking about a pretty old thread there, but I'm going to do this over the next month or so, so I'll let you know and send pics, etc.

My only experience with headers is with the 22re in toyota pickups, and I've always picked up a mile or two per gallon with headers on that application. The 4 to 1 was better than the Tri-Y header on the pickups, and the camry manifold is basically a 4 to 1, I think, so I'm hopeful. The idea is that it takes less pop to expell the exhaust gasses. I'll do an average of a couple tanks before and after the camry manifold so we can tell if the theory applies on the celica as well. If nothing else it's a cool thing to do, so what the heck...

Just put on the Nology Hotwires and silver plugs tonight and they definately help out especially in the top end acceleration. My old plugs and wires were nice stuff in good shape too, so I feel it's a real gain, not just because I did a tune up.

[dups90gt]

yeah your right it is an old thread, didnt see the date... yeah I notice the celice has a lot of torque coz my wheels spin out when I take off (that and maybe coz its winter...) but I do feel the torque at take off but after hitting 3500 rpm it bottoms out and 2nd gear just feels like 4th at 2500 rpm... sad maybe its my wires and cap. I need to get a new cap anyway but nology wires are quite expensive .. how much you get your for? on ebay for 165 USD... Im waiting for it to get warm so I can look at whats left of my car/engine after this winter... oh and I use iridiums for my plugs.. didnt notice a diff. what are silver plugs? have you seen those pulstar plug things? I forget what they're called but suppose to have a capicator in em or something for a larger spark? read mixed reviews.. let me know how yours turns out .. lord knows I could use the extra gas savings..

[H8PVMNT]

Originally Posted by dups90gt

yeah your right it is an old thread, didnt see the date... yeah I notice the celice has a lot of torque coz my wheels spin out when I take off (that and maybe coz its winter...) but I do feel the torque at take off but after hitting 3500 rpm it bottoms out and 2nd gear just feels like 4th at 2500 rpm... sad maybe its my wires and cap. I need to get a new cap anyway but nology wires are quite expensive .. how much you get your for? on ebay for 165 USD... Im waiting for it to get warm so I can look at whats left of my car/engine after this winter... oh and I use iridiums for my plugs.. didnt notice a diff. what are silver plugs? have you seen those pulstar plug things? I forget what they're called but suppose to have a capicator in em or something for a larger spark? read mixed reviews.. let me know how yours turns out .. lord knows I could use the extra gas savings..

I always use irridium plugs, but on the Nology website they say that irridium isn't that great of a conductor. I decided to try their recommended silver electrode plugs that are suposed to be vastly superior. I am goinon a road trip tomorrow so I'll let you know what happens to milage, power etc.

A fresh tune up is always good for milage though!

[dups90gt]

Thanks! Let me know!

[H8PVMNT]

OK so my wife hurt her back, we moved and I haven't had a good road trip tank untill today to test the milage with the hotwires. Before I was getting 28.5 miles per gallon highway and today I got 30mpg on the nose. 1.5 mpg better is nice these days. I also have noticed a little more pick up and grunt in the bottom end and a bit more acceleration in the top where it used to flatten out. Nothing extrordanary, just a bit... The car still needs a little tweaking because the exhaust is too restrictive.

[dups90gt]

Nice, did you have to do any modification to get the header to meet up with your exhaust? or did it hook right up? and did you add a cat?

[H8PVMNT]

Originally Posted by dups90gt

Nice, did you have to do any modification to get the header to meet up with your exhaust? or did it hook right up? and did you add a cat?

Actually all I installed so far was the nology hotwires, I haven't put the Camry header on yet but I'll sure let you know how it works as soon as I do. I'm not planning to use the cat but we'll see. 1.5 mpg from just the spark plug wires is pretty cool though...

[H8PVMNT]

Went on the same trip today but went the speed limit anf got 32.5 mpg. Still haven't had time to do the header...

[dups90gt]

Holy Crap! All that just on wires? man im looking into the nologys...I could use the savings my Celica is getting the same gas milage as my buddy's crown vic!

[liplip]

Anyone here have a camry or ebay header and the universal cat? I'm afraid i might fail emissions if i can get it installed.

[dups90gt]

I don't think it will fail if its a camry header, its oem for the camry. Im not 100 % sure. I have one but haven't installed it yet (too wet out and my garage if full of bikes....) I'm going to try it maybe next week if the weather is right. Might not install the cat at first but I will coz I have emissions next year... Ill let you know how it goes.

[liplip]

thanx man.Do a write up and take pics.

[brianrdp]

Hey Everyone, I have a Camry header is anyone is interested... I also have a cut off portion of the Camry downpipe to help with the installation. Let me know if you're looking for one, I'm in Montreal, Canada.

[dups90gt]

Nice clean gt buddy!

[brianrdp]

Thanks, I'm getting it tinted this weekend.