Fabspeed Motorsport: 996 Maxflo Sport Headers

Fabspeed Motorsport updated the Maxflo Sport Headers for the 996 Carrera 2/4/4S which now feature the investment cast flanges for improved accuracy and longevity. These headers maintain the investment cast 3-into-1 high-velocity merge collector to improve exhaust scavenging compared to the OEM style collector. Constructed from 14-16 gauge T304 stainless steel with one piece equal length C.N.C. mandrel bent primary pipes, the Maxflo Sport Headers feature 44.5mm primary pipes compared to the 42.5mm OEM units. The outlet is a true 2.25"/57.2mm compared to the 50mm outlet of the OEM header. Composite gaskets are included with the Sport Headers and these units are a direct replacement for the OEM headers. Please PM or email ( [email removed] ) for more information and special 6Speed member pricing. - Fit all 996 Carrera 2/4/4S Vehicles 1999-2004 - 14-16 gauge T304 stainless steel C.N.C. mandrel bent equal length primary pipes. - Investment cast flanges and 3-into-1 high-velocity merge collector. - Direct bolt-on replacement with no Check Engine Lights. - Will bolt directly to the OEM catalytic converters or any aftermarket sportcat/catbypass pipe designed from the OEM specs. - Includes composite gaskets for a leak proof seal. - Backed by Fabspeed's Lifetime Limited Warranty.

Whats the price for Rennlist members?

+1 Also what's the performance advantage over stock? Thanks

Like to see side by side dynos on these and $125 on ebay.

Joey, how do these affect the torque curve on a 996 3.4 motor? do they move it up the rpm band?

Not sure just using a bigger diameter pipe makes sense considering exhaust velocity etc. If it was a huge advantage, when I would have thought Porsche would have done it factory since they could pick any diameter they wanted. My guess is more of a power shift, no gains over the whole curve.

what kind of shift?

Shift to higher rpm...

A couple of years ago out of curiousity, I bought a pair of ebay headers that were plumbed almost identical to these,equal length tubes,nice welding,ss,etc. I dyno'd and lost low end TQ and HP, things did relocate to higher rpm, but the TQ was still less. I drive a tip,and loss of TQ low end isn't good. I agree that if Porsche wanted a different configuration that would create more power through out the band they would of done so. Same effort to bend and weld one to another. A guy actually wanted my headers after I posted info,go figure. Fab makes nice stuff, not trying to poo poo their effort, just not for me.

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do you still have that dyno... I'm curious as to how much the torque curve shifted and what the values were...

FYI the factory x51 package 996s used 48mm piping. Not sure exactly how much more hp the x51 produced(about 30hp or so?) but that was with other factory mods.

Hardback I just sent you a PM with the price. I just checked the dyno database and there is no data for just the Sport Headers. We had these installed with full exhaust/intake packages, not just an isolated Sport Header. The power shift was predominately at the top end, just north of 3000RPM with the full Maxflo Exhaust package installed.

I had heard great things about Fabspeed's "customer service," so I have to admit to being startled by my appalling experience with the company. I initially telephoned Fabspeed on Fri., Dec. 16, 2011, with the intention of ordering a new exhaust system for my Porsche 997S. I was told "everyone's out to lunch." It was 11:00 a.m. The statement was prophetic. I was told someone would call me back. No one did. I wrote an email of inquiry to General Manager Alex Kononchuk the following day. It took him 30 DAYS to respond. I telephoned Fabspeed again on Mon., Dec. 19, spoke with "Dave," and he recommended the 997-S Catbypass X-Pipe ($795), the 997-S Muffler Bypass Pipes ($300), and the 02 Extender Elbows ($150), which he told me would eliminate the dreaded "Check Engine" light, when removing the car's catalytic converters. I paid for the order with a credit card. He sent me an online invoice later that day with the Fedex tracking numbers. A week later, the order was still sitting at Fabspeed. I was told there was a "mixup" with Fedex. The parts arrived 10 days late. Installation began in early January. No instructions were included in the shipment. My shop was unclear on the installation process and several phone calls to Fabspeed went unreturned. Turns out, Fabspeed had shipped incorrect parts, which wouldn't fit. Instead of the "997-S Muffler Bypass Pipes," Fabspeed sent "CUP Bypass Pipes." They had to be cut and welded. Oh, and the "Check Engine" light came on immediately, so the 02 Extender Elbows ($150) were worthless. Literally dozens of telephone calls and emails later, General Manager Alex Kononchuk offered to credit me for the incorrect pipes...IF I bought the "Supercup Exhaust" mufflers ($1,050). I agreed, with the understanding that I HAD to have the parts in hand within 30 days. Alex promised to have the order shipped "within the next couple of days." That was the middle of January. By February 6, with no contact from Fabspeed, I began to get nervous. After several rounds of phone tag, I finally reached Alex Kononchuk, who admitted to "zoning out" and forgetting our conversation three weeks earlier. He promised to get the order shipped "later today." Another week passed. I wrote to Fabspeed President Joe Fabiani. He never responded. With a race weekend fast approaching, I began calling Fabspeed again. At various times, I was told Alex Kononchuk was "in Colorado and didn't have a phone signal," or was "in Chicago at a trade show." No one could find any record of my order. Kononchuk finally left a voice message on my cell (at 11 o'clock at night) apologizing for the confusion. He said he had suffered a shoulder injury and was undergoing rehab. This was his excuse for not shipping the "Supercup Exhaust." He assured me there was still time to ship the order and apologized for the screw-up. "There's absolutely no excuse for this," he said. "We'll do anything it takes to make it right." Four days later, Kononchuk left a late night voicemail, saying that he had some "not so good news." There were no "Supercup Exhaust" units in stock and the shop would have to "build a set," he said. They would not be delivered in time for the race. More than two months had passed since my initial contact. I'm certain plenty of people have had satisfying experiences with Fabspeed. I did not.

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That kind of scares me as I was just going to order the muffs for my 99 996. I better look for another option. There is one thing that should not be taken lightly in the days of internet "shopping" and that's customer service.

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25HP gain from 320 to 345 HP according to Porsche.

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Joey, Just a question here. Why would the company when R&D'ing this set of headers not see what the direct result of these headers is. It seems you would want to isolate these to get the full proven results.

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Just a friendly suggestion. Why not make these and other exhaust components out of titanium (like on motorcycles) to save some weight? Perhaps even Carbon fiber mufflers? Think of the performance increase with removing some weight (especially from the rear of the car).

A compulsive liar is defined as someone who lies out of habit. Lying is their normal and reflexive way of responding to questions. Compulsive liars bend the truth about everything, large and small. For a compulsive liar, telling the truth is very awkward and uncomfortable while lying feels right. For the most part, compulsive liars are not overly manipulative and cunning. They simply lie out of habit - an automatic response that is hard to break. I know nothing of Fabspeed other than the fact their website looks like it was designed by a fifth grader, their president doesn't respond to customer inquiries, and their general manager is out of touch with the reality of today's business environment. I cannot speak to their product other than the fact that I bought their Maxflo Performance Mufflers ($1,275) a few years ago and found them to be overpriced, unremarkable, and irritatingly drony. Discontent with Fabspeed products and customer service seems to be widespread. I can only relate my recent personal experience with the company. They screwed up the shipping, sent the wrong parts, gave bad information on the telephone, failed to make good on promises, offered no follow-up, were largely unresponsive to telephone and email requests, refused to issue a credit for their own mistake, and exhibited business practices that could be characterized as shoddy, at best...and shady, at worst. Shame on me for buying from them twice. It will not happen a third time.

Thats one of the most well written burns I have seen in a while.

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+1, I count myself as a one time only customer of Fabspeed.

Oz, Suppose you got more snow this year then too. Did you take the Fabspeed off already?. Regards.

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Very well explained, thans. Curious what Fabspeed will say in their defense....

O.o And i am about to order their supercup exhaust? ha ha

Pcar owners are a group of passionate car guys. Some have a large disposable income to fund their hobby. I think a few Pcar vendors get it but some never seem to understand even with these huge markups compared to other car make aftermarket parts. Too bad..

Unfortunately too many customers have had poor experiences, me included. I ordered 200 cell cats that I specifically explained should be trimmed for PSE on a 4S. The part that showed up didnt fit as it was cut too short so i was shipped "sleeves" to remedy the problem. This created a lot more work to install and delayed me for 2 days. Even then my mechanic had to grind and massage the parts to fit. So my custom ordered cats are now 3 piece items allowing leaks im sure... I wont buy from them again.

I would like to clear this up for everyone. If someone writes a bad experience on the forums, it doesn't make their side of the story totally true. Here is our side and what were trying to do to make this a happy ending. Hi Mike, I have also left you a few messages with no returned calls. I'm sorry we couldn't help you fast enough on the exhaust for your car and I'm also disappointed that you would write your experience with so much false information. Fabspeed went above and beyond with our customer service trying to help you with exchanging your loud system for something quieter and more suitable to your liking. As everyone knows, we do not Warranty or offer refunds on sound, because it is subjective for everyone. But I will explain the situation and how this matter really went, so members understand what really happened. Also, on our invoice, it states that all installation instructions are on our website with videos and more. First, I apologize that one of our staff did not get back to you right away and its unusual for that happen. So I will make sure to let them know about it and that it doesn't happen again. You also said that you email me back in December, I never received your first email until January which I replied to right away. I checked my inbox and junk folder many times so I apologize if it did not come in right away. With email clients and 3rd party spam protection, Emails can get lost and delayed, but we try to reply to everyone as fast as we can. After I received your response, I was keen on finding out why you were unhappy and what happened with your order with Fabspeed. I wanted to make sure you were happy and got what you wanted. You told me that your system was loud and that it didn't fit properly. After speaking to David once i was back in the office regarding this matter, he told me that you requested this setup from him and he explained to you a few times that it was going to be very loud and aggressive, and is not recommend unless you are running a full track car and even then, its still very loud. You also purchased a catbypass pipe, so a check engine light may come one even with the O2 extenders as there is no Cats on the car, so its never a guarantee unless the software is done. He said this is what you wanted for your 997 and proceeded with order. So you purchased the system knowing how loud it was going to be and that we do not offer refunds for a loud exhaust. We have emails from you stating this is what you wanted. We manufacture all of our products in house and they are on a schedule basis, so sometimes things can be delayed and taken longer to finish before they are ready to ship. It was also the holidays which also doesn’t help speed up the process, so again I apologize for the delays that you encountered on your order. When we spoke, I told you that we have a system that will be a little quieter and may meet your track requirements a little better. When you told me about your muffler bypass fitment issues and the confusion about the installation of the extenders, I told you as a courtesy from Fabspeed, we would take back your muffler bypass pipes for the full amount and put it toward the price of the Supercup exhaust. I also said I would discount the Supercup to make the upgrade easier for you and to make matters better. I told you that it would need to be made and that they are on schedule to be finished in a 1-3 weeks, and you agreed to that. You said you had a track event coming up and that you wanted to have them before that and I assured you that they would be finished. We had two fabricators out for a week so production was delayed on those pieces and I explained the situation to you. I said you can run your stock mufflers for the event and then bolt on the Supercup later on and you said were fine with that, but I would still try to get the exhaust finished if I could before your deadline. I also called you multiple times, and left you messages saying we were unable to get them done in time. I never heard back from you until late last week, when you emailed me that you were not happy and wanted to return the muffler bypass for a refund and did not want the other exhaust. Now you writing incorrect information on forums and not being very truthful about your experience. So to clear it up, there were delays during this whole matter which is what caused all the problems, but delays do happen and we try to avoid it as much as we can. I tried offering you a full refund on your current exhaust towards a better solution for you, I think that says a lot about our customer service. There was no zoning out and no un-replied emails or phone calls. I was clear that the products had to be made and would take a certain amount of time, but delays did occur. (MikeJim- "I cannot speak to their product other than the fact that I bought their Maxflo Performance Mufflers ($1,275) a few years ago and found them to be overpriced, unremarkable, and irritatingly drony. Discontent with Fabspeed products and customer service seems to be widespread") I understand people change their minds and decide to try different setups, but you said mufflers droned and were irritating. I'm confused now, so you decided to purchase Catbypass Pipes and Muffler bypass pipes, which we only recommend for road use. We clearly explained that it will be very aggressive and loud and you said that's what you wanted in your emails. So I'm lost now. Fabspeed is trying to make things right is willing to offer you a full value exchange of your current setup for the quieter exhaust that you originally agreed to. Let me know what you decide to do and I will work with you to make sure its handled. I thank everyone who is using Fabspeed products and knows we try our best to accommodate our customers in all areas.

Give me a free one and ill let the guys know how it is ?.

To be fair, I am a satisfied Fabspeed customer. I like the products I bought and had a good experience as a customer. Back to the original topic, my experience suggests that slapping these headers on a stock moter will produce only marginally more power above 6600 RPM and will likely lessen the seat of the pants sensation of torque delivery, if not the torque peak itself. Increasing fuel delivery (not that easy) and changing some other engine management parameters would almsot cetainly produce more power, while also introducing driveablility/flexibility issues. Which is why my view is that headers are all about cosmetics on a street car with a stock motor.

There is a saying in politics that goes something like, explaining is losing. Coming out and calling the customer a liar is probably the worst thing Fabspeed could have done here. Massive fail.

To the header question,I feel that the Porsche engeers have spent time on the design they settled for. They aren't great looking but probably deliver the correct blend of hp and tq. Welding a pipe one way or another probably wouldn't of mattered to them, just settled for what works. I think we are all guilty of wanting something shinny but as for these headers, who sees them unless you drive your car upside down. I can't do that any longer hurts my head.JMHO

NZ951 nailed it! The customer is king. All it takes is one unhappy customer and your business is called into question. If you don't realize this, you're not getting my $$$. When I was in the market for exhausts ('04 & '05), Fabspeed were getting unremarkable reviews. Instead, I went with GHL each time. Great product, excellent customer service. The sad thing is, I think they no longer make exhausts for Porsche.

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The owner had these independently dyno'd years before we installed our in-house Dynojet. With our first move back in 2005, these original files were lost and since that time, we have not ran an isolated Sport Header. We have a 997 Carrera coming in the next few weeks and we will dyno the Sport Headers, along with the 200 cell Sportcat X-Pipes. I will keep everyone informed and post the dyno chart. The cost of titanium and the longevity of this material would not suffice for a daily driven vehicle. Most race applications use Titanium which can be in excess of $10k for a full exhaust system.

I have started to speak with Fabspeed over the last 2 months and was really close to pulling the trigger.... except I had a funny feeling because of their responses. I started to wonder if I would be able to get any help if needed it for installation... wondered if they have decent instructions... or responsive support? Or if the product was also a reflection of what I see as poor customer service. My first email asking questions took 2-3 weeks to get a response. Actually... I think I sent 4 emails in total and none were answered in under 2 weeks. The one phone conversation I had was when I was ready to buy with credit card in hand... but was told the originally quoted prices via email were not correct and they would get back to me in 20 minutes with correct pricing. 1 week later I did get a voice mail with corrected pricing. I think I will shop around for some other options or look for a discounted used set. Anyone have some other manufacturers that have a good product? Or are we stuck with Fabspeed and their awesome customer service?

FVD has great stuff that is proven and they are a reputable outfit that will take care of you.

I bought a 3" Fabspeed with cat-delete exhaust for my 944 Turbo. Love it, love the system, love the sound, love the torque.... but it was as I said on a 951. My mechanic ordered it so I did not deal with Fabspeed directly. I'm in the process of buying a 996. Was planning on a Fabspeed upgrade. Guess I'll keep watching this thread. Thanks for all the input from Fabspeed and the Rennlist folks.

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rsa_sarasota I apologize for any delay responding to your inquiries. Fabspeed just moved to a new location about a month ago and we are still in the process of building this new location. Communications have been slow because of this move but we will be functioning 100% shortly. KC-944 Turbo thank you for the compliments regarding the performance products for your 951. Fabspeed manufactures a complete performance exhaust system for the 996 Carrera/GT3 to improve power and sound throughout the RPM range. Please don't hesitate to give us a call or have the mechanic call the wholesale rep for more information on these products.

Clumsy title. I have a C4 and do not plan to buy a Fabspeed header any time soon. Just the distal Maxflo exhaust. How many db is a stock exhaust compared to a Maxflo? I do not want an exhaust roar constantly. I want a thrilling rumble on acceleration. Numbers are difficult to get your experience around. Experientally, is it so loud it interferes with hearing the radio at 65 miles an hour? Or reasonable conversation? Does it want you to keep the windows rolled up? The exhaust is only one component of the driving experience, unless you are a teen with fart can vibrato and cocclear vibration. Don't want that. Frank

Wow, i thought it wasnt polite to trash vendors on here, honestly i feel kind of embarrassed to be part of this membership.Where is the moderator ?? its frowned upon to ask a question about repeat items such as IMS or water pumps, but posting this garbage(trashing) is ok?? I have had poor experiences with many other vendors , dealers and even indie shops, never once came on here bashing them,however, ironically , i recently ordered products from this company(Fabspeed) and the service and products were top notch in my opinion. Basically, if you dont like the parts or feel you were treated poorly, then dont shop there anymore. my money will be saved by not renewing my membership to rennlist, youtube seems to have all the info i need.

I work with Fabspeed on supplying my clients (mostly Lamborghini) when they want Fabspeed products. I have had nothing but great reviews of the products from my clients. Personally, working with Fabspeed has been flawless and David's quick and helpful responses are refreshing in this line of business.

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Hey Frank, Thank you for inquiring about the Maxflo Exhaust for your 996 C4. I do not have a DB measure of a 996 Carrera with the OEM mufflers versus our Maxflo Mufflers. Most of our catback Maxflo muffler systems improve about 6-8 DB's. The Maxflo Muffler provides a deeper/throatier exhaust note and will not be so loud that you cannot hear the radio or have a conversation at 65 MPH.