P.O.S. headers
 

Bought some 6-2-1 headers from MSA. They looked good, bends welds etc. but the black paint was chipped and peeling in one spot. That's when I should have sent them back. But no, I sand blasted them and painted them with high heat silver. Now they look real good. I put them on and noticed that the flange is 1/2" thick. The intake is approximately .600 thick. This causes a strain on the six studs in the head that clamp the header and manifold when I tighten them. The recomended torque could possibly break or at least bend them. I made stepped washers at work and now it is even. Next I noticed the the E46 intake was actually touching the header at #2 cylinder. Now I'm really pissed! I have an N36 manifold and it clears by about 1/4". You would think that a company the makes hundreds of headers would have at least tried it on the f'n car! I still don't like it and I'm going to put header wrap on that spot.

wow.. that sucks! good thing i read this thread, b/c i was planning on getting that header

i have a set of these headers and they were fine.i hade no problems with them. but msa has some isues with some of there sales pepole not telling there custmers all the info.back in the days they did all the can to help even if they did not have the info they would give a # to you for some who did.

header flange
 

i noticed this to,i just shimmed the header flange to match the intake,but you need small hand's and a whole lot of patience, oh and some washers.