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How Good or Bad are the GBS exhaust manifolds?
adrianreeve - 8/9/10 at 03:00 PM

I'm in need of an exhaust manifold for my Zetec engined Haynes roadster, but I'm running out of money!

What are peoples experience of the GBS stainless manifolds? Looking at their piccies, the bends look a little clumsy, not as nice as say an MK exhaust, but at only £145, hard to beat value wise. Am I going to lose 10bhp because it's a terrible manifold design (with my standard engine, bike bodies and megasquirt), of will the differences at this level be more marginal? Or does anyone have a zetec exhaust manifold they want rid of?

Thanks for your help,

Cheers

Adrian


eddie99 - 8/9/10 at 03:31 PM

I bought it because i was running out of money but i now regret it. Im only going to upgrade it at a later date so i look at it as a £145 lose.
If i was in your position i'd hang on until you can get a better one.
But another way of looking at it, is anything like that with workmanship involved is good value at that price if you know what i mean...


loggyboy - 8/9/10 at 03:39 PM

Are you talking about Kitpartsdirect? as they are no longer linked with GBS.

The other thing to consider is fit, I would assume the kitpartsdirect one was designed with the Ribin hood in mind, and may mean it wont fit other cars exactly due to location/orietation/angle of the engine and the chassis bars.

This is the pics of the Kitpartsdirect item:


[Edited on 8/9/10 by loggyboy]


eddie99 - 8/9/10 at 03:46 PM

The one pictured above is the exact manifold i have, and i measured my car against a robin hood and its still wonky... I have had to weld in another little section to straighten it...


mistergrumpy - 8/9/10 at 04:20 PM

If it makes you feel better I got an MK one and had to wait an eternity and then the bends on it were out and the branch lengths different meaning that a LOT of persuasion with a browbar was used.
The bends have sorted themselves now but the lengths are always out and I begrudge ever having to take it off again.


big_wasa - 8/9/10 at 04:30 PM

I bought a fisher sports cars one and had to modify it but its the way it is with an £150 manifold.

I would buy one of the above if I wanted a budget manifold as the fit and welding look good for the cash.


bigpig - 8/9/10 at 05:46 PM

I had a GBS manifold on an Indy. Fitted fine on on engine but fouled on the chassis. Had a couple of the pipes modified sort it, but it functional rather than perfect.


snapper - 8/9/10 at 06:43 PM

I think I posted the link on the Haynes forum because you wanted cheap!
If you want good quality then go to 907, Paul Gooderham, it will be custom made on your car but will cost you a lot more than £145.
I think £145 for a manifold is cheap but you get what you pay for.
If I vet another manifid made for my engine I will research the correct primay lengths and diameters, as it happens I run a Robin Hood manifold and had 130bhp on a Pinto


whitestu - 8/9/10 at 08:38 PM

Westfield ones are nice and exit through the side panel rather than the bonnet, but are twice the price of the GBS one.


omega0684 - 9/9/10 at 08:00 AM

quote:
Originally posted by whitestu
Westfield ones are nice and exit through the side panel rather than the bonnet, but are twice the price of the GBS one.


The one i measured, all the primaries were different lengths, it was poorly made and it was more that they haved mass produced it to make it look nice and to come out the side.

Just my opinion but if i had a westy i wouldn't buy one.


Barronge - 9/9/10 at 08:54 AM

Sorry to ruin the discussion lads but i spoke to GBS/Kitpartsdirect as i was wanting one myself and they have stopped producing this item, im am also on the look out for a exhaust manifold, what are everyones thoughts on a standard ford part???


loggyboy - 10/9/10 at 11:48 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Barronge
but i spoke to GBS/Kitpartsdirect as

Which one, they are now 2 different companies.
If you spoke to GBS, that would probly right, as its the KPD that make the exhausts now.
Kitpartsdirect.com (not .co.uk as that now directs to GBS) still list them on their site.


rusty nuts - 11/9/10 at 08:47 AM

I had one of their or at least Lolocosts manifolds on my X flow engined car , supposedly stainless steel that rusted badly, a manifold to cylinder head surface that was 8mm out of true that I had to cut so that the outer pipes and the center two were separate and welds that you could poke a stick through that leaked. However, it did work and fitted after a little fettling . It has since been replaced with one made for the car by 907 , not cheap but worth every penny


mrwibble - 11/9/10 at 12:33 PM

quote:
Originally posted by rusty nuts
I had one of their or at least Lolocosts manifolds on my X flow engined car , supposedly stainless steel that rusted badly, a manifold to cylinder head surface that was 8mm out of true that I had to cut so that the outer pipes and the center two were separate and welds that you could poke a stick through that leaked. However, it did work and fitted after a little fettling . It has since been replaced with one made for the car by 907 , not cheap but worth every penny


when you say not cheap what sort of money?