"The scoop on the headers, is that while the bolt pattern for the Civic SOHC engines and the ZC engines are identical, the port pattern is not. The ZC engine has the ports shifted almost 3 mm (appx 1/8"). In real terms, this means that when you use the SOHC header, the ports do not align properly. The exiting exhaust gases literally run into one edge of the misaligned header flange. You can see this by holding the steel exhaust gasket from the ZC engine up to the DC header.

The easiest and best solution is to use the ZC gasket as a template and mark the misalignment. Using an air grinder, with a small stone "port" the header to match the ZC port configuration. While you're at it clean up the entry point of the header a little so that the whole port on the header is slightly larger than the ZC port. It is an old, but proven trick that the larger header port decreases the chance of exhaust gas reversing flow and re-entering the still open exhaust valves. It is better to have the port larger than to have them matched identical. Do not under any circumstances grind the port on the head to match the header though. This gives poor results."