I'm a weekend mechanic and pretty good with a wrench, but my knowledge of "upgrading" from a performance perspective is pretty slim comparatively.

I've been doing some reading on a variety of truck sites and have read some great advice, but I'd like to see what you guys think about a complete package.

Here is what I was thinking:
Cold Air Intake Upgrade
Bigger Throttle Body
Long Tube Headers
Custom Computer Program

So if you guys were going to do this all at once, what would you do??? Any recommendations?? I'm looking for a package that improves performance, gas mileage (ok, no laughs there), and has a nice exhaust note that isn't too loud.

Any recommendations on a setup or adding/deleting from my list would be greatly appreciated.

Would i have to upgrade the catalytic converters, recommedations?

 

Need more info on your setup...what year, cab style, engine, gears, etc. do you have? Thread title says 5.7 so I'm going to assume that you have a pre-99 small block.

First thing that I'd delete from your list is a bigger throttle body, probably no need for that until you get a bigger cam and worked heads, and even then it may not be necessary. Everything else on the list sounds good...I'd throw in either a cat-back exhaust or a high flow muffler in place of the stocker. The general concensus is that the NBS cats flow pretty well, not sure about the pre-99 stuff though. I believe that Magnaflow makes high flow cats though, or, depending on smog laws where you live, you could ditch the cats and replace them with resonators that look like cats.

I'm a big fan of cam swaps, so if it were me I'd at that to the list (along with the proper valve springs and pushrods). If you have the funds, GM makes a crate 383 that should drop right in place of that 5.7

 

it's a '99 Tahoe.

I'm going to stick with the stock engine on this one...it's my daily and not looking to break the bank with this one.

Any recommendation on the Air Intake...i was thinking the Volant b/c it's fender mounted and i am always leary of the K&N that just suck in air under the hood.

 

I've had both the Volant and K&N on my truck and they both performed the same. I like the Volant better since it's enclosed and should theoretically allow for lower IAT's, plus the filter doesn't seem to get as dirty as quickly, and it's nicer looking than the FIPK IMO. I swapped out the original oiled Volant filter for an Amsoil dry filter that I've been very happy with...easy maintenance and no chance of over-oiling and contaminating the MAF...not to mention the dry filters catch more and smaller particles of dirt than the oiled ones.

 

great info thank you.

When I hear people say trucks "long tube headers" will have problems facing emissions problems, why is that?

 

In the states that have emission testing the long tube headers are not CARB (Cali+other states) certified and will fail the visual, if it is done, and instrument inspection. On the states where they do tail pipe and ECM testing it is possible, with tuning, to pass inspection, but you will need cats. Not all headers have cats as an option and require some custom fabrication to add them. Some ambitious people will save their original tune, exhaust and catted Y-pipe and replace them for the inspection.

Thorely used to make a header for trucks that were a mid-length and were CARB certified, that is the only one I am aware of.