Best Shorty header for your $
 

Im very close to dropping a new ls1/6 into my 03 rcsb. Just need a manifold/header, a crank pulley, and to buy a converter.

I've heard that short headers do not provide much gain, if any, over the stock manifolds. I also dont care to spend a bunch of money on headers and exhaust, just to make 15-20 whp. Its not worth the added noise that comes with it. Thats not what this truck is aimed towards. Its not fast, and it never will be. Its a $4500# truck.

Anyway, im pulling a 4.8 and installing a 5.7. I dont want to remove the stock manifolds from the 4.8 because the bolts are known to break. My buddy is getting the 4.8 and its just easier to leave them on.

My plan was to buy a replacement set of oem used headers off craigslist. That has fallen through, cause people charge too much for their garbage. Plus id need hardware and gaskets. When you add up expensive garbage, gaskets, and hardware, well I might as well buy them new from summits since it comes with everything.

And if im going to drop $200 on stock manifolds with gaskets and hardware, i figure maybe i should just get a decent pair of shortys for a little more.


Anyway, what are the best shorty headers, as far as quality, fitment, keeping quiet, and not sacrificing any power? Gains wouldnt hurt either.

i understand your point.......i had a set of gibson shorties years ago.......they were a very good quality.....get stainless if you can

none, just get longtubes trust me..

Shorties are better than the stock manifolds, idc what anybody says, but yes longtubes are better, but expensive b/c you have to redo the entire exhaust and get a custom tune in order to get the full potential out of them.

I used to have a set of jba shorties and loved them, got 2-3 mpg better with shorties and a tune vs the stock manifold

painted shorties run 2-300 nice stainless steels runs around 400+

A set of pacesetter LT ceramic coated can be found all day long for 350-400 and mine still look brand new after 30K miles

idk man im just under the impression if you're going to buy a product get the best you can, tune and get some power, yeah it'll be a little expensive but it pays off.

I refuse to drive a truck that you can hear coming from a mile away. That is not my style. I like cats. They kill that nasty raspy noise. The only way I would do it, would be with a nice, good quality ($$) catted system. And spending $1000 to gain 20hp is not worth it to me.

I should have a 400ish hp motor after the swap, and Im fine with that. I was actually leaning towards the JBA, but fuck they arent cheap either.

Where are you located? Zip?

LT wont be loud with a big ass muffler lol, But yea it cost me $900 to buy my headers, cats, x pipe, cutouts, and muffler, with a custom true dual exhaust for $180.

The painted headers will work for a long time and make the same power as stainless steel, they will just eventually start to flake and look like crap, so if you don't mind the appearance that would be the budget route for sure.

You will probably see 10-15 rwhp gains with your 5.7 from shorties and probably 20-25 from longtubes.

I agree, but if it's just a dd and he's not trying to race the truck shorties are fine. Say he spend 3-400 on shorties vs 1000 on LT set up for only 10 extra ponies. Verses he could get the shorties for 3-400 and apply the 600 savings to a new appropriate cam kit which would bring 30+rw, or even dump that 600 in a posi and lower gears, so many options.

Last I checked the eBay style stainless long tubes were pretty damn cheap... I understand your point of wanting to keep stock, but buying shorties I don't really understand. I have a 9-7x with obx headers on an iron block 6.0 with an LS6 cam and a jba cat back and the sound is fine. Believe me when I tell you I could fit a much larger muffler in there too.

I'm not disappointed by them at all... Different strokes I guess but I can't imagine that a set of shorties will be any less 'ticky'. Less raw and rasp at the tailpipe sure... But not less tick.