Pooter you had the right idea
 

I followed your lead and put the stock 6.2 muffler and resonator on and finally I have no more drone. Even with the borla touring it was obnoxious on the highway. It was so loud that I didn't even realize my y-pipe was rubbing on the cross member. So I get to fix that tomorrow.

So I've done an xr1 muffler with the 6.2 resonator and j-pipe, GM Borla touring with the flapper welded open, the GM Borla touring with the flapper cut out, and finally the complete 6.2 exhaust with stock muffler and resonator and this is the only no drone solution. All of these iterations were with long tubes and a single high flow cat.

I tried to tell folks..

I'm glad you got it sorted out and are happy with it. I really want to swap my main muffler for a better flowing unit but everyone complains about their exhaust once they do that.

The stock 6.2 catback makes a pretty cool sound with the headers. Very very different than anything I've ever heard but I do dig it.

Problem is now you'll hear all the leaks and rubs you didn't think you had lol

Tell me about it. I've got two leaks and one rub to fix tomorrow.

Been there man. Best thing I've come up with is either getting the headers welded, flanges installed, or wrapping with foil like I did.

There is no getting those headers sealed with the supplied clamps. I tried all kinds of shit using those. Nothing worked. It's much better with the soft 3" wide band clamps that I used. The ones that come flat in a box and oreilly. Not the already round ones with steps in them.

I tried the soft ones. That didn't work. Bought the lap joints and those worked marginally better. I'm really tired of getting under this thing but I think I'm going to have to one more time to weld everything. Honestly, if I did this again I'd just spend the money on Texas Speed headers.

The leak issue isn't a speed engineering issue, it's a slip fit header issue. I've fought this battle before with slip fits

Have you wrapped the joints with foil yet? That was a game changer for me.

Never had an issue with slip fits on any system I've ever had.

I tried the foil before and it helped but I've since torn it out due to swapping stuff out. I'll probably try that again tomorrow because I really don't want to weld everything.

You said this system you have now didn't leak too, but that was before you went to quiet enough exhaust that you could hear the leaks

So either you had better luck than everyone with slip fits or you didn't notice the leaks.

Everything I've had with slip fit leaked. But I didn't trust my ear I used a stethoscope with a tube attachment to check for leaks. The leaks I had on my camaro didn't matter, I couldn't hear them over the true duals. But they leaked.

I can feel the air more than hear it. Driving around I can't hear anything.

Previous experience with slip fits is no leaks that I could hear or feel. This is the first one. But I'm not all fancy with a stethoscope and tube either haha.

Yeah I over do it and make mountains out of mole hills lol

I seriously considered the TSP headers and really wanted those, then I went to my buddies muffler shop (he's the reason I knew not to do anything but the stock 6.2 catback) and he was installing the speed engineering headers at that time and they looked so damn good I couldn't see spending an extra $200.

The speed engineering headers are super nice, but the slip fit is super sloppy and needs some help. One of these years I'll get around to getting some v band flanges put on mine. Probably.