Choosing The Right Long Tube Headers

[Apex Motorsports]

Originally Posted by psykokwak

Hi Chase,
Thanks for your answer.
Do you have an idea of ​​the kind of modification to do?

The cat back will require some cutting to make it work with the cats and cut outs.

[angie7]

Wow Chase great post!!! Few questions

I'm undecided on which size 1 7/8 or 2" diameter headers to go with. I do plan future performance mods such as cam, etc down the road so will the size matter? I have Flowmaster AT Catback exhaust on it now, will there be a problem with headers mounting straight up to these? Im planning offroad cats.

Thanks!

[Apex Motorsports]

Originally Posted by angie7

Wow Chase great post!!! Few questions

I'm undecided on which size 1 7/8 or 2" diameter headers to go with. I do plan future performance mods such as cam, etc down the road so will the size matter? I have Flowmaster AT Catback exhaust on it now, will there be a problem with headers mounting straight up to these? Im planning offroad cats.

Thanks!

Thanks Angie. If you are planning to add a supercharger at some point I would go with the 2 inch, otherwise 1 7/8 is what I would recommend. The key to ensuring a seamless install with your existing cat back is to make sure you get what are labeled "factory connect" or "short system" headers. When you are ready just hit me up and we will make sure you get the right parts.

[angie7]

Originally Posted by Apex Chase

Thanks Angie. If you are planning to add a supercharger at some point I would go with the 2 inch, otherwise 1 7/8 is what I would recommend. The key to ensuring a seamless install with your existing cat back is to make sure you get what are labeled "factory connect" or "short system" headers. When you are ready just hit me up and we will make sure you get the right parts.

Awesome thank you!!!!

[Apex Motorsports]

Originally Posted by angie7

Awesome thank you!!!!

No problem.

[A.R. Headers]

Originally Posted by LS Luke

For any LS platform larger than the 5.7 I would STRONGLY recommend the 1 7/8" Kooks long tubes. Whether you go cat-less or not is your choice, but they are superior in every way. IMHO dont wast money on shorties or anything ARH..

Really? Not sure why the animosity towards ARH but there's 10's of thousands of Gen 5 owners happilly rowing through the gears with ARH systems. The quickest and fastest Gen 5's all run ARH, not to mention every modern COPO ever built. We are the number 1 supplier of systems for these cars since their release. We offer options that others can't or won't and we have track record that incorporates excellent customer service.

As owner of ARH I'm available to answer any questions and I'm more than happy to go into the details that any custom project requires. I respectfully welcome anyone to PM or call me and I'll be glad to steer them in the right direction. Thanks.

Nick
631-608-1986
nick@americanracingheaders.com

[Apex Motorsports]

Nick and the guys at ARH build world class products. They are definitely be on the short list of top tier options.

[yellowz]

Originally Posted by Apex Chase

There are a lot of different option when it comes to thermal coating. The finish most people typically visualize when you talk about ceramic coating looks similar to chrome.




But you can get almost any finish you can imagine.






And if you really want to spend some money you can get crazy...

Those are all great, but do you have headers with little bikini girls on each pipe that lose the bikini when they get hot?

[Apex Motorsports]

Originally Posted by yellowz

Those are all great, but do you have headers with little bikini girls on each pipe that lose the bikini when they get hot?

You, sir, are a genius.

[Rickeyp21]

Just wanted to say thanks to Chase for this. It's a great write-up with a lot of good info. Since my first mod is going to be a complete exhaust system, it was perfect for me.

I'm debating on which brand of LTs to go with, as I am on a limited budget, but I have found a couple of brands that are somewhat cheaper than the top name brands I see on here. All are 304 stainless, mandrel bent, free shipping, etc, but several hundred dollars cheaper. Not to start a war here, but does brand truly make that much difference? Or are they all basically the same?

I realize I might get a couple more HP from a great set like ARH or others, but if I can save $200-$300 dollars and only lose 2-3 HP I don't mind. Just trying to do as much as I can with my limited funds

[1LE801]

I don't know that its power as much as it's the quality and durability that you are paying the extra money for. Having said that, I just put Stainless Power 1 7/8 on my car. They are a good middle of the road option and I've heard nothing but good things about them.

[Rickeyp21]

Originally Posted by 1LE801

I don't know that its power as much as it's the quality and durability that you are paying the extra money for. Having said that, I just put Stainless Power 1 7/8 on my car. They are a good middle of the road option and I've heard nothing but good things about them.

Hi 1LE801. Thanks for the reply. I looked up the Stainless Power ones you mentioned at Apex, and they are actually cheaper than the ones I was considering from Texas-Speed.com. Since you have had a good experience with them, I might go with that option instead. I'm going to do a little more research first, but you may have just saved me about $150! Thanks!

[1340racer]

Originally Posted by 1LE801

I don't know that its power as much as it's the quality and durability that you are paying the extra money for. Having said that, I just put Stainless Power 1 7/8 on my car. They are a good middle of the road option and I've heard nothing but good things about them.

^^wow^^ That's not a bad price! Did you go with hi-flow cats, or off-road?

I'm riding the fence between ST or LT headers. I plan on a ZEX kit and maybe a cam, and definitely a tune since PCMNC is just a few miles up the road from my office, but nothing more radical than that. I just want a little extra sump'n sump'n once in a while.

I live in SC, so a cat delete won't cause any issues for me (no emissions or inspection to deal with) but I'm more concerned with making the engine bay look nice than squeezing every ounce of HP out of the mill, which is why I was giving the ST a hard look.

[Apex Motorsports]

Originally Posted by Rickeyp21

Just wanted to say thanks to Chase for this. It's a great write-up with a lot of good info. Since my first mod is going to be a complete exhaust system, it was perfect for me.

I'm debating on which brand of LTs to go with, as I am on a limited budget, but I have found a couple of brands that are somewhat cheaper than the top name brands I see on here. All are 304 stainless, mandrel bent, free shipping, etc, but several hundred dollars cheaper. Not to start a war here, but does brand truly make that much difference? Or are they all basically the same?

I realize I might get a couple more HP from a great set like ARH or others, but if I can save $200-$300 dollars and only lose 2-3 HP I don't mind. Just trying to do as much as I can with my limited funds

I am glad that you found it helpful. There are a lot of design differences between each of the brands. Besides quality, some of those design feature cost more to manufacture and the cheap stuff out there do not have them. A perfect example of that would be merge spikes. Stainless Power are well designed, quality products, and a little less expensive than the top tier options.

Originally Posted by 1LE801

I don't know that its power as much as it's the quality and durability that you are paying the extra money for. Having said that, I just put Stainless Power 1 7/8 on my car. They are a good middle of the road option and I've heard nothing but good things about them.

Originally Posted by Rickeyp21

Hi 1LE801. Thanks for the reply. I looked up the Stainless Power ones you mentioned at Apex, and they are actually cheaper than the ones I was considering from Texas-Speed.com. Since you have had a good experience with them, I might go with that option instead. I'm going to do a little more research first, but you may have just saved me about $150! Thanks!

They are a great option. Best bang for your buck option available for these cars in my opinion.

Originally Posted by 1340racer

^^wow^^ That's not a bad price! Did you go with hi-flow cats, or off-road?

I'm riding the fence between ST or LT headers. I plan on a ZEX kit and maybe a cam, and definitely a tune since PCMNC is just a few miles up the road from my office, but nothing more radical than that. I just want a little extra sump'n sump'n once in a while.

I live in SC, so a cat delete won't cause any issues for me (no emissions or inspection to deal with) but I'm more concerned with making the engine bay look nice than squeezing every ounce of HP out of the mill, which is why I was giving the ST a hard look.

Go with long tubes. You can get the Stainless Power long tubes for about what you will pay for a decent set of shorties and these engines respond a lot better to the long tubes.