eBay Long Tube header install... pics inside

[BossHogg69]

Okay, after toying around with putting a set of headers on my '05 GMC ccsb, I finally decided to jump on it. I originally was gonna get some Pacesetter longtubes, but at $300 for the black painted set and another $150 for the 'off road' Y-pipe, I was out on that. I found a set of stainless long tubes from DNA Motoring on ebay with the Y-pipe for $275 to my door: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=180622827162 so I bid on them and got 'em for the $220+$55 shipping.

Here's what I got:

[BossHogg69]

Now they came with all the hardware to install (header gaskets, collector bolts, donut gaskets for the collectors and u-bolt style exh clamps) I ditched the u-bolt style clamps and got some heavy duty Dynomax band clamps from Summit for 2.5" pipe http://www.summitracing.com/parts/WLK-33226/, which is the size of the Y-pipe that came with the headers. The i.d. of the header pipes is 1 5/8", with a 3" collector.

Now, I already had true duals on my truck, and the factory Y from the cats was gone, but I still had my cats. So I cut the Y collector off of the new stainless Y pipe and welded them onto my existing pipes. I reused the stock manifold gaskets, and the manifolds came off pretty easily with a 13mm socket and my Matco mini impact gun. The factory 15mm collector bolts were a b!tch on the drivers side (even my big 1/2" Ingersoll Rand impact wouldn't get it), and one eventually stripped out, so I just broke out the sawzall and solved that problem. Passenger side came out fine. Here is that pile of stock parts:

[60ratrod]

so how's the fitment and how well does it sound/run? also do you have all of the emissions crap or just enough to get it off the assembly line? my 01 tahoe has all the cali smog crap on it and i wanna do something like this. but if it doesn't have all the emissions ports on it then i'll have to wait. also, where's the installed photos?? we need to see the bling man!

[BossHogg69]

okay, I'm back - my dang computer decided to freeze up on me and now its working. Anyway, where was I? 60ratrod, as for emissions, all my truck has is the 4 O2 sensors and two catalytic converters (one O2 sensor on each side before the cats and one on each side after). No air injection or anything like that. I already had a Blackbear Performance tune on my ECM and had him turn off my rear (after the cats) O2 sensors because I knew at some point I'd be getting headers. The new headers came with the A.I.R. hookup (or whatever that thing goes to!), and I just welded it shut, since I didn't have a pipe plug handy to put in it - had to throw a pic of the welding machine in there (Hobart Ironman 210)...

[BossHogg69]

the new stuff slid in pretty easily from the bottom after removing the plug wires (obviously) and the bolt-in frame to front crossmember braces underneath, again with the 13mm socket and air gun.

I knew the funky little kick up on the driver's side header was gonna be an issue with the plug wire on the 3rd cylinder back on the drivers side, so I got a pair of DEI spark plug boot insulators on put both of them on that plug wire, but after about an hour or two of driving it STILL burned the dang plug wire in half and it started missing... SO off to O'Reilly's for a plug wire, but I couldn't buy just ONE, so i ended up buying a $65 set of Borg Warner wires that are a tad longer than the OE Delco ones and it worked out better. So I re-installed the DEI insulator on the new wire and it's all good so far... I don't have pics of the new wires yet. As you can see, the passenger side cleared with no problems.

[BossHogg69]

Here are some pics with everything buttoned up... As for the sound, I kept the Flowtech Terminator mufflers and 2.25" tailpipes I already had, and they sounded great with the factory cats and all. Now, with the new headers and 'dummy' cats (I guess they're supposed to look like cats, but they're basically just resonators - perforated inner tube with packing around them) the truck sounds just as deep at idle, but a little more raspy. At WOT and anything in between it used to be pretty throaty, but now it is flat out INSANE. Borderline obnoxious, seriously. And coming from someone who loves loud pipes, its almost too much. Flowtech claims that the Terminators are the 'Bad Boys' of mufflers and now I see why. With converters in front they sound ballsy, but with long tube headers and no cats, they are flat out nasty. In addition to the Blackbear tune and exhaust, my only other mod is a K&N FIPK.

[Sillyoldman]

That sure sounds good. Nice work too.

[JohnC]

Look like a good set of headers for a reasonable price.

Good write up with pics!

[biggsteve97]

Just finished the install of the same header kit on my 03 Z71 Tahoe but I am out of money so I had to reuse the factory muffler and tailpipe. Turns out the passenger side factory catalytic converter was starting to melt so this solved the miss I had and saved me about $600. I love the way this kit fits, a lot of quality for very little money. I used a set of summit racing boxed MSD 8.5mm race wires that have adjustable boots, this gave me the necessary clearance. Yes it is close, there is about 1/8" of clearance to the header.

[BossHogg69]

Very cool - so how did the sound change with the stock muffler??

Oh and btw, give those headers a few days, they'll turn a nice blue color near the heads and have a gold tint the rest of the way down. Looks kinda cool to me.

[biggsteve97]

Originally Posted by BossHogg69

Very cool - so how did the sound change with the stock muffler??

Oh and btw, give those headers a few days, they'll turn a nice blue color near the heads and have a gold tint the rest of the way down. Looks kinda cool to me.

I was able to get a pair of extenders for the rear oxygen sensors and the ses light has not turned on for about 3 weeks now. Did your engine have the guide pins where some of the retainer bolts should've been? Mine has two on the passenger side, one at the very front and one at the very back, and for some reason only one on the drivers side at the very front. I have a minor leak at the head near these pins and was trying to decide if i should put the stock multi layer gasket back in or remove those pins and and put bolts in their place.

[biggsteve97]

Originally Posted by BossHogg69

Very cool - so how did the sound change with the stock muffler??

Oh and btw, give those headers a few days, they'll turn a nice blue color near the heads and have a gold tint the rest of the way down. Looks kinda cool to me.

This is the cat back Dynomax setup I am going to install on my Tahoe. Only difference between the kit and my setup is that I am using a 2000cfm polished round muffler instead of the 1800cfm oval muffler. hopefully a few more ponies will come out. I am trying to upload a sound clip of my current setup but I am having difficulty.

[biggsteve97]

Originally Posted by BossHogg69

Very cool - so how did the sound change with the stock muffler??

Oh and btw, give those headers a few days, they'll turn a nice blue color near the heads and have a gold tint the rest of the way down. Looks kinda cool to me.

Longtube headers with stock muffler. Sound gets a little distorted at higher rpm, hell im surprised the camera I used still works at all. My dog chewed it up good. But this is the best i can get. Would not download for some reason but here is the link.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ugsg4eQd0I[/URL]

[biggsteve97]

it has a deeper tone at idle now and a little louder but not much till around 3000 rpm then the stock muffler really struggles to control the sound. at wide open throttle from 3000rpm and higher it is a lot louder but a lot deeper and throatier. I will try to get a sound clip but that may be easier said than done. I do not have access to a digital camera with good sound. I have not noticed any bluing yet but they have turned a nice gold color

[BossHogg69]

mine turned gold first, then started bluing later on. Plus, I mash on my poor little 5.3 like it stole something from me, so that may have something to do with the blue color

[biggsteve97]

Ok, so I have driven my Tahoe for over a week now with no issues since installing the header kit but about 2 hours ago the service engine light came on. When I put the scanner on I found 2 codes, I had both cat efficiency codes (PO420 and PO430). Has anyone else had this happen with this kit? I am hoping I just need new O2 sensors, but if not I guess I will need to look into a custom tune a whole hell of alot sooner than I had hoped.

[swb85]

That's because you removed the cat converters. The codes will not hinder performance in any way, it's just a diagnostic to tell the computer if the cats are working or not. You can leave it like that as long as you don't mind the light staring you in the face.......but you'll never know if a more serious code was tripped.
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[Pondscum]

I cut the cats out of my 00 sierra and used a set of spark plug non-foulers to space the sensor out of the pipe a bit, since doing this I havent had the SES light come back on. I did have to cut the metal shroud off the tip of the sensor to get it to work though

[biggsteve97]

I did not remove the converters. I used the converters that came with the headers, well if you can call them converters. The manufacturer of the kit said they were "race" converters and swore that they would not cause any problems and would work similar to the factory cats. I doubted it from the start since when I looked inside the replacement "converters" they looked more like a resonator.

[swb85]

Originally Posted by biggsteve97

I did not remove the converters. I used the converters that came with the headers, well if you can call them converters. The manufacturer of the kit said they were "race" converters and swore that they would not cause any problems and would work similar to the factory cats. I doubted it from the start since when I looked inside the replacement "converters" they looked more like a resonator.

The kit does not have not catalytic converters, those humps after the headers are just perforated core resonators with a tiny bit of packing around them. Whoever told you otherwise flat out lied. They are just there to look like cats from the outside to make the vehicle pass a visual inspection, but it would fail a sniffer test.

Like I said though, the vendor was correct in that they will not cause you any problems....other than the annoying check engine light.

[60ratrod]

i guess its a good thing that i plan on getting a tune after i do all the mods that i want including these headers. debating on whether i wanna get the rear o2s tuned out or get the perameters set so i can still have them

[fxdxharley]

anyone have thes on a 6.0l in a 2500 4x4? im think of going this route and was wondering what i might come across. dont have to worry about emisions cuz im in NH and the gvw is exempts me from it. just has to look like its all there. i have full stock exhuast now which is dual up to the muffeler the a single tail pipe. i will change that out to full duals. Boss that sounds sick! i cant wait to do the install and add a cherry bomb or flowmaster to it.

[427Carl]

Nice Job

[thekevin]

Is your exhaust still ran out the back like in the video, I would like to see a picture of how that was setup. I like the angles of it, I have a dual out flowmaster with turndowns in front of my axle but I need to get the noise out from underneath the truck.

[BossHogg69]

It's run pretty similar now, I actually just welded the tips on today. Since I have the sway bar out back and went with a little larger pipe (2.5" now) they aren't turned down quite as steep as before, but close. I had the exhaust shop run the tailpipes and put the tips on, but they stuck out a little too far, so I cut them off and brought them up and in a little bit. I'll catch a video of how it sounds in the morning.