Hey im wanting to install some headers but no one around my city does it. Even this place called "performance exhaust" wont install headers. So how difficult would it be on my own, and possibly with a friend helping?

 

Difficult, not so much. Time consuming and tedious, very much. You can do it yourself in a weekend with a jack and some jackstands, just take your time and get everything you need before you start. LS1tech has guides on how to do it if you want to look at those

 

Might want to get some new MLS header gaskets if yours end up being unusable, plus replace the motor mounts while you're in there...

 

Gaskets are a must, MLS or nothing. Motor mounts aren't required unless you are of high mileage. Also, get 02 extensions for your front bungs and if you are running cats, get 2 more for your downstream sensors

 

Hmm alright cool. Thanks for the info. I'll double check what all comes with the headers before i buy. Whats you opinion of Hooker Comp headers? Im wantin have those headers, into an ory and then slp lm1.

 

I would advise against that setup. ORY and LM1 will rasp and drone like no other, especially if the ORY has a ****ty merge. Hooker headers were nice, however I have seen more people becoming dissatisfied with their latest run of products including their famous Aerochamber exhaust.

Best budget header is BBK; ceramic coated with ORY for $475, and teh BBK merge is really second to none. Best bang for buck is probably TSP 1 7/8" stainless steel and TSP ORY with FM; Stainless > Ceramic > Painted, and 1 7/8" > 1 3/4". TSP stainless usually run around $500 for just headers, TSP ORY with FM is usually another $120; or $240 with cats.

MLS gaskets are a GM product; Multi-layered Steel. These are OEM gaskets and can be found on some retailers such as ws6store.com. The gaskets that come with most headers are garbage cardboard ones.

I personally chose BBK as they came into the market much later than others and had a great design. After seeing the gains on the 6.0L fbody test car they picked from ls1tech I was pretty m uch sold. BBK is known for their fantastic fitment in terms of the headers and how nicely the ORY tucks up, as well as the merge on the ORY. I run this into a LM2 catback, rasp is there but minimal and it is very loud. I would not run a LM1 unless I had cats, even then it will rasp.

 

Holy crap thanks dude. See now im torn haha. I cant ever make up my mind. Im also thinking about the TSP headers, and then on of the three true dual dump systems. Do you know how that would sound? I know they offer pretty good power gains. i saw a dyno of an ls1 and all it had was a lid, tsp headers and tsp true dual dumps and it made 351rwhp and 363rwtq.

 

Don't expect those gains with your car.

The true dual will sound very good, but also be very loud. It will be obnoxious with the smell and sound, so be ready for it. TSP headers are a great bang for your buck from what I've read, and I can't wait to get a new ride and install my set I've got sitting behind me.

 

TD's will sound better than a y-pipe setup; the sweet thunders get my vote. But also note these are dumped under the car and will drone a lot. That amount of power sounds a bit higher than average for a bolt on car; a 3" y pipe will flow plenty well for a stock cam LS1. Personally I would only run duals all the way out the back, over the axle. Kooks is the only one with a mass production set and it is pricey, however I have seen a lot of custom setups that come out fantastic. Another idea is to have a 4" I pipe off the 3" y pipe merge. I have only seen a couple of these around and they are probably the best sound you can get with a y pipe. The wider diameter I pipe really deepens the tone and is surprisingly low on rasp. Another idea would be to run an electric cutout in the I pipe. This would give you the best performance gains (though they will be marginal gains over a well done ypipe setup) without sacrificing a lot of driveability in terms of drone and rasp. What budget do you currently have? TSP longtubes are great and their y pipe is good because of the FM, but most people are pretty displeased with the TSP y pipe fitment, in terms of how well it tucks up under the car. Also, do you plan to lower your car in the future? TD's kill ground clearance and most y pipes (except the BBK) hang very low.

 

Well, at this moment, my budget is around $1,200, but i can always save up for a little bit longer. And im not "planning" on lowering my car, but you never know haha. Thats another thing i was worried about with the tsp true duals, theyre kinda low to the ground, based on the pictures ive seen. It snows a lot where i live, so i was worried about my TD dragging in snow. And im ok with the smell and the sound lol, ive been driving a 3.4 for 3 years, im ready for the smell and the sound.