Long tube headers..

robbd · May 3, 2012

On monday Im taking on the job of installing Pacesetter long tube headers before I get my true duel exhaust put on (new exhaust cause the flowmaster system I have is rotting out) and I figured if im going the route of true duels and where I live not having much to say upon running no cats, I would install long tube headers. Now Ive read the articles on here about dont attempt it if you have higher miles (kilometers where I am) but Im going to attempt this monday when my headers arrive in. Does anyone have any input, tricks, help, or useful knowledge towards doing this? Has anyone done this, I have 140,000 km's or Roughly 87,000 miles. I understand the big issue is breaking a bolt or say most of them off.. so other than soaking the hell out of the bolts with liquid wrench, any other knowledge to help ? Anything is greatly appreciated.

Oh and after the headers and exhaust are installed I am getting a custom tune to delete the post-cat O2 sensors and a general tune.

oldschool327 · May 4, 2012

Make sure to use anti sieze lube in the new bolts.

Daryl LBZ · May 4, 2012

I would spray the bolts with PB Blaster and let them soak overnight if possible. Ive done it that way when I put headers on my 05 and I didn't have any trouble with the bolts.

StingerZ16 · May 4, 2012

is this on a 5.3?

what is the expected gain?

I have been considering this as well on my 2010.

good luck

4wd · May 6, 2012

Please share with us your experience

yukon25008.1 · May 6, 2012

I havent heard pacesetter is the best qaulity.. but evryone has an opinion..

Stainless works is the way to go for long tubes, im getting a set for my 05 8.1.. Its an easy 30+ HP

robbd · May 7, 2012

Well after having to wait to do this swap to long tubes due to shipping and border customs and what not, They finally arrived this morning. I also went and picked up new gaskets, ones that are not the cardboard style that come with the headers. Probably didnt have to buy the better gaskets, but I get good prices from the performance shop in town and he assured me they are a better application for the job. Im going to start removing and installing in a couple hours but i will keep this updated as the day goes on and how things go. Fingers crossed as to not breaking any bolts.

GMstrong · May 7, 2012

I have pacesetter on my obs and to say the least im very happy with them,Make sure to use a exhaust crossover such as a xpipe or hpipe especially without cats,Tames the sound and really helps torque.I installed headers on my 90 gmc which had 275k at the time without any problems,I would spray some pb blaster on them let em soak alittle,use a stubby socket and a breaker bar.

robbd · May 8, 2012

Okay so needless to say with some learning curves and a few beers, they are officially Installed. (minus 1 bolt)

I pre soaked the bolts for the past 2 days, and then gave them another spray before getting after it.

Removal wasnt bad, cut the exhaust with a grinder just behind the cats, and began breaking the bolts all which came relatively easily. Except one. I was using a 1/4" drive ratchet and they all broke except the last one against the firewall on the driver side that as soon as I put the ratchet to and barely gave a turn, spun, making me believe it was loose, which it was not as the bolt broke and fell to the ground with the ratchet. Damn. Climbed under the truck hoping that it was only the head of the bolt, but to my dismay it was not. But other than that the stock headers and cats removed easily from below the truck, I only had to remove the oil dipstick from the passenger side to slide out the stock header. I then cleaned up where the gaskets would sit, put some antisieze on the new bolts and proceeded to install the passenger side which other than putting the gasket on upside down (yes im an idiot sometimes) went on fairly easily installed from below. Onto the driver side we tried and tried to get the header to slide into place from above and below, but it just wasnt happening, so we removed the spark plugs, and still it wouldnt go so we went on to removing the steering shaft, which I have read about and been told to do, but no one told me just how to do it. So after spending time trying different ways, and it really is as easy as it sounds just unbolt both steering shaft bolts and then push the top shaft up and in towards the steering wheel. We tried actually pushing the middle shaft up, not the shaft above it which is the one that slides up and down. So after figuring that out, installing the header from above was a breeze. Keeping in mind that i had broken the last bolt on that side we put a little high heat gasket maker on that side to hopefully seal up if there is a leak. (if it does leak and becomes a problem I will be putting in a TR220 Cam when I remove everything to get that damn missing bolt out. Then put back in all the plugs I removed, reinstalled the wires, plugged in the O2 sensors (re-used the ones that came off the stock headers) and Fired it up. Sounded incredibly loud and I wouldnt recommend driving like this due to the fact that it is stupid loud, but it ran fine, and I had to get it home because I did this work 25 Km's from my house and the exhaust shop im going to is only 2 km's from my house.

Did/Do have a couple concerns though. (I will take pictures to show you what I mean)

-The new headers are not made to have a heat sheild such as the stock ones

-A couple of the Spark plug wire rubber ends touch the Headers

-Possible chance of melting a spark plug wire. (will be seeing if the have heat sheild spark plug wire socks for my truck as my friend had them for his mustang when his wires were close to his headers)

robbd · May 9, 2012

So I forgot to grab my stock headers from my friends house, and this is what I found.. Anyone else seen this? the other one isnt broken..

MorrisGray · May 16, 2012

I just put the Long Tube Ceramic Coated Pacesetter headers on my 2002 Silverado with 54,000 miles. Same trouble as you on driver side, no trouble except for dipstick replacement on passenger side. I used a spacer and a longer bolt to put my dipstick back in. I did not soak anything before removal but did not have much trouble removing any of the bolts except for one on the downpipe with cats driver side. I had someone local weld flanges to the headers and run dual pipes into a two inlet/two outlet muffler and exit passenger side with dual pipes/tips just in front of the rear wheel. Like the Ford Lightning sorta. I love it. I didn't get a x-pipe but I am kind of guessing that is what the 2in'2out muffler does but I am not sure. Then I ordered a Spectre cold air intake and put it on. My "service engine soon" light is on but it sounds just right for me and runs great.

alvocado · May 17, 2012

So I forgot to grab my stock headers from my friends house, and this is what I found.. Anyone else seen this? the other one isnt broken..

This isn't broken either. The separation is part of the design which differs by side.

Carder09 · May 17, 2012

I havent heard pacesetter is the best qaulity.. but evryone has an opinion..

Stainless works is the way to go for long tubes, im getting a set for my 05 8.1.. Its an easy 30+ HP

From others who have gotten the black coated ones, no, they are not the best ones to get; The armor coated ones are the best headers to splurge on as I've seen nothing but good reviews for them, not so much the black ones.

rcasey02 · January 31, 2014

From others who have gotten the black coated ones, no, they are not the best ones to get; The armor coated ones are the best headers to splurge on as I've seen nothing but good reviews for them, not so much the black ones.

Just get some paint remover and remove the black paint and then go to home depot and get some of that high temp flat black paint thats rated at like 1500F and re paint the headers with that works wonderfully i have had mine for almost a year and still look good besides some dirt spots from mudding.

Carder09 · February 1, 2014

Just get some paint remover and remove the black paint and then go to home depot and get some of that high temp flat black paint thats rated at like 1500F and re paint the headers with that works wonderfully i have had mine for almost a year and still look good besides some dirt spots from mudding.

Talk about resurrecting a dead thread lol, I ended up with the Armor Coated ones and got 20% off of them so it was worthless to get the black ones. It holds true, you get what you pay for and these things are excellent.