2014 5.3 headers?

[Mekanik]

Ok guys, so a little background on where I'm coming from and what I want. I am a performance tuner and run my own maintenance/repair/performance shop. I currently drive a 2011 sierra 5.3 with longtube headers, no cats, dual exhaust with a huge MagnaFlow and several bullet mufflers, Magnacharger at 10psi, bolt ons, etc. Truck makes 500+ rwhp. I love the performance of the truck. However, sometimes I get tired of having a loud truck that stinks up my garage if its running inside. My exhaust is far from obnoxious, but on long trips, it does get tiring. I am currently building a 2014 silverado with the 5.3. I already have the airaid mit, k&n drop in and have made arrangements with my exhaust guy to do 2.5" duals with MagnaFlow mufflers, deleting the third cat. I will of course be doing a custom tune with hptuners. I'm not looking to go wild with this setup. Just a nice comfortable daily driver. I spoke with jba about their shorty headers for this application. Now I know on previous generation trucks, shorty headers were deemed useless. However, I do like the underhoodd appearance of headers, not to mention the extra room for spark plug changes and the decreased temps with a quality ceramic coating. However, I'm wanting to keep cats and a comfortable exhaust noise level. A jba rep told me their shorty headers saw an 18 hp bump on an otherwise stock 5.3 2014 model. I'm seriously considering a set of them for my new truck. have any of you guys messed with them yet? What were your impressions? I know the stock manifolds are well designed, but a shorty header would have the advantages I listed earlier, regardless of performance gain. Besides, a well thought out header with a good collector has to be worth something in the scavenging department. Just trying to squeeze as much as I can out of this truck with simple bolt on mods. Shotries are super easy to install and don't require a custom exhausy to be fabbed up.

[Carder09]

Though I have no proof and the data is slim, I really just see no advantage besides expensive eye candy that shorties are. You can keep your cats with LT headers, you being in the performance business obviously know that, with just relocating them. The LTs will probably not be any louder than stock with the setup you plan to go about. So either buy the shorties with the high end gain? Or the lts that are known for more in the low range with a dash of mid/upper.

[Mekanik]

Yea, I know I can buy lt's with cats but I don't want to spend $1400... I did $500 ebay long tubes on my last truck and then spent a night in the shop making exhaust work. I just want a bolt on aaffair this time around.

[Carder09]

Yea, I know I can buy lt's with cats but I don't want to spend $1400... I did $500 ebay long tubes on my last truck and then spent a night in the shop making exhaust work. I just want a bolt on aaffair this time around.

Well that makes sense then. Then just go for the shorties. At least it will look nicer than the iron manifolds.

[Mekanik]

That's kinda my thinking. Underhood appearance would definitely be improved. Just looking to see if anyone has any feedback on them yet. The coaTed version cost $581. Kinda a hefty tag for appearance

[Inacanyon]

Long tubes or bust. There's so much room in the full size truck even making the exhaust work isn't much of a job. Try doing it on a fbody.

 

 

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[Mekanik]

It is when the closest pipe bender is an hour away

[SirManny]

Im looking for a set of long tubes and high flow cats that will work with the 4WD truck. All I can find is set ups for 2WD.

[2014MallCrawler]

most will work with 4x4 also.

[SirManny]

I have decided to go with the Kooks O/R and leave the stock exhaust manifolds. The same affect for the most part will be achieved.

[2014MallCrawler]

Wait? the kooks O/R pipe works with stock manifolds?!? You may want to read the fine print. says can only be used with kooks headers.