Intake manifold swap?

MiamiSilverado1500 · June 16, 2017

You LOSE tq with an offroad Y? Did I read that right?

I didn't write that.

MiamiSilverado1500 · June 16, 2017

I think you all are confused.

1) Miami there is no need to do this diy custom intake. Your intake flows plenty for what you want. Any bigger will simply be pointless. (Whipple and Maggie Superchargers use a similar designed tube like the airaid you have and connect to stock air box. Your DIY intake is absolutely pointless and won't net any gains over the airaid really. Waste of money and time.

2) there is no such think as back pressure. It's a 5.3L direct injected motor with a shit ton of computers to control everything. Backpressure does nothing and is a myth. What you might be referring to is scavanging which is based on the flow from each bank and is what. Helps improve performance and squeeze every little bit of power and tq out. The absolute best scenario for exhaust is really dependent on what you want. However, a 3.5" exhaust on a 5.3 is too much. The L86/6.2 comes with a 3.5" exhaust from factory and any and every aftermarket kit is 3.5". The 5.3 is 2.75" from factory and everybafter market kit is 3". Why? Cause 3" exhaust for a 5.3 flows plenty.

3) continuing with 2), ARH, Stainless Works, Kooks, Or TSP are top notch brands for LT headers. If you are wanting optimal flow I suggest Stainless works. They use a different design where the LTs have catted (non catted as well) mid pipes and then meet but do not y together. If you go that route you then have a shop connect pipe at each end and run to an X pipe to 2 mufflers to and basically have a true dual exhaust that flows great. Or you can use any brand LTs and go with a catted y or off-road y (non catted) and run a single 3" pipe to a muffler and then exit. Either way will be optimal for your goals. You don't need a muffler if you don't want and can run straight headers by I will tell you now it sounds like ass, is extremely loud, and is annoying. I've been through this multiple times on the forum and fb from reading through to talking to people who have done it.

4) As for muffler you want a straight flow through design for couple reasons... one being that the straigh flow through will allow for the optimal air flow out of the motor. Another is because it reduce any drone there might be. There's a reason Borla, Corsa, Magnaflow are leaders in performance exhaust cause they bet most gains. Theybflow so much better and please stay away from flowmaster. The chambered exhaust design hinders performance and flows worse than factory or close to same (doesn't matter what series exhaust) so it's pointless to use. Also the chambered design creates massive in cab drone which is super annoying. You want loud with optimal performance but a nice exhaust note check out Carven or Black Widow Race Venom mufflers. Both are tiny bullet style flow through Designs but have decent exhaust notes and sound good.

You guys are overthinking this. An example of a 5.3 bolt on to achieve its max potential would consist of a CAI (Airaid MIT/aFe Momentum GT, S&B, Volant, Corsa), a 3" cat back (Borla, magnaflow, corsa, Gibson, etc...any would be fine as long as the muffler is a true flow through design) a set of LTs with or without cats, L86 intake manifold, and LT1 throttle body with a 93/e85 custom tune from a reputible tuner using HPTuners. This will give you the most for your truck and be the best bang for your truck (Last 2 things would be to either do gears or put a stall in to help with low end and while they will help the costs imo of doing them don't out weight other options). From this point the only other mods to be done would be boost in a bottle/spray (Nitrous), going FI with a turbo or supercharger, or going with a cam.

This all sounds great.

Regarding the exhaust I'll go with the LT's no cats, 3" offroad Y-pipe and a high flow muffler from the list you provided. I'll keep the exhaust as a single instead of using an Xpipe. That will keep costs down. I'll only need to buy 1 muffler instead of 2. I'll look up the other mufflers and see which would suit the need the most.

Intake....I'll stick to the LT1 throttle body and L86 manifold. I'll forgo the "build it kit". The stock airbox is fine.

Regarding Gears and Stall....I've taken new measurements comparing my original tire size from the factory 20s and the tires I have now with my 22s and it comes out that swapping to 3.73 gears is the way to go. I've thought about the stall since I have a small boat and trailer. I'll swap the gears and see how it goes and decide on the stall later on.

MiamiSilverado1500 · June 16, 2017

I wonder what a glasspack muffler would sound like on this setup... Just a thought..

ruby15z71 · June 16, 2017

I would suggest you stay away from glasspack. These motors have a lot of potential with high quality exhaust and proper tuning.

This is my exhaust currently. Cut factory exhaust out from the flex pipe back and put a 3" in 3" out borla Pro XS muffler with Summit's corsa replica tips and had a shop weld in 3" piping.

ruby15z71 · June 16, 2017

Factory tires are 275/55r20. What size do you have now with the 22s? Looks like it's similar to a 285/45 or a 305/40r22... are you 2wd or 4wd? Pretty pricy if you're 4wd as you have to do the front as well. 2wd isn't bad just make sure you get the proper kit/gears.

A stall will help with your 60' time and improve with racing and flooring it off the line. As for towing it might help but from my research I wouldn't recommend anything under 2800 for a stall. Most people that get a stall use it cause they're making the truck faster and the quicker you can get to 60' means quicker over all et lol

07Softail · June 16, 2017

My plan is LTs to 3 inch offroad Y-pipe to 3.5inch pipe to 3.5 IN/OUT muffler and out the same location or point it down.

I want to add power steps but when I called the company they told me that they don't offer for the Double Cab only for the Crew Cab which I found to be stupid as hell. They said that I could cut it to size but I don't want to cut something that I just spent over a grand on. So since it's longer, I'm assuming that it'll hit the exhaust tip where it's located at now. So when I do the new exhaust I'll just point the tip down and the step would extend to where it would possibly go. Check my pics and see what I'm talking about. I haven't seen a Double Cab with power steps. I think it's ridiculous that they would tell me that.

Thats what I have is NON catted ARH's into 3.5" pipe two magnaflows back to back and exit in stock location and loud as shit!

RT

Edited June 16, 2017 by 07Softail

MiamiSilverado1500 · June 16, 2017

Factory tires are 275/55r20. What size do you have now with the 22s? Looks like it's similar to a 285/45 or a 305/40r22... are you 2wd or 4wd? Pretty pricy if you're 4wd as you have to do the front as well. 2wd isn't bad just make sure you get the proper kit/gears.

A stall will help with your 60' time and improve with racing and flooring it off the line. As for towing it might help but from my research I wouldn't recommend anything under 2800 for a stall. Most people that get a stall use it cause they're making the truck faster and the quicker you can get to 60' means quicker over all et lol

Mine is a 2wd with 285/45/22 tires now which comes out to 32.1 inches (I thought it was taller). The 275/55/20 comes out to 31.9 inches. When I did the calculations I realize now that I did it with 30inch starting tires and 33 inch current tires. Now my figures are off so I will have to recalculate.

I do plan on switching my wheels out when my tires are done. I would like to go with 22x10/11 or 20x10/11. I would like to go with a 34inch tire. I plan on running a zero offset because the more negative you go the more strain there will be on various parts (currently I have +19 offset). I know a lift will be required but will only go as high as needed so there isn't any rub. The lift I can perform myself so I'll save on labor there. I'm not trying to hit the ceiling of my parking garage where I live. I have 8inches under my shark fin roof antenna till touching the lowest section of the roof. It's a really low ceiling in my opinion. I personally love the bulldog stance with the extended out wheels but I don't want to damage anything.

When it comes to stall converters I'm a complete noob. I love manual transmissions and really can't tell you anything much about stalls and need to continue to read up and educate myself on them. I don't even know what my stock stall is rated at. I think it's a 3200 but I'm literally shooting that number in the air, I have no clue. I have the 6speed and that's all I know about my trans. I'll admit I wouldn't mind a quicker truck but if it's gonna cost something ridiculous then forget it and I'll just do the gears. Everyone is swearing up and down about 3.73 as the go to all around gears to have for everything from towing to simply having fun.

MiamiSilverado1500 · June 16, 2017

I would suggest you stay away from glasspack. These motors have a lot of potential with high quality exhaust and proper tuning.

This is my exhaust currently. Cut factory exhaust out from the flex pipe back and put a 3" in 3" out borla Pro XS muffler with Summit's corsa replica tips and had a shop weld in 3" piping.

Not trying to sound cocky or rude but I think my exhaust is louder than yours in it's current state based off of what I just heard. My cold starts are noticeably louder and my warm starts are just a hint louder.

MiamiSilverado1500 · June 16, 2017

Thats what I have is NON catted ARH's into 3.5" pipe two magnaflows back to back and exit in stock location and loud as shit!

RT

Ya, and that you have a 6.2 vs my 5.3. I'm sure it's loud as hell.

MiamiSilverado1500 · June 16, 2017

I'll try to make a video this weekend while I'm out of town. I have a double father's day celebration so saturday I'll be with my girlfriend's family and sunday with my family. On saturday we'll be going to Marco Island because he has this restaurant out there that he absolutely loves and hasn't been to in awhile so that's his present along with fishing on the beach with me and his daughter. On that trip I'll be taking my GoPro which I just got and will be learning how to operate tonight. I got lucky and found someone on craigslist selling his whole setup so I got a great deal after looking up the prices.

The whole kit came with :

suction cup mount

small tripod mount with flexible arms

chest plate mount

head mount with adjustable straps

a small hand mount/selfie stick but it doesn't extend out.

Looking forward to making a video this weekend. Probably won't be that good since it'll be my first time.

MiamiSilverado1500 · June 16, 2017

Guys I wanna thank you all for you advice, I really appreciate it honestly. If you guys are ever around Miami look me up and lets grab a beer.

ruby15z71 · June 16, 2017

Mine is a 2wd with 285/45/22 tires now which comes out to 32.1 inches (I thought it was taller). The 275/55/20 comes out to 31.9 inches. When I did the calculations I realize now that I did it with 30inch starting tires and 33 inch current tires. Now my figures are off so I will have to recalculate.

I do plan on switching my wheels out when my tires are done. I would like to go with 22x10/11 or 20x10/11. I would like to go with a 34inch tire. I plan on running a zero offset because the more negative you go the more strain there will be on various parts (currently I have +19 offset). I know a lift will be required but will only go as high as needed so there isn't any rub. The lift I can perform myself so I'll save on labor there. I'm not trying to hit the ceiling of my parking garage where I live. I have 8inches under my shark fin roof antenna till touching the lowest section of the roof. It's a really low ceiling in my opinion. I personally love the bulldog stance with the extended out wheels but I don't want to damage anything.

When it comes to stall converters I'm a complete noob. I love manual transmissions and really can't tell you anything much about stalls and need to continue to read up and educate myself on them. I don't even know what my stock stall is rated at. I think it's a 3200 but I'm literally shooting that number in the air, I have no clue. I have the 6speed and that's all I know about my trans. I'll admit I wouldn't mind a quicker truck but if it's gonna cost something ridiculous then forget it and I'll just do the gears. Everyone is swearing up and down about 3.73 as the go to all around gears to have for everything from towing to simply having fun.

Well unless you go with street wheels you will not find a 10 or 11 wide in the truck wheels that are going to be a positive offset. 11 wides are very rare and Only ones if seen 11 wide are American forces with a 0 offset... 10 wides are typically a -24 or -25mm offset. I currently run a 2.25" leveling kit with 305/45r22 on 22x10 -25 hostile wheels. It runs but only a little. You go with a 20x9 or 22x9 positive offset wheel you can clear 34s with just a 2.5" leveling kit. Plenty have done it. As for gears of you have 3.42 stocks you can up to 3.73s if you want but no need.

ruby15z71 · June 16, 2017

Not trying to sound cocky or rude but I think my exhaust is louder than yours in it's current state based off of what I just heard. My cold starts are noticeably louder and my warm starts are just a hint louder.

Yes yours is probably louder. I chose this cause it has a nice deep tone but not too loud. YouTube Silverado with carven exhaust or black widow exhaust. You'll see how loud they are. One video I remember has a truck with long tubes and carven mufflers and its loud as hell.

ruby15z71 · June 16, 2017

Ya, and that you have a 6.2 vs my 5.3. I'm sure it's loud as hell.

6.2 and 5.3 really don't have much exhaust tone difference. Pretty similar from what I've heard.

MiamiSilverado1500 · June 17, 2017

Well unless you go with street wheels you will not find a 10 or 11 wide in the truck wheels that are going to be a positive offset. 11 wides are very rare and Only ones if seen 11 wide are American forces with a 0 offset... 10 wides are typically a -24 or -25mm offset. I currently run a 2.25" leveling kit with 305/45r22 on 22x10 -25 hostile wheels. It runs but only a little. You go with a 20x9 or 22x9 positive offset wheel you can clear 34s with just a 2.5" leveling kit. Plenty have done it. As for gears of you have 3.42 stocks you can up to 3.73s if you want but no need.

Definitely don't want to go positive. Zero or negative offset only. I personally live the -44 look but will definitely need to lift higher and don't want to risk hitting the ceiling of my parking garage. I have 8 inches till I touch the lowest point. I would like to not go higher than a 4-4.5in lift. Will go with 2in add-a-leafs and add an additional leaf for 2.5-3in rear lift. I like at least a little rake. I'll add spindles to the front so that everything is properly aligned geometrically so no advance wear on parts due to new angles.

Right now just concerned with the intake and exhaust work. I still have plenty of life in my tires so the new wheels and lift will come much later.