Long tube headers

[Damian Nieto]

I have a 2003 4.8 Silverado and I’m having a hard time finding long tube headers for it was wondering if anyone has any suggestions 

[bubbanbrenda]

https://speedzone-web.com/products/speed-engineering-truck-suv-1-3-4-longtube-headers-1999-2006-m2Speed Engineering is my go to, 4.8, 5.3 and 6.0 all use the same headers.

 

Edited May 12, 2023 by bubbanbrenda
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[Damian Nieto]

I saw those but the price threw me off wasn’t sure if they would be cheaply made or something like that 

[CamGTP]

Of course they are cheaply made at this price point but that doesn't mean they are bad headers.

Those headers do the same thing as the kooks headers than cost well over $1,000. Some just hate slip fits and making them work sometimes.

[dna9656]

What's the advantage of long tube headers VS standard length; or is he referring to standard length VS Short Tube models? I read the ad, seems like a killer price for stainless steel! No provision for oxygen sensors, not legal for street use.

Edited May 12, 2023 by dna9656

[Grumpy Bear]

8 minutes ago, dna9656 said:

What's the advantage of long tube headers VS standard length; or is he referring to standard length VS Short Tube models? I read the ad, seems like a killer price for stainless steel! No provision for oxygen sensors, not legal for street use.

 

Tube length and size determine the 'shape' of the torque curve and rpm they are most effective at. For street systems it more a matter of more flow period, aka reduced back pressure. Tunned lengths are canceled by cats and mufflers. More of an open exhaust using a  collector thing. 

 

Bungs for O2 sensors can be added easy enough. Some banded and some weld in. 

[CamGTP]

It has 3 o2 sensor spots, did you look at the pictures?

 

You can run 2 upstream sensors and a wideband in the drivers side y-pipe section. Or you can weld in cats with 2 more o2 sensors. Nothing is technically street legal without CARB certs, that has never stopped us from modding our vehicles.

[dna9656]

I wonder if the EPA wouldn't balk at something like an O2 sensor being added by the user VS the manufacturer.

[dna9656]

Guess I missed that. I did read the description before looking at the pic much, I assumed there were no provisions for O 2 sensors after reading the disclaimer at the bottom. I assumed the only reason the EPA would object was no O2 sensors.

Edited May 13, 2023 by dna9656

[CamGTP]

It's hard for the EPA to object because someone could put a carburetor on their LS engine that is installed in a classic car that never had them.

 

Currently the only thing people that sells these have is saying offroad use only. We know and the EPA knows that that doesn't stop people from putting them on their daily drivers.

[Grumpy Bear]

You can tax it out of existence. 

You can price it out of existence. 

You can legislate it out of existence. 

You can remove it from existence via fatal flaw.

You can design obsolescence to drive it to extinction. 

You can refuse to support you hard and software to extinction.

 

IMHO GM is about die by its own hand. 

 

 Car Brands with the Most (and Fewest) Recalls | Reader's Digest (rd.com)

 

Note who is at the top of the list for MOST? 

 

I've had more recalls on my last 3 GM's that all other makes combine over a lifetime of ownership. Every one of them avoidable at the design stage of production. I'm convinced GM has no real future. They've been killing it for decades on Mark at a time, one model at a time. 

 

This is where the aftermarket makes it bread and butter. It supports what the OEM's don't or won't and finds workarounds for attempts of others to force purchase of the new and extinction of the former. They are why an antique and special interest vehicle markets even exist. 

 

 

Edited May 13, 2023 by Grumpy Bear

[Damian Nieto]

What about the size 1 3/4 vs 1 7/8?

[Grumpy Bear]

3 hours ago, Damian Nieto said:

What about the size 1 3/4 vs 1 7/8?

 

There are formulas for all this but in general terms the diameter is matched to the cylinder volume. Bigger cylinders get bigger tubes. There are even situations where one might consider a stepped tube. 

 

What people loose on this topic is that a header is tuned to a very narrow rpm band. Less than 500 rpm wide. On the street this is mute where you cruise at 1500 but tow perhaps at 4000. But backpressure reduction is the major goal on the street. 

 

 

Edited May 13, 2023 by Grumpy Bear
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[CamGTP]

On a stock engine you won't notice a difference between tube sizes, it's not flowing enough exhaust to matter. If you added a bigger camshaft, better flowing heads and all that then the larger tubes would be better and if you did forced induction. You want all the flow then.