Kook's Longtube Header pics and a few questions

[RobZ71LM7]

 

 

Installed! I'll take more pics later, I didn't take any during the install since I was in a hurry to finish up and put some miles on the truck before Lewis took off for the weekend. I'm going on a good drive tomorrow to the lake and back and want to wait to do a full evaluation until then, but overall I'm pretty happy.

[iCryWheniGoPoop]

How you liking the sound through magnaflow? Quiet on highway?

 

 

Sent from Off Driller Side

[Spurshot]

Installed! I'll take more pics later, I didn't take any during the install since I was in a hurry to finish up and put some miles on the truck before Lewis took off for the weekend. I'm going on a good drive tomorrow to the lake and back and want to wait to do a full evaluation until then, but overall I'm pretty happy.

 

Awesome, Rob.

Can you describe the install? Did you have to raise the engine off the mounts, etc.? I'd appreciate some pics of the right side to see how close it is to other components as well. Thanks much.

[Spurshot]

Well when I do decide to get headers, I will have to figure out a way to get them to CA.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Order them in a Nevada store and drive over the border to pick them up.

[iCryWheniGoPoop]

 

Awesome, Rob.

Can you describe the install? Did you have to raise the engine off the mounts, etc.? I'd appreciate some pics of the right side to see how close it is to other components as well. Thanks much.

They go in real easy, dropped passenger in from top and driver up from bottom, didn't have to remove steering shaft or or front driveshaft or anything. Y pipe was super easy as well.

 

Only issue is stock Y pipe and it's not bad, if you don't want to cut it up you have to remove the trans cross member.

 

I did install in under 3 hours rolling my fat ass around on the floor with truck on the ground, I have above average tools but nothing special.

 

 

 

 

Sent from Off Driller Side

[RobZ71LM7]

They go in real easy, dropped passenger in from top and driver up from bottom, didn't have to remove steering shaft or or front driveshaft or anything. Y pipe was super easy as well.

 

Only issue is stock Y pipe and it's not bad, if you don't want to cut it up you have to remove the trans cross member.

 

I did install in under 3 hours rolling my fat ass around on the floor with truck on the ground, I have above average tools but nothing special.

 

 

 

 

Sent from Off Driller Side

 

 

 

Awesome, Rob.

Can you describe the install? Did you have to raise the engine off the mounts, etc.? I'd appreciate some pics of the right side to see how close it is to other components as well. Thanks much.

 

 

Yup very easy. It was nothing like longtubes on my old f-body which required jacking the motor after loosening mounts. I removed the steering shaft but it really wasn't needed. (I tend to always remove more things than needed because I like room and I didn't want to risk nicking the header sealing surface)

 

Here were my steps:

 

1) disconnect battery (working close to starter)

2) remove dipstick (remove bolt from valve cover, clean around penetration first and seal hole to prevent contamination, pulls out easily, note o-ring on dipstick)

3) remove passenger side heater hose bracket from valve cover

4) remove all four O2 sensors (passenger side precat O2 was the worst access but not bad)

5) remove 3 nuts on each manifold connecting factory y

6) remove clamp at outlet of y to catback

7) move factory tranny crossmember to drop y or cut it up (I used a sawzall)

8) remove plug wires

9) remove 5 header bolts on each side and pull out the old manifolds

10) I dropped in both headers from the top-so much clearance it's a joke-they almost want to fall out

 

The worst part-don't laugh were the gaskets. The Cometics matched the ports perfectly but the bolt hole pattern was off slightly versus GM gaskets and the headers. This made it a pain to get the header bolts in, but I got it done. I used a liberal coating of anti-sieze and torqued in 3 stages, center out, to 25 ft-lbs. No leaks!

 

I'm going to jack it up tomorrow to weld in the bung for the wideband and add another muffler/resonator-I'll get a bunch of pics then.

[iCryWheniGoPoop]

 

 

I'm going to jack it up tomorrow to weld in the bung for the wideband and add another muffler/resonator-I'll get a bunch of pics then.

Uh oh... Is the large bodied Magnaflow to loud?

 

 

Sent from Off Driller Side

[RobZ71LM7]

How you liking the sound through magnaflow? Quiet on highway?

 

 

Sent from Off Driller Side

 

 

It sounds awesome and isn't as obnoxious as I feared. I went on a decent highway trip today with the wife. It's not bad, but a little louder than I would for a longer trip like considering I'll be towing in the future (higher load-more noise anticipated) and the fact this muffler will likely breakin and get louder. I have some resonance but it's mild. With 3.42 gears once you're at and above 75 it's alittle louder than I'd like. It's hard to describe since this is so subjective.

 

Tomorrow I'm going to add a Magnaflow 14159 race muffler upstream of my big magnaflow to act as a resonator. It arrived today, gotta love Amazon overnight shipping. It's a race muffler that's 6" in diameter and 6" long, 12" long overall.

[RobZ71LM7]

My towing today only consisted of pulling my boat from the storage unit to the ramp and back which is 1 mile round trip. I didn't get a chance to pull it on the highway.

[RobZ71LM7]

Hopefully the race muffler doesn't make it too quiet, but it's very small.

[iCryWheniGoPoop]

I like where you are going, I'm betting you and I are close on what we want for sound and levels. I'm gonna wait till your done experimenting before I do mine.

 

I prefer more of a sleeper sound that has a deep rumble to it and easy on the ears when cruising with the family but has a nice tight note under full throttle. Most people on this board think that shoving exhaust sound in your face makes the truck sound fast. Bleeding ears don't do it for me and it's the one that sounds corked but thumps the ground that you need to be worried about.

 

 

Sent from Off Driller Side

[iCryWheniGoPoop]

Hopefully the race muffler doesn't make it too quiet, but it's very small.

Were you able to get your exhaust lined out yet?

 

 

Sent from Off Driller Side

[sahls01gmc]

Man I really want some headers now!

 

Looks great!

[RobZ71LM7]

Were you able to get your exhaust lined out yet?

 

 

Sent from Off Driller Side

 

 

 

 

Mostly. I'm delayed a little because I thought my coworker had 98-2 gas on hand that I could mig SS with, but he didn't. I ended up clamping the small magnaflow just upstream of the big one. Nice improvement and I'm done in terms of mufflers minus some welding. I don't mind two clamps in the system, but four is too much-the little muffler including the slits I cut to aid in clamping is getting welded up.

 

The exhaust sounds great. It's just very deep and roughness/rasp is gone. It still sounds very, very deep and has the sound of headers including valve noise at idle and low RPM's but it's more subdued under non stressed driving. Driving at 75-80 with the cruise on is no longer annoying. The wife noticed a difference and didn't find it annoying when we went to dinner. I just wish that little magnaflow wasn't so expensive, but it was very effective for its size. I didn't find many mufflers that could fit in that small a space as 12-14" was my longest straight run with clearance upstream of the main muffler.

 

I'm going to install the wideband tomorrow if it doesn't rain. I plan to place the wideband just downstream of the merge in the Y and run the cable across the tranny crossmember and into the cabin via the parking break grommet in the driver's side floor pan. I got an AEM wideband. I promise I'll get more pics for those interested-just haven't had the time. I'll try to get some videos too.

 

I forgot to add the only fit issue I had was with the passenger side header. One of the primary tubes made contact with the black plastic shield on the bellhousing that seals it with the starter. I simply clearanced it via trimming with a fresh razor blade.

[BlueSS2003]

Nice, just did the same headers but I bought the Y pipe with cats. I also went ahead and orders the Corsa exhaust. After installing everything i learned that Corsa + Kooks LTH is a bit too loud for my liking. I need to tame it down a bit.

 

Also to anybody wanting to install headers, please and i say please go with Kooks or ARH. I had pacesetters before and i hated them. Fitment was awful, it rattled as the Y pipe was too close to the transmission support. Happy i went with Kooks!