Earlier this year I installed Gibson headers GP316S on the my Ram 4.7 and an Airaid 302-232 cold air intake. I’m now getting around to posting this write-up. The Airraid install was very simple, the instructions were detailed and easy to follow. The majority of my time was consumed with the headers, which I expected. The Gibson instructions weren’t as helpful.
For the project I purchased Gibson stainless steel headers over the cheaper chrome plated ones. I also purchased Mopar gaskets (53034030AC - L; 53034029AD - R) based on the recommendation from Nick at Air Ram. In addition, I purchased Stage 8 locking fasteners (#8916) and SAE Grade 8 washers to prevent loose bolts or leaks in the future.
The Gibson method is to remove and install the headers from under the truck, I instead chose to remove the fender liners and work from each side of the engine. I had more access and visibility, but it was still challenging at times. On the left side, I did have to remove the starter, I couldn’t wrestle the new header into place around the starter. I did not remove the steering shaft as instructed by Gibson, I was able to work around it. The 10 year old bolts came out quite easily after soaking overnight with penetrating oil. I cleaned the surface of the heads with a gasket scraper first and then a razor blade scraper. I highly recommend running a bolt into each hole before installing the gasket and header to check for contamination in the threads. After installing 7 of the 8 bolts on the driver’s side I had to remove the header because the last bolt hole wasn’t clean. The Mopar gaskets are a 2 piece design - a thin steel plate that seals against the head and a fiber piece that seals the header. Before installing the Stage 8 bolts, I coated the threads in high temp copper anti-seize. Several of the bolts were difficult to install around the pipes, patience pays off here. I was only able to use a torque wrench with 4 or 5 of the bolts on either header. I would highly recommend offset box end wrenches for the tighter areas. After the bolts were tight I installed the locking tabs and clips on the bolts. I had to double check that I installed the locking tab on the correct side of the bolt to properly “lock” it in place if it backs out. They take some patience to install, but it sure beats checking for loose bolts periodically.
The header kit came with new hardware to connect the exhaust pipes to the headers, but I reused the cage nuts from the factory manifolds. There isn’t much space around the catalytic converters, making it difficult to tighten the bolts and hold a back-up wrench. The cage nut and its retaining clip stayed in place to torque the bolts. Gibson provided 2 pieces of heat wrap to protect the heater hoses on the right side and the steering shaft on the left. I used the supplier heat wrap on the steering shaft and secured it with a few zip ties. The pieces weren’t very long and wouldn’t cover the length of the heater hoses that I wanted, so I bought an adhesive backed piece at the auto parts store that was longer. The adhesive was a trick to work with, but it made a tighter wrap around the hoses. I zip tied the hoses to one of the valve cover bolts to secure it away from the header.
The headers improved the throttle response and I can feel the added power, but it’s not the same impact you would feel with a tuner and cold air intake. Headers are a great addition to a full performance exhaust and definitely necessary if forced induction is planned in the future. My long term plan is Magnaflow high flow catalytic converters with a Y pipe and Corsa db cat back exhaust. Headers will allow the full potential of any performance exhaust, while adding more horsepower and torque.
For the project I purchased Gibson stainless steel headers over the cheaper chrome plated ones. I also purchased Mopar gaskets (53034030AC - L; 53034029AD - R) based on the recommendation from Nick at Air Ram. In addition, I purchased Stage 8 locking fasteners (#8916) and SAE Grade 8 washers to prevent loose bolts or leaks in the future.
The Gibson method is to remove and install the headers from under the truck, I instead chose to remove the fender liners and work from each side of the engine. I had more access and visibility, but it was still challenging at times. On the left side, I did have to remove the starter, I couldn’t wrestle the new header into place around the starter. I did not remove the steering shaft as instructed by Gibson, I was able to work around it. The 10 year old bolts came out quite easily after soaking overnight with penetrating oil. I cleaned the surface of the heads with a gasket scraper first and then a razor blade scraper. I highly recommend running a bolt into each hole before installing the gasket and header to check for contamination in the threads. After installing 7 of the 8 bolts on the driver’s side I had to remove the header because the last bolt hole wasn’t clean. The Mopar gaskets are a 2 piece design - a thin steel plate that seals against the head and a fiber piece that seals the header. Before installing the Stage 8 bolts, I coated the threads in high temp copper anti-seize. Several of the bolts were difficult to install around the pipes, patience pays off here. I was only able to use a torque wrench with 4 or 5 of the bolts on either header. I would highly recommend offset box end wrenches for the tighter areas. After the bolts were tight I installed the locking tabs and clips on the bolts. I had to double check that I installed the locking tab on the correct side of the bolt to properly “lock” it in place if it backs out. They take some patience to install, but it sure beats checking for loose bolts periodically.
The header kit came with new hardware to connect the exhaust pipes to the headers, but I reused the cage nuts from the factory manifolds. There isn’t much space around the catalytic converters, making it difficult to tighten the bolts and hold a back-up wrench. The cage nut and its retaining clip stayed in place to torque the bolts. Gibson provided 2 pieces of heat wrap to protect the heater hoses on the right side and the steering shaft on the left. I used the supplier heat wrap on the steering shaft and secured it with a few zip ties. The pieces weren’t very long and wouldn’t cover the length of the heater hoses that I wanted, so I bought an adhesive backed piece at the auto parts store that was longer. The adhesive was a trick to work with, but it made a tighter wrap around the hoses. I zip tied the hoses to one of the valve cover bolts to secure it away from the header.
The headers improved the throttle response and I can feel the added power, but it’s not the same impact you would feel with a tuner and cold air intake. Headers are a great addition to a full performance exhaust and definitely necessary if forced induction is planned in the future. My long term plan is Magnaflow high flow catalytic converters with a Y pipe and Corsa db cat back exhaust. Headers will allow the full potential of any performance exhaust, while adding more horsepower and torque.