Cat & header recommendation

[ChrisJones]

My first upgrade into my new truck is gonna be a new exhaust system along with a cold air intake. I want to run true duals through some carvene r series but i'm not sure how to go about picking cats and headers. I have a 600 budget on them alone but i'm gonna be needing some advice.

Thanks in advance.
Chris

 

[Mohpar]

Basically 3 styles of header:

-Shorty = good city driving, cruising, low end power gains, bolts up to stock exhaust

-Midlength = best bet, especially on modded engines, full exhaust redo needed and pricy

-Longtube = good wide open throttle headers, loud, full exhaust redo needed, can kill low end power on a stock truck

Going to advise you to get some nice shorties. Take a look at Gibson or JBA. That'll save you room for cats where I'd look at DynoMax. Ideally you'd leave cats off and run shorties and those carvens (good stuff).

You'll also want to remember to get good hardware.

I run Stage 8's locking bolts kit and Percy's Seal-4-Good metal gaskets, no pesky exhaust leaks.

If you want links let me know and I'll pull them up

 

[ChrisJones]

Basically 3 styles of header:

-Shorty = good city driving, cruising, low end power gains, bolts up to stock exhaust

-Midlength = best bet, especially on modded engines, full exhaust redo needed and pricy

-Longtube = good wide open throttle headers, loud, full exhaust redo needed, can kill low end power on a stock truck

Going to advise you to get some nice shorties. Take a look at Gibson or JBA. That'll save you room for cats where I'd look at DynoMax. Ideally you'd leave cats off and run shorties and those carvens (good stuff).

You'll also want to remember to get good hardware.

I run Stage 8's locking bolts kit and Percy's Seal-4-Good metal gaskets, no pesky exhaust leaks.

If you want links let me know and I'll pull them up

Okay that sounds good. (My complete lack of exhaust knowledge is showing) See I was thinking that cats were absolutely required but I guess thats NC inspections drilling that into my head. I now live in SC so would leaving the cats off open up the budget for me to get better hedders? Only thing that may worry me is would a muffler shop even work on the truck without a cat seeing as it's federal law? I don't have the tools to do this work so someone else will have too. Links would be awesome!

 

[ChrisJones]

Also I was curious about running cut outs just for the noise every once and awhile but if i'm running duals would that mean I need to have a cutout on each pipe or could I just run one on one side?

 

[dapepper9]

I recommend JBA over Gibson strictly for installation ease. If you want dual carven R series "mufflers" (i have one its just a can lol) you're definitely going to want to go with shortys (350-400, get stainless so they last, an x pipe, and cats because the smallest size offered is 2.5" and 2.25" disks is too much flow on a pretty much stock truck like i assume yours is based on the cold air intake and exhaust. Cutouts just make it go from a system with a muffler to a system without at the press of a button. Waste of money with a carven r series. You'll never use it and the carven sounds better anyways.

Skip the cold air intake unless you're doing it for the sound. Offers no performance gain other than the cotton filter unless you get a volant with the ram-air scoop. Much easier and cheaper to either build your own or simply swap in a drop in cotton filter

 

[MagSport]

Okay that sounds good. (My complete lack of exhaust knowledge is showing) See I was thinking that cats were absolutely required but I guess thats NC inspections drilling that into my head. I now live in SC so would leaving the cats off open up the budget for me to get better hedders? Only thing that may worry me is would a muffler shop even work on the truck without a cat seeing as it's federal law? I don't have the tools to do this work so someone else will have too. Links would be awesome!

Any exhaust shop around where I live will do anything you want as long as you have the green. I know many people who don't run cats but have had their exhaust systems set up at exhaust shops, so you're good there wether you decide to lose or keep the cats.

 

[Mohpar]

Okay that sounds good. (My complete lack of exhaust knowledge is showing) See I was thinking that cats were absolutely required but I guess thats NC inspections drilling that into my head. I now live in SC so would leaving the cats off open up the budget for me to get better hedders? Only thing that may worry me is would a muffler shop even work on the truck without a cat seeing as it's federal law? I don't have the tools to do this work so someone else will have too. Links would be awesome!

Also I was curious about running cut outs just for the noise every once and awhile but if i'm running duals would that mean I need to have a cutout on each pipe or could I just run one on one side?

Like others said, you need cats to pass an inspection in most places, but other than that usually ok to run without them. Headers and mufflers on your dual exhaust will be plenty loud (I have the same - shorties, no cats, flowmaster 40), but if you wanted to do cutouts, more power to you.

You would need to do them on both sides, I would say just before the mufflers have the cutouts. I really, honestly doubt you'll want them though.

SO if you have the inspection taken care of, and decide to get JBA stainless headers as dapepper reccommended, have an exhaust shop do some true dual to the carven, you be set up pretty sweet

You'll even have a little bit of $ left over for something else.

 

[MagSport]

By the way, no inspections in SC

 

[dapepper9]

Have you heard Carven on these trucks? Far as i know I'm the only one with video of it. I seriously doubt you'll want cutouts. They'd be useless

 

[ChrisJones]

Have you heard Carven on these trucks? Far as i know I'm the only one with video of it. I seriously doubt you'll want cutouts. They'd be useless

True, I just kinda thought it would be cool to have if I ever wanted to play around with.

 

[ChrisJones]

Any exhaust shop around where I live will do anything you want as long as you have the green. I know many people who don't run cats but have had their exhaust systems set up at exhaust shops, so you're good there wether you decide to lose or keep the cats.

You wouldn't happen to live in the greenville area would you? If so do you have any shops you would recommend?

By the way, no inspections in SC

I'm actually aware of this, I guess my time in NC just instilled that idea of needing cats.

 

[ChrisJones]

Like others said, you need cats to pass an inspection in most places, but other than that usually ok to run without them. Headers and mufflers on your dual exhaust will be plenty loud (I have the same - shorties, no cats, flowmaster 40), but if you wanted to do cutouts, more power to you.

You would need to do them on both sides, I would say just before the mufflers have the cutouts. I really, honestly doubt you'll want them though.

SO if you have the inspection taken care of, and decide to get JBA stainless headers as dapepper reccommended, have an exhaust shop do some true dual to the carven, you be set up pretty sweet

You'll even have a little bit of $ left over for something else.

Thanks for the help mate!

 

[dapepper9]

True, I just kinda thought it would be cool to have if I ever wanted to play around with.

Crappy quick vid of my truck with a single Carven R
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RniDeUnm-wI

 

[MagSport]

You wouldn't happen to live in the greenville area would you? If so do you have any shops you would recommend?



I'm actually aware of this, I guess my time in NC just instilled that idea of needing cats.

Browns muffler shop on Anderson road I think? There's also Sextons in cherrydale, and a bunch of people I know go to a muffler shop somewhere in Greer. I live in Greenville during the summer and Christmas but I'm actually at school here in Clemson.

 

[BBartow]

Any exhaust shop around where I live will do anything you want as long as you have the green. I know many people who don't run cats but have had their exhaust systems set up at exhaust shops, so you're good there wether you decide to lose or keep the cats.

That's sketchy

Crappy quick vid of my truck with a single Carven R
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RniDeUnm-wI

Maggy sounded better imo

 

[dapepper9]

That's sketchy



Maggy sounded better imo

It's smooth like the maggy but under hard throttle my motor sounds way more built than it is lol

 

[MagSport]

That's sketchy







Maggy sounded better imo

Egh without emissions here they're really not. I doubt they would do something like hood stacks. But fabbing an exhaust system less-cats isn't that uncommon for old hillbilly-machines around here that the redneck kids drive to school.

 

[Mohpar]

By the way, no inspections in SC

Lucky ducks.

Mine was due in December. Gotta take the tint off, get the exhaust leaks plugged, argue with the inspectors about my headlights (black housing, clear lens, they always fight me on it), rear license plate light, the list is long.