Choosing headers

[crackerjack1957]

Here is a recent write up proving long tubes make more power & torque down low & thru-out power band.
http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/engine/129-0910-gibson-short-vs-stainless-long-headers/

 

[Nick@GotExhaust]

Here is a recent write up proving long tubes make more power & torque down low & thru-out power band.
http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/engine/129-0910-gibson-short-vs-stainless-long-headers/

Also shows how much of difference LT's make over the shorties. look at the minimal gains of the shorties, then look at the nice gains of LT's not only over stock but over shorties. NOW couple that with additional bolt ons to get more air flowing like an intake, throttle body etc...with proper tuning and the numbers keep going up and up. Plus the the y-pipe is a major restriction, the way it was designed it does not flow well at all. So the new y pipe that you would get with the LT's is part of the solution. Shorties keeps the restrictive y pipe which I want to add that the RAM 5.7 y pipe is a worse design than it is for the GM truck motors.

 

[Casper]

Not to thread jack or anything, but is this a pretty common problem on these trucks? The exhaust manifold bolts rusting out? I noticed a pretty pronounced ticking sound a few months ago and took the truck to get checked out, shop said my exhaust manifold and bolts were rusted with some holes in them. I'm also currently looking at just replacing the whole deal with a set of decent headers and calling it a day, but wasn't sure if that's the best fix for the problem or not.

Is there any risk to driving around with a leak in the exhaust manifolds?

***
Not rust at all. Aluminum engine, iron exhaust manifold. Dissimilar metals expand and contract at different rates. Bolts get stretched to fatigue point over time and break.

 

[Casper]

Not to thread jack or anything, but is this a pretty common problem on these trucks? The exhaust manifold bolts rusting out? I noticed a pretty pronounced ticking sound a few months ago and took the truck to get checked out, shop said my exhaust manifold and bolts were rusted with some holes in them. I'm also currently looking at just replacing the whole deal with a set of decent headers and calling it a day, but wasn't sure if that's the best fix for the problem or not.

Is there any risk to driving around with a leak in the exhaust manifolds?

xxxx
No one seems prepared to answer that.....
I'm hearing a rattle from a heat shield at start-up so I'm thinking I've got the same problem (for the second time).
It seals within seconds so I don't think there is any short term risk of exhaust valves warping or loss of scavenging, and cylinder temp and pressure differentials would not become an issue unless the gap between head and exhaust manifold didn't seal for instance if a series of bolts broke...?

 

[Aeon23]

xxxx
No one seems prepared to answer that.....
I'm hearing a rattle from a heat shield at start-up so I'm thinking I've got the same problem (for the second time).
It seals within seconds so I don't think there is any short term risk of exhaust valves warping or loss of scavenging, and cylinder temp and pressure differentials would not become an issue unless the gap between head and exhaust manifold didn't seal for instance if a series of bolts broke...?

Hmm... maybe I should pull my wheels off and take a look myself then. Shop told me it was rusted with some holes in it, but your point about the metals used makes more sense... I'm wondering if i actually do have a few snapped bolts and the manifolds don't have a good seal against the motor. I can definitely hear some ticking that sounds to me anyway like it's coming from the exhaust valves... It's been like that now for about a year. I guess I'll have to investigate further myself.

 

[RedSRT4Me]

I run aFe 1 3/4 LT's and I didn't lose any power at any rpm. One of the single biggest bangs for the buck. I gained power at all rpms.

Im not selling anyone on anything. But one reason I went aFe instead of ARH is because of price and cat location on the y-pipe. Since aFe puts the driver side cat right behind the header the truck does not throw a cel. It's nice that I can show up for emissions and leave passing without changing anything.

 

[2010 Infantry Vet]

I run aFe 1 3/4 LT's and I didn't lose any power at any rpm. One of the single biggest bangs for the buck. I gained power at all rpms.

Im not selling anyone on anything. But one reason I went aFe instead of ARH is because of price and cat location on the y-pipe. Since aFe puts the driver side cat right behind the header the truck does not throw a cel. It's nice that I can show up for emissions and leave passing without changing anything.

I agree. The aFe is a better design than the ARH

 

[Nick@GotExhaust]

We offer 2 LT's that I think would be the best options for you and give the least chance of a CEL

AFE
https://gotexhaust.com/i-23168485-a...t-series-twisted-steel-header-and-y-pipe.html

OR

Kooks with green cats
https://gotexhaust.com/i-23687933-kooks-custom-headers-35102201-long-tube-headers.html
https://gotexhaust.com/i-23687938-kooks-custom-headers-35103302-green-catted-y-pipe.html

 

[Casper]

deleted

 

[Casper]

Hmm... maybe I should pull my wheels off and take a look myself then. Shop told me it was rusted with some holes in it, but your point about the metals used makes more sense... I'm wondering if i actually do have a few snapped bolts and the manifolds don't have a good seal against the motor. I can definitely hear some ticking that sounds to me anyway like it's coming from the exhaust valves... It's been like that now for about a year. I guess I'll have to investigate further myself.

xxxx

New
Typically if its only one or even two bolts the tick goes away quickly after start-up as the metal heats and expands and remaining bolts snug it up.

The injectors and lifters make a fair amount of ticking noise new off the lot and that has had a lot of Hemi owners looking for non-existing problems. Of course, there is also the hemi-tick which is supposed to be from lifter noise / cam wear caused by a lack of Moly in many varieties of the light-weight oil that FCA requires.

 

[78Staff]

I'll be honest I was shocked as the cost for AR Headers for our 5.7's... Now that could be just b/c I haven't bought a set of headers in 25 years though . Still, approaching 2K for a set of headers just seems over the top.

 

[blade]

i like my bbk shorty ceramic coated. made truck sound meaner and torquer down low. look great too. almost a year old and look exactly like the day i put em in
that them in my pic to the right the left way chrome sent them back

 

[blade]

here is dyno chart w bbk shorty

 

[theviking]

If you look at the construction of ARH headers (or Kooks, SW), it's pretty obviously where the money goes. Yes they are definitely expensive compared to mass produced Chinese stuff, but IMO it's not a ripoff when you consider the work that goes into making these and factoring in US labor.

 

[2010 Infantry Vet]

If you look at the construction of ARH headers (or Kooks, SW), it's pretty obviously where the money goes. Yes they are definitely expensive compared to mass produced Chinese stuff, but IMO it's not a ripoff when you consider the work that goes into making these and factoring in US labor.

Still no way in hell im paying almost $2K for long tube headers that only add 23rwhp. Save that money for a blower.

 

[2010 Infantry Vet]

Need to fix bolts so doing header while in there. What brand have you guys used? Anyone try out anything besides jba, afe? Not looking to brake the banks but also don’t want to wast money on junk. Getting tired of hearing the tick.

These are just as good of headers as the $2,000 long tubes (ARH, AFE) But not as high a grade of stainless (but still stainless).
They will get a little surface rust, but they are headers. Who cares. They aren’t going to rust thru and get holes in them.

 

[78Staff]

These are just as good of headers as the $2,000 long tubes (ARH, AFE) But not as high a grade of stainless (but still stainless).
They will get a little surface rust, but they are headers. Who cares. They aren’t going to rust thru and get holes in them.

View attachment 143097

Yeah that's getting more realistic in pricing... thanks.

 

[theviking]

Still no way in hell im paying almost $2K for long tube headers that only add 23rwhp. Save that money for a blower.

I'm not saying it's better value-add than a blower or many other mods. But if you have no other choice (like the 6.4 HD guys), or have some other reason to want/need headers, they are the best you can buy. Zero issues with fitment, never cracked one, they don't rust, and they work as advertised.

 

[Pull Ya]

Before you make your decision I would suggest you call Matt at Moe's Performance and talk to him about headers and what he would recommend. He sells various types from various manufactures. He clearly has more experience than anyone that has posted recently on this thread.
Jay

 

[theviking]

These are just as good of headers as the $2,000 long tubes (ARH, AFE) But not as high a grade of stainless (but still stainless).
They will get a little surface rust, but they are headers. Who cares. They aren’t going to rust thru and get holes in them.

Well that's not the impression I got from Matt or others who sell both. If you Google "jba ram truck header fitment issues" it's pretty obvious the JBA's are not always perfect. I'm not comparing or arguing value and HP gains for each. I'm just saying "just as good" is not really a fair statement. It's Chinese massed produced stuff compared to hand built American made stuff. There is a difference.