WrenchDoctor
Junior Member
Long read ahead for those who relish in the details like i do. Paragraph three for those who prefer just the bottom line on TSP headers and the last paragraph for the numbers;
I have a 2015, 5.7, 8hp70, 4wd with about 114,500miles. I had been dealing with the annoying exhaust leak for a while and it was getting bad. I feel like i am/was in the same boat as many of you who undoubtedly lurk these forums looking for advise; not wanting to break the bank to get a permanent solution to this stupid problem that shouldn't exist in the first place. Short tubes seem to have quality issues across the board and the better ones are approaching the long tube territory in cost which makes it a hard sell for me.
I found the TSP long tube setup which is mostly all inclusive for an extremely attractive price compared to the ARH, Kooks and SW options and wound up pulling the trigger on them. Being in the LS (F-body and Corvette) world, I know they are great quality with a solid reputation. This isnt a run of the mill chinesium parts peddler who will orphan you as soon as they get your money. They answer questions and are active in forums, and are generally a great company to deal with. I added the bolts, gaskets (Mahle) and O2 extensions. The only thing i hate about them is that they are 2" primaries which are the worst choice (imo) for a truck w/no track aspirations. Even though the power is secondary to the exhaust fix in my head, id rather have smaller primaries to get better torque numbers for my troubles. However, it's not an option, and it wasnt worth the $1k price increase to go the the other brands so thats a compromise im happy to live with. Afterall, I really just want my vehicle to NOT sound like a Perkins diesel when i crank it up.
Fitment is perfect. No beating and banging. Even with a header wrap making the headers slightly thicker than they start out, they mostly slid right into place. The bottom bolts are a pain to get tightened but with a few wrench and socket options available in 3/8 and 1/4" drive i was able to get it all buttoned up with minimal bad words uttered. The drivers side is the hardest part and thats because of the oil dipstick. I carefully rerouted it out of the way of the headers. Bent the mounting tab, opened the hole, and relocated it to the top of the shock tower. I'll have to reach farther down to check my oil in the future and it clearly looks out of place, but its alright where it is. The exhaust hooked right back up to my factory cat back with maybe a 2" trimmed off one pipe. Super clean install. The rear O2 sensors (for me) needed an extra extension OVER what TSP provided which i got ordered from Amazon for half the price of the TSP option. Hindsight is 20/20, my fault for not checking.
I had a total of 4 broken studs, with a 5th breaking on the way out. Only 2 were flush with the block, and I was able to weld a nut onto them and back them out with minimal problem/s. While i had it down i replaced the plugs and boots, PCV valve (that it didnt really need), transmission fluid change, and throttle body clean. I also installed a S&B CAI. Did my startup and checked for leaks. SES light was on pretty much immediately, mostly complaining about the rear O2 and converters. Not surprising, since the catalytic converters are in roughly the same position but the sensers are alot further downstream now (factory downstream was IN the converter).
Tuner took care of the PCM unlock and a dyno tune (ECM & TCM). Final numbers were 381hp/378tq on mid grade. I'm currently averaging about 2mpg better in town and maybe on 1.5-2.0 on the hwy, and although the sample size is still less than a tank of fuel, I've owned the vehicle long enough to know that its a huge improvement around town. It didnt make the truck any louder for me if that matters to anyone. It slightly changed the tone on my Flowmaster 50. Inside, the exhaust noise is different, but not louder. It feels more "hollow" is the best i can describe it. Not in a bad way, just different.
Hope this helps someone....
I have a 2015, 5.7, 8hp70, 4wd with about 114,500miles. I had been dealing with the annoying exhaust leak for a while and it was getting bad. I feel like i am/was in the same boat as many of you who undoubtedly lurk these forums looking for advise; not wanting to break the bank to get a permanent solution to this stupid problem that shouldn't exist in the first place. Short tubes seem to have quality issues across the board and the better ones are approaching the long tube territory in cost which makes it a hard sell for me.
I found the TSP long tube setup which is mostly all inclusive for an extremely attractive price compared to the ARH, Kooks and SW options and wound up pulling the trigger on them. Being in the LS (F-body and Corvette) world, I know they are great quality with a solid reputation. This isnt a run of the mill chinesium parts peddler who will orphan you as soon as they get your money. They answer questions and are active in forums, and are generally a great company to deal with. I added the bolts, gaskets (Mahle) and O2 extensions. The only thing i hate about them is that they are 2" primaries which are the worst choice (imo) for a truck w/no track aspirations. Even though the power is secondary to the exhaust fix in my head, id rather have smaller primaries to get better torque numbers for my troubles. However, it's not an option, and it wasnt worth the $1k price increase to go the the other brands so thats a compromise im happy to live with. Afterall, I really just want my vehicle to NOT sound like a Perkins diesel when i crank it up.
Fitment is perfect. No beating and banging. Even with a header wrap making the headers slightly thicker than they start out, they mostly slid right into place. The bottom bolts are a pain to get tightened but with a few wrench and socket options available in 3/8 and 1/4" drive i was able to get it all buttoned up with minimal bad words uttered. The drivers side is the hardest part and thats because of the oil dipstick. I carefully rerouted it out of the way of the headers. Bent the mounting tab, opened the hole, and relocated it to the top of the shock tower. I'll have to reach farther down to check my oil in the future and it clearly looks out of place, but its alright where it is. The exhaust hooked right back up to my factory cat back with maybe a 2" trimmed off one pipe. Super clean install. The rear O2 sensors (for me) needed an extra extension OVER what TSP provided which i got ordered from Amazon for half the price of the TSP option. Hindsight is 20/20, my fault for not checking.
I had a total of 4 broken studs, with a 5th breaking on the way out. Only 2 were flush with the block, and I was able to weld a nut onto them and back them out with minimal problem/s. While i had it down i replaced the plugs and boots, PCV valve (that it didnt really need), transmission fluid change, and throttle body clean. I also installed a S&B CAI. Did my startup and checked for leaks. SES light was on pretty much immediately, mostly complaining about the rear O2 and converters. Not surprising, since the catalytic converters are in roughly the same position but the sensers are alot further downstream now (factory downstream was IN the converter).
Tuner took care of the PCM unlock and a dyno tune (ECM & TCM). Final numbers were 381hp/378tq on mid grade. I'm currently averaging about 2mpg better in town and maybe on 1.5-2.0 on the hwy, and although the sample size is still less than a tank of fuel, I've owned the vehicle long enough to know that its a huge improvement around town. It didnt make the truck any louder for me if that matters to anyone. It slightly changed the tone on my Flowmaster 50. Inside, the exhaust noise is different, but not louder. It feels more "hollow" is the best i can describe it. Not in a bad way, just different.
Hope this helps someone....
