I have an L33 5.3 with an LS6 intake, ported TB and the heads have had multi-angle valves/seats cut and Pac 1211x springs.

The rest of the engine is stock but I plan a cam change in the not too distant future to something in the region of 220 to 228.

The engine does not currently have any headers so I am starting from scratch however the space around the engine is very limited.

As such I can only fit shorty style headers or stock headers.

Can anybody give an expert opinion as to what would be the better choice of the two?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

saying what kind of car it is would be a nice start

 

Shorties tend take on the same install height as long tubes..only thing being different is shorties do not go all the way down to a collector. If space is an issue then I would say stick to manifolds.

If you want a better stock exhaust manifold go with a set off of an 00-02 Camaro/Firebird LS1...those are supposed to be better designed for flow compared to earlier versions.

You could also try fabricating your own set of headers...or have any reputable exhaust shop fab some up.

 

am not a fan of shorties. id vote stick with stock manifolds and chose a proper cam for your setup.

 

A set of the LS7 manifolds would be an upgrade over F-Body manifolds, but still somewhat down on power vs a pair of shortys.

What car?

 

Longtubes and don't look back.

 

Thanks all for the replies.

So you can get an idea of the problem I face I am building a Caterham 7 style kit car using this engine.

As such space is extremely limited around the engine bay and the usual method for the manifolds is to exit straight through the side panel.

The simplest way is to use a manifold/header which has a single pipe connection still within the engine bay and then pass that single pipe out through the side panel.

There probably just isn't the room for all 4 tubes to be within the engine bay hence why shortys or stock headers will make the install a lot easier.

I'm not in a position to need more power/torque than the cam change I propose since the car will only weigh about 1600 pounds with me on board and a full tank of fuel.

 

Like this.............

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...eld_Seight.jpg

 

Any other comments???

 

I got one....a cammed 5.3 in that matchbox is gonna fly regardless of manifold choice.

 

That's the plan

 

That's F-ing awesome man.

 

That thing will fly. From a money standpoint, stock manifolds...but it'd be a shame not to put something shiny in there.

 

Thanks guys.

Any idea what the weight differences are between stock cast and a set of Stainless shorty headers?

As far as I can tell, buying a set of Shortys wont cost a lot different to a pair of Stock headers.

 

Dont they make a block hugger type of shorty headers for the LS1?

 

They do yes, and that's exactly the type of header I want to use.

 

Glad we could provide some insight...

 

JakeFusion took the words out of my mouth, LS7 manifolds over any other stock LS manifold. But I'd definitely go with the shorty headers over LS7 manifolds for better looks, more power and less weight. Shorties will be a win all around for your Caterham 7 kit car.

 

Thanks for the reply

I definitely think Shorty headers are the best option.

Thanks again to all.

 

Might as well get shorty headers. More power than stock manifolds.