Adding Longtube headers
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jan 2021
Posts: 7
Likes: 1
From: Ohio
Adding Longtube headers Hello everyone, I am going to be putting long tube headers on my stock LS1 come spring. I wanted to ask what all I should/need to upgrade/change while I’m at it. Figure it will be easier and better to do it all at once.
Thank you
Thank you
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 1,250
Likes: 239
From: Dade City, Fl.
For starters a good set of plugs and wires. I personally run NGK TR55s for the time being and MSD wires. They have bendable boots so you can avoid the wires touching your new set of headers. I wouldnt use anything but GM MLS gaskets. I also HIGHLY suggest doing poly motor mounts like Prothane branded mounts.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jan 2021
Posts: 7
Likes: 1
From: Ohio
Just a bone stock 98 Trans am i got last summer. I want to finally start beefing it up. Gonna do TSP Long tube headers with a speed engineering true dual exhaust. The LS1 only has roughly 30k miles on it, but obviously it’s been around a lot of years
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1 3/4 vs 1 7/8 can be a hot debate.
I like 1 7/8 give up a little low to gain a little more top. Especially for heads & cam cars, strokers etc. The 1 3/4 work well too and give up a little up top for a little more bottom.
Future plans? If one has 1 3/4, I wouldn't buy 1 7/8 to replace them later on, not worth cost in my opinion. Buy what you want for your goal is with car.
Really a question of how much do you want to spend. The top quality performance, excellent fit & materials of Kook's & American Racing Headers rocks, the $1,000+ price, not so much. Have Kook's on my T/A now.
DynaTech is also very good, likely better priced
Stainless Steel Works as well, on 3rd Gen - perfect fit & excellent quality.
Middle of the road, Hooker Long Tubes are very good quality performance, excellent fit & materials, usuallywith a better price. My old set on 99T/A needed an O2 bung tapped, flange filed flat, slag ground out of exhaust primaries & an spot in collector welded so they would leak. Good news is Holley seems to improved Hooker's overall quality from back in the day!
Have Speed Engineering on my 02 Z28, low cost & great performance, good manufacturing quality other than terrible fitment. Collectors are at wrong angle. Probably just the luck of the draw as not everyone has fitment issues. My SE's vibrate car and are annoying, bad enough to replace.
That's impressions from 5 sets of LS1 fbody headers & two sets for a 3rd Gen Corvette.
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Teching In
Joined: Jan 2021
Posts: 7
Likes: 1
From: Ohio
Sounds like a sweet low mile car. That's a good argument for a quality, nice fitting set of headers.
1 3/4 vs 1 7/8 can be a hot debate.
I like 1 7/8 give up a little low to gain a little more top. Especially for heads & cam cars, strokers etc. The 1 3/4 work well too and give up a little up top for a little more bottom.
Future plans? If one has 1 3/4, I wouldn't buy 1 7/8 to replace them later on, not worth cost in my opinion. Buy what you want for your goal is with car.
Really a question of how much do you want to spend. The top quality performance, excellent fit & materials of Kook's & American Racing Headers rocks, the $1,000+ price, not so much. Have Kook's on my T/A now.
DynaTech is also very good, likely better priced
Stainless Steel Works as well, on 3rd Gen - perfect fit & excellent quality.
Middle of the road, Hooker Long Tubes are very good quality performance, excellent fit & materials, usuallywith a better price. My old set on 99T/A needed an O2 bung tapped, flange filed flat, slag ground out of exhaust primaries & an spot in collector welded so they would leak. Good news is Holley seems to improved Hooker's overall quality from back in the day!
Have Speed Engineering on my 02 Z28, low cost & great performance, good manufacturing quality other than terrible fitment. Collectors are at wrong angle. Probably just the luck of the draw as not everyone has fitment issues. My SE's vibrate car and are annoying, bad enough to replace.
That's impressions from 5 sets of LS1 fbody headers & two sets for a 3rd Gen Corvette.
1 3/4 vs 1 7/8 can be a hot debate.
I like 1 7/8 give up a little low to gain a little more top. Especially for heads & cam cars, strokers etc. The 1 3/4 work well too and give up a little up top for a little more bottom.
Future plans? If one has 1 3/4, I wouldn't buy 1 7/8 to replace them later on, not worth cost in my opinion. Buy what you want for your goal is with car.
Really a question of how much do you want to spend. The top quality performance, excellent fit & materials of Kook's & American Racing Headers rocks, the $1,000+ price, not so much. Have Kook's on my T/A now.
DynaTech is also very good, likely better priced
Stainless Steel Works as well, on 3rd Gen - perfect fit & excellent quality.
Middle of the road, Hooker Long Tubes are very good quality performance, excellent fit & materials, usuallywith a better price. My old set on 99T/A needed an O2 bung tapped, flange filed flat, slag ground out of exhaust primaries & an spot in collector welded so they would leak. Good news is Holley seems to improved Hooker's overall quality from back in the day!
Have Speed Engineering on my 02 Z28, low cost & great performance, good manufacturing quality other than terrible fitment. Collectors are at wrong angle. Probably just the luck of the draw as not everyone has fitment issues. My SE's vibrate car and are annoying, bad enough to replace.
That's impressions from 5 sets of LS1 fbody headers & two sets for a 3rd Gen Corvette.
Ive had my eyes on 1 7/8 Texas speed long tube headers going into a speed engineering true dual exhaust. I want to eventually add a nice cam, and turbos. But that’s far down the road. I’ve read there’s things to add/upgrade while you’re in there, so I just wanted to know what all to do. Like adding prothane mounts, new plugs and wires and such
GM exhaust manifold gaskets, new plugs, O2 extensions & new wires. Maybe new header bolt kit.
I like the Stage 8 header bolts kits & a very thin film of anti seize on threads in case you have to go back in eventually. 15 years later, no stuck bolts etc when headers came off. 12 year old child could have spun all the bolts out after the stage 8 lock tabs were off. Not really needed etc.
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 635
Likes: 329
From: Missouri
TSP 17/8 on a few f body's, for the price they are very hard to beat. Good fitment, quality materials used. And the speed engineering true duals dumped bolts right up to it. (Just upgrade the clamps that come with it) NASCAR exhaust damn near.
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 686
Likes: 76
From: Thibodaux LA
Get new OEM mls header gaskets, some anti seize for when you put the header bolts back in, strongly advise poly motor mounts, get better clamps for the exhaust (lap joint clamps), new plugs.
Teching In
Joined: Sep 2021
Posts: 41
Likes: 12
From: Kingston
I've been looking to add long tubes too, with the 1 7/8 don't you have to remove the steering shaft to install? and the 1 3/4 header will clear the steering shaft without having to remove it? I'm looking at the ARH set
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 1,250
Likes: 239
From: Dade City, Fl.
jsapp14 if you are using this vehicle to go on trips with your wife, driving/cruising with the converter locked will be best served by going with 1 3/4" headers. There is not much difference especially when at the upper rpm range.
Launching!
Joined: Aug 2020
Posts: 205
Likes: 70
From: Phoenix AZ
These look good but worth noting here is that you can re-use the stock metal ones and they work fine. I did with my MSDs
Where at in Ohio are you? Im in Pittsburgh. I took a set of Speed Engineering 1 3/4 headers off after only 1000 miles and put on a set of their 1 7/8 headers. I only swapped them because I am about to add heads/cam to go with my nitrous and wanted max flow at more RPM. The 1 3/4 headers are just sitting in the garage. I'll sell them to you.
jsapp14 if you are using this vehicle to go on trips with your wife, driving/cruising with the converter locked will be best served by going with 1 3/4" headers. Watch these dyno comparisons
There is not much difference especially when at the upper rpm range.
There is not much difference especially when at the upper rpm range.