like the title says, after calling around and getting quotes to repair my leaking exhaust manifold on my 2001 5.4L supercrew 4x4 ive come to realize that im going to spend almost as much fixing my truck as i could in upgrading it by installing a set of headers instead of just fixing the stock manifolds. How hard of an install would a set of long tube or shorty headers be? is this something im gonna need to pull the engine or drop the tranny to do? or is this something that can be accomplished in a day or two with the right tools and some help from friends and an exhaust shop to do the final welding of the exhaust system

 

i put my long tubes on in 4 hours, that is including taking the shorties off and bolting the long tubes on. no need to pull the engine or tranny

 

what all had to be removed to gain access to them? any crossmembers or engine accessories that would be in the way?

 

im considering the pacesetter long tubes (part # 70-2227). they have 1.75" tubing diameter with a 3" collector diameter. 3/8" thick steel flanges. is this a viable possibility or are these crap that i need to pass on

 

All of the experience I have with longtubes are on mustangs. I've put on or owned everything from the cheap pacesetters to very expense hooker LT's. The pacesetters lasted about 6 months before the painted coating was non existent. 6 months after that a few portions of the welds began leaking. This was atleast 6 years ago, so the quality may be much better now.

 

on an f150, there is no need to jack up transmission, remove crossmembers, etc. however, the two plastic wheel well liners need to be removed. don't get shorties, they yield no power gains. when putting in the passenger side header, do not attempt to feed it through the side, rather feed it directly above, and twist and turn the hell out of it to fit it in. do not bother to try to remove all the **** that would get in the way by feeding it through the side. there is an excellent write up on longtube header installation by txoutlaw if you do a search that may yield further help. and yes, you can do this w/ a friend, some tools, and further reading. you will probably have to go to a muffler shop to reweld everything. the header is meant to bolt to the cats, if worse comes to worse, cut the exhaust off, put on the headers, and take it to the muffler man open headers to have him reweld everything.

 

My exhaust is completely stock and im not trying to redo all of it right now i just have a leaking manifold and i was wondering if i bought some shrt tube headers would they fit right in place of the stock manifolds i have 97 f150 xlt 4.6l v8 with a glasspack

 

Yes the shorty header will be a direct replacement.

 

I installed BBK shorty headers more than 10 years ago. It was relatively easy. I pulled the starter to make it easier to get to the lower bolts and they were a direct replacement. They have never leaked. The gains were not huge, but I can say She does breath better than stock.

 

Direct as in bolt right up to the stock exhaust immediately after the stock manifolds? I think that's what he was wondering. That'd be really cool if they did, long tubes sure don't though.

 

My headers bolted right up at the head and the exhaust flange.

 

Well sh*t, that makes those a much more viable, and in some ways better, option then.

 

Thanks everyone i have been trying to find the answer to thatquestion for about a month with no luck but i am going to go ahead with the pacesetter short tubes thanks again

 

Get stainless headers. Anything else will rust out and you will have to do it again.

 

Yes, all shortys bolt right up to OEM downpipes. Its just a challenge dealing with northern trucks, rusted studs.


For manifold replacement only sure. Good shortys cost upwards of $500 in some cases, couple hundred more you could buy Dynatech longtubes, and finish the exhaust your own way. Makes it a real thinker choice.

x1000. Like I said above, buying good stuff first will last, the problem is after $500 it becomes a tough choice since OBX LT kit can be had for less than $600, and Dynatech LTs themselves for $800 and you actually get big gains.

Pretty much why I bought a Dorman replacement manifold. $80 each and done with it.