For the OBX kit for $550 or so and $50 per custom tune for an already owned Gryphon device it could be under $1k then. But buying the programmer with tunes would be $399 for the device, and $30 per tune.

 

I have done lots of testing on 4.6 and 5.4L Mustang stuff supercharged and naturally aspirated.

The 5.4L is reasonably responsive to headers. If getting shorties JBA is the only way to go, and they still don’t offer a ton of power. 15hp and 15ftlb at the tires would be the most you could hopefully wish for with 3v heads. It’s about 10 and 10 with 2v heads. A HP gain for sure, worth the money? Your call. The JBA stuff is top notch quality though, can’t go wrong there. They will hold up as long as the truck will.

Long Tubes (LT’s) are very effective but as others mentioned if the rest of the system is not set up to take advantage of them you won’t see gains any better than the JBA shorties. You would need to run a true dual system with dual cats, an X or Y crossover and dual mufflers with 2.5” tubing if you have mandrel bends and 3” tubing for “Muffler Shop” bends. A 3v with a good tune and CAI, 25-30hp and 25-30ftlb is a perfectly reasonable gain. You would be looking at close to $2000 though and that is not a very good $/hp ratio.

 

2k? I doubt that...

I don't even have $1k into my exhaust setup.

$850 and I have...
stainless long tube headers
resonators
magnaflow muffler
muffler shop 2.5" dual exhaust

 

You rock!

 

mine was about the same. with the lt's, high flows, rai, and tuner was around $1050. it can be done.

 

I thought about getting headers on my F150. My OEM headers are leaking and they are driving me up a wall. I don't want to go with long tubes due to the extra labor and price.

Right now I am leaning on JBA shorties. Any coating suggestions? Do you all wrap your headers? I have been reading on mfr. websites that you shouldn't wrap the headers anymore.

One other question. I tow heavy about a dozen times a year and am wondering how headers effect low end torque?

 

get your headers ceramic coated. Don't wrap.

Shorty's won't do much. IMO they aren't worth replacing with unless you got cracked stock manifolds and you are to lazy to install long tubes.

 

I want Lt's... they sound amazing

 

I Had to replace my system back a year and half ago and went with Shorty headers.. I found they flow better then a manifold but the over all power wasn't all that noticeable.. although I had the pipe break before the muffler for over a month --Sounded Awesome then-- .. Depending where you live, I'm from Toronto Canada and I bought shorties without a coating and after 1yr 6months they cracked.

Coating is worth the Extra money in the long run.
I am currently waiting for Pacesetters Longtube Armour coated headers, 3 year warranty w/ it. I'll try and remember to post the difference in power in here after there installed.

 

I'd get longtubes, just make sure that they will fit your truck.. If your not looking for power gains rly and wanna go cheaper get the shorties. They'll be easy. My longtubes took me 17hrs just install and i had a ton of other problems. They weren't rly meant for my truck tho. Def make sure they fit! You might get like 7-8hp from shorties but longtubes you could get up to a 25-30hp gain!

 

if you get stainless then you shouldn't need to worry about coating. Or is there some other benefit?

 

I know that Pacesetters offer there Armour coating that holds up to 2000deg or something, In mine I spent the 300$ last year basically and now there shot.. so I just bought the coated ones to make sure this time.

Plus im from Canada, when we get large amounts of snow they just drop a lot of salt to the road. Really takes a B"eating" on the truck over time.

 

Precisely why I only suggest stainless headers. Headers only need to be done once cause their difficult enough to install.

 

The coating does help keep heat inside the header. Which in theory will help create more power and keep temps lower in the engine bay.

 

ahh so much like the wraps people use.