budhayes3

iTrader: (19)

Those are nice looking headers, who makes them? (Pretty sure that you already mentioned the manufacturer but I forgot ) It's amazing how much cheaper SBC stuff is compared to GENIII stuff...before I knew better, I payed over $500 for my stainless Gibson shorties over 10 years ago I must admit, they were excellent quality though and never gave me a problem with over 5 years of service

Not sure if this helps, but when I installed my Gibsons, I used the supplied gaskets and coated both sides of them with a layer of the orange colored high temp copper RTV and never had a leak. They were nice thick composite gaskets, looked like the 99 5.3 head gaskets only thicker lol. I remember back in the day, replacing paper gaskets on my 350 powered 71 Camaro religiously...luckily the Heddman 1 3/4's made it easy to access all of the bolts, the BlackJack 1 5/8's that I had on the car originally weren't as cooperative

cttandy

iTrader: (12)

According to the box, they are made by CHINA. LOL. We checked them on a straight bar a buddy has. They are perfectly straight as they should be.


Everyone has a different opinion on what I should use for a gasket. I am going to try a set of stock gaskets this time. Good thing I can change them out in around 30 minutes.

budhayes3

iTrader: (19)

If the stockers are MLS, I'd give them a shot for sure...I'm using stock MLS gaskets on my 5.3 with StainlessWorks LT's and they're working out great. Seems most of the GENIII guys have jumped on the factory MLS gasket band wagon...as long as they ask or search our GM Engine and Exhaust Performance section

cttandy

iTrader: (12)

I am driving the truck today. I really like driving it. Definitely need to get this exhaust issue resolved and find out why it is idling so low. I might need to check the timing again.

The nice seat and extra room is fantastic after being in a regular cab truck for so long now. A guy could get down right spoiled.

My wife is going through our stuff and packing stuff up as we are looking to move VERY soon. She found a new in the box air filter that is the correct size. I am going to swap it out when I get home. I have found that the flipped air filter lid is quite handy for holding small parts while you work around the engine. So I guess the monster filter wasn't a complete waste, LOL.

cttandy

iTrader: (12)

The engine needs to be cleaned, but this should put things a little better into prospective.




Changed to a smaller air filter, but that left the stud too long. I am hoping to find a 3 inch filter as this one is 2 inches. Better then the 5 inch that was on it.

cttandy

iTrader: (12)

For comparison sake to the photos above.

Keith

Why aren't you pulling cooler air from the fender?

cttandy

iTrader: (12)

If you go back and read you will see that I say the stock air cleaner assembly only flows 430 cfm. I think that is overly positive given that the ducting at the fender is a little over a inch in diameter. Because there is nearly 100 CFM difference, I have read there is little effect from the heat being sucked in.

As of now, the open air cleaner is an experiment. It feels stronger, but I haven't gotten any mileage numbers from it yet.

I haven't gotten the headers completely sealed yet, so there is little worry. I am having an off idle stumble if I though the beans to it. Normal driving it pulls hard.

cttandy

iTrader: (12)

Think I am going to name this truck "The Princess". It's the first vehicle I have had that I didn't even want it to rain on. Pretty sad considering this is the cheapest vehicle I think I have ever had.

It is also being pretty picky about how it wants to be modified. Everything has to be just right. ERrrrrr

cttandy

iTrader: (12)

I know it seems like I have a lot invested, but I don't. The Y pipe I consider a wash because it needed to be replaced, I don't consider a repair a cost in this, same with the wire looms. I traded $25 worth of stuff for the in the intake. I bought the air cleaner for $20. I have $129 in the headers. The injector pod spacer was $12.99. The intake manifold and exhaust manifolds were leaking, so once again, a repair, gasket and fluids are a wash. So basically $161.99 out of pocket. Driving a 250 mile round trip once a week, I should see my money back inside of a year. I tend to keep a good truck around 8 years. I should easily see my investment back.

I am going to convert to electric fans, and install a TBI spacer that a buddy gave me.

Given my past experience, this truck should have gotten around 18 MPG stock or 756 miles to a tank. My target goal is 24-25 MPG or 1000 miles per tank.

42 gallon tank - $3.30 a gallon - $138.60 fill up
18.3 cents per mile stock
13.8 cents per mile modified

Based on 13K a year
$2379 a year stock
$1794 a year modified

So $585 savings in a years time, if my half asleep brain did the math halfway right. $4680 savings over the possible course of ownership. Sounds like a really reasonable number to me.

Maybe I need to do the math on taking the premium only drinking 98 Grand Cherokee 5.9 limited that got 13.5 MPG away from my wife and putting her in the regular drinking 97 Towncar that gets 26 mpg. Not to mention I made enough money off buying and selling the Grand to pay cash for the Towncar.

Oh, by the way, we took it out and put about 250 miles on it this weekend. This thing really responded well. Running down the road is completely effortless. There is no struggle climbing steep inclines. 1400RPM at 55MPH and 1900 RPM at 70 MPH on the short 245/70r16s, it will have 265/75R17s on it soon. No mileage numbers as I haven't sorted out all the bugs yet, but it seems very promising.