2007 5.3 rebuild-Shorty headers or OEMs?

[nitro498]

2007 Tahoe with the LY-5 engine. Freshening up the engine right now. SUV will be a daily driver.

Rebuilding the 5.3 now. Stock everything but Stage II truck cam & kit. 799 heads- fresh from the machine shop. Cam-matched springs were installed. Should I stay with the cast exhaust manifolds or install headers? I cannot a set of $500 headers right now. I see that you can buy a cheap set of Shorty headers. Are those type headers worth the trouble over stock exhaust manifolds?

 

[iamdub]

2007 Tahoe with the LY-5 engine. Freshening up the engine right now. SUV will be a daily driver.

Rebuilding the 5.3 now. Stock everything but Stage II truck cam & kit. 799 heads- fresh from the machine shop. Cam-matched springs were installed. Should I stay with the cast exhaust manifolds or install headers? I cannot a set of $500 headers right now. I see that you can buy a cheap set of Shorty headers. Are those type headers worth the trouble over stock exhaust manifolds?

On a stock engine, I'd say just keep the stock manifolds. Since you're camming it, I believe you'd actually gain something from them. I'd only recommend shorties that are ceramic coated, though. The thicker, the better.

 

[NASTY GM]

I have coated JBA shorty's on my stock motor. I didn't expect to gain power, I did it for looks and sound.