Loud deep exhaust for a 2003 tahoe?

[James417]

Get dummy cats or high flow. As long as the computer is tuned should not be a issue. Have your own y pipe built with dummy cats that look real. The dummies are like 40$ Each. Just buy the long tubes. And fab the y pipe. Be sure to tune for no cats!

Wow that's a good idea actually. What would happen to 02 sensors though? If I got an off road y pipe with no cats I couldn't screw the 02 sensors into pipe then they may fail me for that right? If there are y pipes I can install fake cats on with 02 sensor spots then I would love to do this.

 

[ezdaar]

This is simple.

Hit speed engineering for their headers and y pipe.
Find a dealer online and get a MBRP stainless catback. They make both single and duel tip setups.
Use amazon to order aerokroil oil to soak your manifold bolts for a week as well as a vibrant ultra quiet resonator, #1142. This is incase the exhaust setup is to loud for your tastes. If the exhaust isnt to loud, just send it back. Amazon has a 30day unconditional return policy. Just put wrong item as reason for return and select money back.

Go to ebay for 3" fake cats or just get some real high flow cats. Shortest body length you can find.
Also order 2 O2 bungs For your rear O2 sensors and header bolts from ebay.

Once the headers, y pipe and catback is installed, decide if its to loud.
Drive to any good exhaust shop and have the fake cats installed along with the two extra O2 bungs installed after the fake cats.
Now you will pass the visual inspection, but will require a tune for the computer side of the inspection.

While its at the exhaust shop have the vibrant resonator installed before the muffler in the intermediate pipe. That will cut the exhaust volume level almost in half. If its to loud.

With this setup, you will have a full stainless exhaust from headers to exhaust tip and it will pass inspection.
Total cost should be aprox 800$ but not exceed 1k with the exhaust shop work.

Stainless non coated or wrapped headers produce alot of valve train noise, most people dont like it.
To quiet it down and reduce engine bay and IAT temps. Use VHT 2k header paint to coat them. Use one can per header so its nice and thick.
Then wrap them with 2" header wrap. You can get it from ebay really cheap. Ise stainless hose clamps to hold it on, not the crappy stainless zipties that comes with the wrap.

You will get the sound your looking for, a exhaust that wont rott out and a substantial performance gain.


If you need install instructions, I can walk you trough it easily.
Via phone or here.

 

[James417]

This is simple.

Hit speed engineering for their headers and y pipe.
Find a dealer online and get a MBRP stainless catback. They make both single and duel tip setups.
Use amazon to order aerokroil oil to soak your manifold bolts for a week as well as a vibrant ultra quiet resonator, #1142. This is incase the exhaust setup is to loud for your tastes. If the exhaust isnt to loud, just send it back. Amazon has a 30day unconditional return policy. Just put wrong item as reason for return and select money back.

Go to ebay for 3" fake cats or just get some real high flow cats. Shortest body length you can find.
Also order 2 O2 bungs For your rear O2 sensors and header bolts from ebay.

Once the headers, y pipe and catback is installed, decide if its to loud.
Drive to any good exhaust shop and have the fake cats installed along with the two extra O2 bungs installed after the fake cats.
Now you will pass the visual inspection, but will require a tune for the computer side of the inspection.

While its at the exhaust shop have the vibrant resonator installed before the muffler in the intermediate pipe. That will cut the exhaust volume level almost in half. If its to loud.

With this setup, you will have a full stainless exhaust from headers to exhaust tip and it will pass inspection.
Total cost should be aprox 800$ but not exceed 1k with the exhaust shop work.

Stainless non coated or wrapped headers produce alot of valve train noise, most people dont like it.
To quiet it down and reduce engine bay and IAT temps. Use VHT 2k header paint to coat them. Use one can per header so its nice and thick.
Then wrap them with 2" header wrap. You can get it from ebay really cheap. Ise stainless hose clamps to hold it on, not the crappy stainless zipties that comes with the wrap.

You will get the sound your looking for, a exhaust that wont rott out and a substantial performance gain.


If you need install instructions, I can walk you trough it easily.
Via phone or here.

I am really close to pulling the trigger on what you just gave me. It's an awesome idea. But I'm pretty scared of how much banging and pulling and trouble long tubes will be to get in. And I keep hearing once they are in they like to clang and hit stuff that's the only thing holding me back and making me think about shorties.

 

[ezdaar]

If your 2wd you will have zero fitment issues and they will not bang on any part of your vehicle.
If you are 4wd you will need to oval the cross over pipe where it passes under the front driveshaft. Not dent it, just oval it. Mine barely touched my driveshaft, so i simply squeezed it from round to oval in a bench vise. Again, they will not bang on any part of your vehicle.
Pos lpp, pacesetter and ebay headers all have the issues you have heard and read about.
Speed eng, have listened to customers and have revised their product to a very high end part with out charging a ton of money. The latest batch of y pipes might not even need to be made oval anymore.
I will always recommend them.

Hardest part of the install is getting old exhaust out. But that becomes very easy with a saber saw.

Forgot to mention, you will want to either buy 3" stepped band clamps to replace the pos 1" clamps that come with the headers pr have the exhaust shop weld it all up.
You will need 4 of them for the Y pipe.

I have installed many sets of these as well as assisted on numerous friends trucks and suv's, installing headers is as easy as changing brakes.

 

[James417]

I am really close to pulling the trigger on what you just gave me. It's an awesome idea. But I'm pretty scared of how much banging and pulling and trouble long tubes will be to get in. And I keep hearing once they are in they like to clang and hit stuff that's the only thing holding me back and making me think about shorties.

One more thing I almost never go wot into high rpms. I try my best stay below 3500rpms. I heard Shorty's would be fine for a lighter footed DD like me is this true?
Also what is the egr mount on some headers? I don't any egr tube on my factory headers.

 

[ezdaar]

LT's make power from bottom to top of the power band.
People who claim different have a crappy tuner.

Dont worry about egr. Thats old school tech and doesn't apply to your ride.

 

[James417]

LT's make power from bottom to top of the power band.
People who claim different have a crappy tuner.

Dont worry about egr. Thats old school tech and doesn't apply to your ride.

How much do you think and exhaust shop will charge for installing the cats and o2 bungs?
I don't have a welder right now so I couldn't do it at home. I did find a fee y pipes from dynatech and kooks but they are over 500 dollars alone. Can get kooks headers and high flow cat y pipe for around 900. Is that worth it?

 

[ezdaar]

Shops aroundnhere range 25-75$ per weld depending on the material and size of pipe they are welding.

Kooks are high quality headers, 900 imo is high price. But as you can tell i like speed eng headers and doing my own work.

Considering the cost of fake cats, then welding them in along with the bungs. A few hundred more for a plug n play setup in your case would be ok.

If the cost is acceptable to you, then by all means go for it.

 

[James417]

Shops aroundnhere range 25-75$ per weld depending on the material and size of pipe they are welding.

Kooks are high quality headers, 900 imo is high price. But as you can tell i like speed eng headers and doing my own work.

Considering the cost of fake cats, then welding them in along with the bungs. A few hundred more for a plug n play setup in your case would be ok.

If the cost is acceptable to you, then by all means go for it.

I have some annoying news. Im sorry to keep changing my mind but I just found out my windshield on the tahoe is cracked as well as there's a bad leak from door and mirror seals still so I need new one s. I though I fixed it but there is still leaks. Plus now that it's been sitting I have a rear access adjar keeping my lights on all night and setting my alarm off at random so I may need a new bcm. It looks like I may just go with shorties and a nice cat back like before. Does speed engendering make good shorties? Sorry to do this. It really sucks because you had some awesome ideas but I will almost certainly buy and put them on later.

---------- Post added at 07:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:29 PM ----------

Any half decent exhaust shop can do a dual side exit easily and if you prefer to install one yourself there are a few companies that make them. Just make sure you get a stainless steel one. I had a flowmaster catback that wasn`t stainless and our wonderful new york winters rusted it away in about two years.

Now i have a custom bent SS catback with a flowmaster 50 series muffler and it has a nice deep sound but so does magnaflow if you prefer them.

Sense you live in NY yourself how are the police with louder exhaust if I where to go with a super 10 or 40? You think that's too much?

 

[slick2500]

Personally I would never put shorties on a v8. Its only a few extra bolts to do long tubes.