SBC headers for 'burb?

[austinado16]

Is there a header made that'll fit the SBC in my '90 Suburban. If so, are they louder than the cast iron manifolds? Modifications needed to install them, or are they bolt in? Or, can the stock manifolds be improved with some die-grinder love?

 

[89Suburban]

Glad you brought this up Todd, I am curious about this, do they make headers that will fit the factory Y pipe?

 

[Old77]

Any time you get a header you'll have to have a new Y-pipe made (if running single exit exhaust) as long as you're running long tubes which I'd personal suggest over shorties. With that said, if you have an exhaust shop create that y-pipe for you it's not that hard for them and usually not real expensive. I put long tube headers in my truck. I installed the headers myself and had the exhaust shop finish up the rest of the exhaust which includes 2 flowmaster mufflers (~60 each), 2 stainless steel tips (~50 each) and the exhaust piping. I believe I paid a total of about $300 for that which included labor so that pipe itself was virtually free. I'd bet you could put long tubes in and have a shop connect those back into your stock exhaust for $50 - $80.

 

[austinado16]

Yeah, wasn't too concerned about the transition from headers to original system. I've got a buddy who owns the best exhaust shop in town.....and they're located 2 blocks away!!

But, wanted to know mostly about noise levels, and fitment. One thing we love about the 'burb is it's quiet. That's important, since all it does is long road trips to and from camping, skiing, LAX, car hauling, etc. I even choose tires based on noise.......General Grabbers are on it now, and they're dead silent.

Anyway, listening to loud exhaust would be a deal breaker on installing headers, as would a bunch of frame or other mods. Wouldn't mind spending a few hours doing some home-brew porting on the stock exhaust manifolds though, and even sending them out for ceramic coating.

 

[Old77]

Loud exhaust is mostly controlled by what muffler you choose to go with honestly. Mine's loud but that's because I put on Flowmaster Original 40 series mufflers on it and I wanted it to have some noise to it. If you were to stick to a single exhaust set up with say a 70 series (or similar) you'd be pretty quiet. I know there are some really quiet mufflers out there. I'm sure you're buddy could help you out with choosing the right muffler for what you want.

 

[89Suburban]

Any time you get a header you'll have to have a new Y-pipe made (if running single exit exhaust) as long as you're running long tubes which I'd personal suggest over shorties. With that said, if you have an exhaust shop create that y-pipe for you it's not that hard for them and usually not real expensive. I put long tube headers in my truck. I installed the headers myself and had the exhaust shop finish up the rest of the exhaust which includes 2 flowmaster mufflers (~60 each), 2 stainless steel tips (~50 each) and the exhaust piping. I believe I paid a total of about $300 for that which included labor so that pipe itself was virtually free. I'd bet you could put long tubes in and have a shop connect those back into your stock exhaust for $50 - $80.

My problem is emissions testing so I need dual cats or pipe the headers in to one.

 

[Old77]

My problem is emissions testing so I need dual cats or pipe the headers in to one.

Yeah....a good catalytic converter can be $$$ too. My truck is old enough to where it's exempt from emissions testing but the same rules apply but just a bit more $$$ to accomplish. You could probably reuse your existing cat, though, if you were to make a switch to headers.

 

[austinado16]

I've got a big Dynaflow? muffler on it now that replicated the OEM muffler, maybe just a bit bigger. It's just as quiet as it was when stock.

My concern is whether the headers themselves are noisey, just by design, and by the fact that they are just pipes, and not thick, heavy, cast iron.

I should probably check with my emissions test guy and see if they are even allowed.

 

[Old77]

I've got a big Dynaflow? muffler on it now that replicated the OEM muffler, maybe just a bit bigger. It's just as quiet as it was when stock.

My concern is whether the headers themselves are noisey, just by design, and by the fact that they are just pipes, and not thick, heavy, cast iron.

I should probably check with my emissions test guy and see if they are even allowed.

In my experience, the headers themselves are not loud.

 

[Jims86]

Your only choices in California, are Edelbrock($500+) or Thorley($1100)
Got a Pic of tour muffler? Never heard of Dynaflow.

 

[Old77]

Your only choices in California, are Edelbrock($500+) or Thorley($1100)
Got a Pic of tour muffler? Never heard of Dynaflow.

What is it about those two choices of header does CA find appealing?

 

[austinado16]

Your only choices in California, are Edelbrock($500+) or Thorley($1100)
Got a Pic of tour muffler? Never heard of Dynaflow.

Mmm...........not spending 5-hundo on headers.

The muffler is nothing special, just a big aluminized thing that looks almost identical to what was supplied as OE, just maybe slightly bigger. I'm still running the original cat. 277k on it, and it still works. I wonder if it's ever had all those beads or whatever is in there, replaced? Seems like they were doing recalls on them back when I was working in a GM dealership (as the VW tech...we sold VW's) in the mid 90's. I can remember the GM techs carrying plastic jugs of beads to and from the parts dept.