1997 GMC Sierra SLE C1500 5.7L Header recommendation?

[Urban Cowboy]

Hello,

I am hoping to find a set of long tube headers (preferably tri Y) that will bolt right on without fitment issues.

Has anyone accomplished this?

I've looked quite a bit and have not come across an applicable part number, and have even asked Summitt without any success.

Short style I am not interested in as it would be a waste of money for the negligible performance gain.

Any tips would be appreciated.

FWIW the truck is in stock configuration.

 

[Schurkey]

Good luck.

You might contact header manufacturers directly.

 

[df2x4]

Summit actually lists several long tube options for a '97 C1500 5.7L. Not all of them have provisions for O2 sensors and/or EGR though, so be careful.

https://www.summitracing.com/search...hevrolet/model/c1500?N=header-style:long-tube

 

[Frank Enstein]

No Tri-Y headers for that @ Summit Racing.

https://www.summitracing.com/search...e=100&SortBy=DisplayPrice&SortOrder=Ascending

 

[Erik the Awful]

Call up Thorley and see if they'll weld you up a set of their Tri-Ys. Their website doesn't show them any more, but they had 'em. Pricey.
www.dougthorleyheaders.com

Otherwise, hit up Summit for some long-tubes. Plenty of choices on there.

 

[badco]

Schoenfeld in Van Buren Arkansas. Great headers and they can build what you want.

I know everyone thinks bigger tubes are better but try a 1 1/2 first 8-11 inches and a 1 5/8 rest of the way on a 350. If it was a open header or short big exhaust id do a 3" collector with a 2.25 merge but having exhaust I'd say normal 3" collector. Tri y is nice and potentially better but really gotta know what the engine wants before can buy some that work and make power.

 

[Erik the Awful]

I got a 3" collector, but necked it down to a 2.5" exhaust. If I did it again, I'd buy 2.5" collectors. I agree with smaller primaries opening up in size as you go, so long as the first section of primary is sized similarly to your ports.

 

[Urban Cowboy]

Update: So I have my headers (Pacesetter long tube) and got them ceramic coated, and I'm going to have true dual exhaust with a crossover and all 2 1/2" pipe from the headers back.

What I'm wondering at this point is if anyone has done this to their truck and what mufflers did you use? I like a rumble but not ridiculously loud.

I live in an area where I won't get in trouble for removing the two cats but I did note that currently the truck has three O2 sensors. Two are before the cats and one after. My headers have an O2 bung in them so that takes care of two of them but what happens to the third one? As in am I going to have the check engine light on? If so are there any workarounds?

Currently the motor is a Vortec 5.7L but down the road I will be putting in a high performance 407 cubic inch small block which equals 6.7L and around 500HP. It's that motor that I'm preparing the exhaust for.

Any tips appreciated.

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

I did note that currently the truck has three O2 sensors. Two are before the cats and one after. My headers have an O2 bung in them so that takes care of two of them but what happens to the third one? As in am I going to have the check engine light on? If so are there any workarounds?

@kennythewelder has a good workaround, he posted a "how to" on here a few years back - Hey Kenny!

 

[L31MaxExpress]

I still have most of my factory GM dual 3" tubing to the muffler. Thunder bolt 3" high flow cats and the Thorley Tri-ys with the headpipes that were designed to mate to the stock 3" tubing. Dual 3" inlet ultra quiet muffler with a 4" tail pipe. Its really mellow even when it is working hard. Zero interior resonance. GM really corked up the exhaust with the factory muffler and 2.75" tail pipe. Even when I had the factory manifolds and cats, it was like casting off a 2,000 lbs anchor chained to the back bumper when that muffler was cut off and thrown in the scrap bin. I had a magnaflow first, then a walker dynomax bus muffler before finally swapping to the ultra quiet. The ultra quiet has the nicest tone and least resonance of the 3 mufflers I have used.

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