First of all this is on a C1500 2wd Silverado 5.3L Flex fuel crew cab truck. Secondly....I'll have pictures to post tomorrow but wanted to start in tonight.
So far tonight, my agenda was to get as far as I could (starting at 10pm....its now 1:20...hahaha....wooohooo....). I put the truck on to some 8" car ramps and started to get organized. Unbolting the factory y-pipe is always fun and time consuming because it doesn't want to unbolt easily. But I didn't want to cut it because I had a buyer for it. So...I was patient. Anyways, removed the y-pipe and passenger side exhaust manifold. While it was out of the way, I installed a Sonnax 1-2 Servo (figured it would be the best time to do that). Installing the header was very easy on this side....went in from the bottom without a problem. Bolted it all to the heads using there gaskets (with the stockers on standby) and bolted right in. Checked for clearances between the primaries and the frame and I have at at least 3/16" away from the frame...probably more like 1/4". However, the headers tuck up next to the cab of the truck very nicely. I would say about 3.5" up from the bottom of the chassis. I was going to put on the y-pipe that comes with it until I came to a stopping point. The y-pipe will not slide onto the header because of clearance room. To correct this, you have three options: 1) Put the y-pipe on the header before you bolt the headers to the heads, 2) Bolt on the headers and unbolt the crossmember to the transmission and slide the y-pipe between the transmission and the brackets, or 3) Cut the end of the y-pipe about a 1/4" to clear it and install the y-pipe. I'll end up doing 2 or 3 tomorrow since I've already bolted the header to the engine.
Now, the headers come with u-bolt clamps....I would not use these. I would run to your local Napa store and pick up a set of SS 304 band clamps (about 3" in width) and clamp them down. I have used these in the past with great success and no to mention...they don't hurt the pipes for later disassemble.
Tomorrow I'll add some pics of the driver side header looking into the collector and passenger header installed.
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