Exhaust system

[HotCarl]

Before anyone hounds me for not searching this, I did and couldn't really find much on what I needed to know.
How difficult is it to remove the stock exhaust manifolds to install shorty headers? What needs to done, what are the steps? Relative difficulty?

Also, The same with the stock exhaust system and putting in a cat-back?

Thanks!

 

[HotCarl]

Anyone? Maybe this should go into performance...

 

[retorq]

6 bolts manifold to block, 2 or 3 y pipe to the manifolds. Heat them first then remove.

Cat back isn't too bad, cut out the old stuff, bolt in the new stuff.

This all depends on the age, if that stuff has been removed before, miles, do they use salt on the roads there, etc. It can be an easy job, it can be a nitemare too.

 

[HotCarl]

Thanks retorq. Idaho doesn't use salt, only sand. I took a peek underneath there and there is some rust in spots, it looks like my stock exhaust muffler has a small pinhole leak at the back, there is black soot around it. My rig has 144,xx, and none of these parts have been touched for along time. Any other way to make the bolts back out easier besides heat? I plan and doing these all at the same time so does it matter which go on first, headers or exhaust?

 

[ravingmadman]

I strongly recommend you use a smoke wrench to heat up the exhuast manifold bolts before you try to take them out. Or go for a good, long, hard drive first. They'll come right out. Otherwise, you run the risk of breaking them, and that's an instant catastrophy. If you break those bolts, you're quite possibly looking at pulling the heads. That's less than fun. I believe you'll find that the concensus here is that the step from stock to shorty's is not worth it- instead go with long tubes if you're going to really do something.

 

[HotCarl]

I believe you'll find that the concensus here is that the step from stock to shorty's is not worth it- instead go with long tubes if you're going to really do something.

So how much is actually gained from shortys?