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Texas speed headers are at a great price. Why? How do they compare with LG and AR?
I'm in the market for headers, so I'm wondering if this is too good to be true, or long lasting, less performance? Haven't heard anything on the forum about them, good or bad.
Ive only HEARD that they are very close to LG's in making power. Quality, Im pretty sure TSP wouldnt put out something crappy. I just figire there making those headers cheap so people CAN buy them. I got my LG's used and very cheap. But if I didnt find that deal I would have went with TSP. Good Luck and hopefully someone will chim in with more info!
The TSP headers are cheaper because none of the kit's components are made of stainless steel (and do not currently include cats). However, the headers are ceramic coated, inside and out, and the off-road pipes and X are aluminized. They also include some pretty nice band/strap clamps (these might actually be stainless). They do not come with any gaskets or header bolts, but they do include a newer style dipstick and tube.
This kit is time consuming to install, but NOT difficult. I was lucky to have access to a hoist, but it is not required since both headers will install from the top. I did the entire kit install by myself.
The headers are well designed and nice in quality. I see no reason to spend DOUBLE for a similar kit in stainless. Our cars do not spend alot of time driving around in 6 inches of salt water, and they will probably be obsolete in 50 years.
This TSP kit is one of the best bolt-ons for the C-5. The design is obviously similar to LGs, except for the collector style. Their performance gains are right in line with most all of the popular 1 3/4" headers, with excellent torque potential because of the TRUE longtube design.
Buy this kit, get your cats separately if you need to, install it yourself, and spend the extra $500 to $1000 you save on more bolt-ons or a new cam!
They look like a decent design and I really like the x-pipe they sell with the kit. Stainless is actually susceptible to chlorides (i.e., salt... NaCl) and can
form cracks from pitting caused by the chlorides. I'm not aware of any advantage of stainless over a carbon steel that has a quality ceramic coating on it.... the ceramic coating will help keep the heat where it belongs... in the pipes.
I bet if the bell housing bracket doesn't line up with the tabs on the headers, they'll be easier to 'coax' into place.
You can also order the air tubes in the right location for the early years or order them with no air tube connections at all! That's a great advantage....
I did this install a few weeks ago and I love them. Not a difficult install if you have a lift, I do recommend removing the oil filter to get the drivers side in. We also disconnected the steering shaft which is not too hard and makes life very easy. Personally I like the look of the coated headers better and the price can't be beat