Also running long tubes makes you lose a lot of torque at lowend so shorties are good for tricks plus they look cool lol

 

I'd love to find some long tubes uncoated used, especially in stainless!

I don't ever see headers in the fs/t section

 

You don't see used Longtubes for sale because if you put them on yourself you aren't going to take them off. Too big a pain, and If you paid someone to do it you wouldn't pay again since they'd charge you more.

 

did not know that about the long tubes..

haha no matter what i wouldnt remove these unless i absolutly had to. altho ive got some stage 8 bolts that will be easier to get out if i ever had to.

as for the longtubes, i didnt really want to do a whole cat delete either and have to buy a tuner. maybe in the future ill get a tuner, but im already 1200$ into this just with the cats and the Magnaflow exhaust. was able to buy the exhaust cause I didnt have to goto the stealership or pay someone to do it.

Got the exhaust today, will post pics later.. and ive got the headers snugged up with the gasket on, so it will be all ready to go in the am to start working on

 

Just remember when you get everything all on and tight start your truck let it idle about 5 minutes take it around the block get it nice and warm them shut it off let it cool and Retorque the bolts!!! Did you use the ford metal gaskets or the crappy paper ones that most likely came with them?

 

I still have the metal ones but decided to use the other gasket. The metal ones don't look like they do anything they're so thin

 

This is incorrect. Longtubes are your best bet for low to mid torque. Longtubes with large primaries are best for peak mid to red line power. Any engine builder will tell you this. Either header with to large a primary will cost you low end power due to the reduced scavenging. So the appropriate primary size must be established. With the 5.4 it seems to be an 1 5/8. This size provides the additional low end torque needed to get a 6000lb beast moving and provides the room needed for higher rpm flow to get the gases out as quickly as possible with little to no effort by the motor. Again scavenging will play a huge roll here. Here's some info from the physics forum: Longtubes vs shorty

This is a question of exhuast gas scavenging efficiency. Effective scavenging is an extremely important factor to consider in maximizing your engine's volumetric efficiency, or "V.E." Although the most thorough answer is one that takes far too long to put in this post, Ill give you the shortened one.
Long tube headers are headers where your primary tubes are on average, at least 28" in length, they are also much more narrow that thier short tube counter parts. These type of headers, generally speaking, are best when used on a street rod, or "smoke show" application. Basically, lighting up the tires from stoplight to stoplight, generally with a mid to low power band. This is because of the way the engine breathes at mid and lower RPM's.

At the low to mid end, the best way to maximize your scavenging effect, thus helping to maximize your engine's V.E., Is to move the exhuast out of the engine as fast as possible, or with as much velocity as possible. Long tubes work best for this because of their length, and their width (well, lack of width). Thier length allows an elongated path for the gas to flow, thus allowing the gas to leave the cylinder with more speed because the gas has more time to gain velocity before it hits the collector.

Now, you've heard car enthusiasts state that ANY restriction is bad for a motor, no matter what. This is not completly true, in your exhaust, small, strategically placed, smooth mandrel restrictions can be a good thing due to the fact that well place, correct sized restrictions followed by larger openings actually speed up exhuast gas flow. So the smaller diameter tubes actually serve your scavenging better in the mid and low ranges.

Mid and low ranges dont produce alot of actual exhuast volume, so small tubes dont restrict or "back up" flow.

LARGE, SHORT TUBE HEADERS MAKE FOR "LAZY" EXHUAST GAS SPEED WHEN EXHUAST VOLUME IS LOW!! (as it is in the low and mid range).

However, if you dont even begin to tip into your power band untill about 3700, you may consider short tubes. High RPM operation in a big motor (not talking about 4 bangers here), yeild LARGE amounts of exhuast gas discharge. THIS is where you need the larger diameter tubes, to get more volume out of the cylinder. THIS is where you can loose power due to pumping losses on the exhuast stroke. In an ideal world, your exhuast system would be soooo effective, that by the time that pistion STARTS coming up on the exhuast stroke, your ports and headers will have scavenged all exhuast gas out of the cylinder during the duration of the exhuast pulse. If there's no sizable amount to push out, there in a low pressure area in the cylinder (also known as vacuum), almost causing a "pulling up" affect on the piston. So, your not loosing power by pushing, your gaining power by being pulled.

One of the things that impacts on exhaust scavenging is the duration of the exhaust pulse, which is inversely proportional to engine RPM. If you have relatively long primaries, the exhaust pulses are less likely to interfere at low RPM at the collector and more likely to assist in the evacuation of the other primaries, increasing efficiency. The easier your engine can "exhale" the more fuel-air mix it can process and the more horsepower it can produce.

 

Hey "Welderboy" i'm going to be attempting this install here in another few weekends, just wondering what you used exactly to get to the 2 front bolts on both sides and whether you had to lift the engine at all?

Thanks.

 

Hey Bud, make sure to soak the studs and nuts really good and Make sure to take out the starter and pull back your cats after you disconnect them in a few areas. the bottom front bolts I accessed with 2 extensions and a swivel and a deep 1/2in socket and went directly underneath them poking through the skidplate that protects the front diff. a real pain in the butt to get but i did er that way. the passenger side you are going to curse and curse and curse. but you will eventually get it if at any point it seems like the studs are comming out dont worry they gotta come out anyways to get off the manifold. i suggest ordering a set of the stage 8 locking bolts to install the new headers, but before you finalise and finish putting the locks on drive the truck for a week or so. you can also access the other three lower ones on each side through where the cats bolt up.

 

I'm going with Dynatechs with high flow cats when mine stock system craps out. Matched to my Borla I'm certain it'll get this truck moving. Maybe it'll finally be able to keep up to my Ram!

That is a steal of a deal! You must have the most powerful F-150 on this forum. Damn, I would love to take a trip in your truck or see what you're hauling with it!

No messing with Toyota's iForce engines. They spank our s**tty Triton motors. Not to dis our own engines but really they put our trucks to shame. Their engines are all aluminum for light weight and are DOHC 4V. I'm not 100% certain but I do believe they have variable valve timing on both intake and exhaust. I think we only have variable valve timing on our intake valves. Also, their trucks are significantly lighter than ours. On a positive note, our trucks can carry more, haul more and have the strongest frames.

I agree. I would never install short tube headers on any vehicle I own. Dynatechs or Stainless Works. That's it.