I recommend anyone with the truck 5.7 upgrade to shorties, aluminum heads and cast iron manifolds on a 400 ft-lb towing vehicle with rubber motor mounts are a ticking time bomb.

The latest revision of BBKs will show decent gains and eliminate stud breakage. I’m putting in a set of ported 1-3/4” shorties next weekend for the exact same issue. I opened up the flange to primary tube for full gasket clearance as some of the MIG beads were protruding.

 

Awesome thanks! Did you buy the shorty bbks?

 

Yes, make sure you get the oval ports, the round ports will impede flow and are for the 3rd Generation heads.

 

Did you get chrome or ceramic? Are you wrapping them?

 

Yes sir found a good deal on a mild steel chrome set, 14 gauge and wrapped with titanium 1”.

Just got them ready for silicone wrap paint tomorrow, Ive had great success with this method on motorcycles. Winter will be the only new variable.

Minor gains?? Just look at those 1-3/4” primaries, flow and they are tuned by firing order!

Where ya been TH, have the baby yet?

 

Night school

 

Throw them in our powdercoat oven at work and they’ll be cured and sealed from the elements.

 

Should I use the BBK gaskets or should I get the OEM gaskets?

 

The bbks should be used as a hanging decor in your performance shop. Yes, get the triple layer OEM with a partial heat shield.

 

Got the bbks installed. It was more of a task than I was expecting. Some of the bolts were very hard to get to and the dipstick had to be bent several times to be able to clear the headers, steering shaft, and fuel line. The bolts for the exhaust pipes were way to long so I had to use the original ones. They look good and it sounds a little different too. Total time on the install was about 6 hrs but I took my time. I will try to post some pics. If I can figure that out!

 

Yeah that large front transfer case support bracket impedes on the dipstick bolt to the block from fully removing, and the inner bolt under the collector on the driver side is tricky.

What are your initial impressions?

 

Mines 2wd so I didn’t have to deal with any of that, but my impressions are not much difference from the stock manifolds and hopefully I won’t break any bolts off in the heads now. They look good and sound, but it did mess my exhaust tips up they will have to be adjusted. And I can’t figure out how to post pictures yet. Any info would be great thanks!

 

Go to manage attachments and insert picture files, you should feel the top end pull all the way to redline instead of falling on its face. Mid range pull was smooth and the engine isn’t working as hard. Increase in my commute of 1 mpg the first week, although could be attributed to slightly warmer weather up here.

Uploaded engine and trans tunes this week for review using the intune i3.

 

Here are the pics. Thanks for the help!

 

Awesome, much better access area than the 4x4s. I’d suggest a tune if you really want to have more noticeable gains.

 

I already have the bully dog tune, S&B cold air intake, muffler delete, and a 4.10 rear gear. Now I’m not sure what’s next! Any suggestions?

 

180 thermostat and Ported throttle body are next on my list, then a mild cam with custom tune and put my feet up for the year aha.

 

Why the 180 thermostat? What is the purpose? TB how much power and what size is stock and what size should I go for?

 

Colder coolant in the heads/intake makes dense air that translates to more power. There is no reason to run the water temps near boiling point. Stock Throttle body bottleneck is 80mm for the 14s, not sure about the rest.

 

i guess these bolt to the stock "Y" pipe no problem?

 

There is a problem if you don't snug the ball flange concentric, certainly helps to have an extra set of hands push the tailpipes while you tighten the bolts evenly. I used a light bead of high temp gasket maker to ensure an even seal.

After the canned 87 and perf. trans tunes, I saw 2 mpg better at 74 mph during my morning commute. Worth the price of admission for that alone, completely different explosion on the mid+ throttle shifts and in the power-band. It's vigorous yet smooth in transition, tough to explain in words.

 

Yes they bolt right up.

 

that's the only one for the 4th gen. oh and JBA,s website says will not work on 2500's. guess ill e making a call soon.

 

So with a ported TB is there a dyno proven hp and tq gain for this? MPG?

 

Minor gains with ported throttle body with your mods, but an increase in throttle response with proper tuning. Venturi effect would have benefits vs a thru bored for daily driving, granted it's tuned for optimal A/F. They are not a great hp/cost investment purchased, but if someone local runs a smooth lathe it can be more affordable with a butterfly swap.

Here is a 5.7 Chally I found that documented their improvements.
http://www.rivindale.com/LRHemi/

 

BBK's wont work for my application. Jba make some that will. anyone have any luck with these?

 

Where is the interference with the BBK's, IIRC some had to grind the motor-mount or put a dent in a primary for clearance. Maybe it was the steering shaft that the dent was for, but I did see that.