One day I want an SCT, but I'm not ready to spend $400 when my mods aren't very far from stock.

 

I've been shopping around at Summit Racing, Jegs, 4 Wheel Parts, Truck Add Ons, and even JC Whitney and don't remember seeing any 5.2 tuners or chips

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When I replace my headers, the stock header bolts coming out of the block are pretty rusted, how hard is it to replace them, I would need the same bolts because the intake bracket bolts to one
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you can get stainless steel bolts from any lowes or home depo, if you get any other kind, besides bolts designed for exhaust, they will work them self loose and maybe even crack, but of corse almost any header bolt will come loose after awhile

 

You need locking exhaust manifold bolts.

 

with shorty headers being a stand alone mod on my truck with the stock air box/cat, it was a pretty noticeable improvement at WOT compared to the stock manifolds.
the bolts were the wrong size and were low grade metric bolts, so i replaced them with grade 8 bolts. the bolts are pretty rusty now.

whenever you put your headers on keep one thing in mind, that thin stainless steel only takes a couple seconds to get hot enough to burn you. when i put mine on i reached down beside them to see if the flange for the y pipe had a good seal and in the time it took to crank the truck and walk around to the passenger side it was hot enough to give me a 2nd degree burn. i thought my forearm had enough clearance from the pipes but i was wrong.

 

get these bolts. just a quick link for you. you can find them cheaper other places with the right part#. cannt remember the part# off the top of my head.

http://www.stage8.com/

and these gaskets.

http://catalog.remflex.com/category_s/79.htm

 

act does make tuners for the 96 model year for the 5.2 and 5.9.....and I dont know where your shopping but Ive seen them for $2xx.00......you can find them on ebay new or used...good place to look to see what something sells for before the ridiculous markup if anything else...I myself am waiting...too many other important things to spend my $$ right now and most who seem to be using the tuners seem to have to use the 93 octane program to see any real improvement....not gonna happen for me and my 12mpg beast...I just dont make that kind of $$ to **** away that stupidly myself...

 

I replaced mine with Summit shorty headers (really pacesetter) and there is a sizeable power difference at 3000 rpm now, you can almost feel it kick in like a 2 stroke dirtbike. Also makes the exhaust louder, but I'm only running a flowmaster super 40. And yes, you will need new bolts as the stock ones will be too long.