Click here to see the install! Sometimes in this little world we build trucks in, a cool thing happens -- you get more than you expected. We expect an exhaust to add horsepower, but do we expect it to look good, too? The answer is yes, but that's because we're spoiled. In this story, we threw a bunch of power parts at a V-6 to up the grunt, but what we got was something even better -- a killer-looking engine compartment. We're talking about a six-banger, so it's not going to have ground-pounding power, but it is nice to be able to smoke the tires and impress da ladies. To free up that kind of power, we needed to use some tried-and-true parts. Thanks to STS Performance and JBA, we will transform the truck from a POS to a BMF to make the driver a VIP and improve his ETA so he won't be SOL.
JBA sent us a set of its smog-legal Cat4ward shorty headers for the Silverado along with all the hardware and gaskets needed to bolt them up. These headers feature all the benefits you'll find in any of JBA's pipes, such as stainless-steel mandrel-bent primary tubes, 3/8-inch single piece laser-cut flanges, and specific-length down tubes for better torque. We've done installs on JBA's headers in the past and saw an increase in horsepower and torque throughout the rpm range, and they do it without compromising the vehicle's emissions equipment. These headers will not void factory warranty, come CARB certified for 50-state smog legality, and have a limited lifetime warranty.To complement the headers ,we hooked up with Jay at STS Performance to provide an air intake, bored-out throttle body, and set of underdrive pulleys. The air intake tube STS makes features mandrel-bent tubing, K&N filter, and show-quality chrome plating. The pulleys are CNC-whittled from a solid chunk of billet aluminum with a smaller-than-stock od. The throttle body has been enlarged and the factory butterfly is replaced to allow more air in the motor with less restriction. The stock butterfly has a type of restrictor plate attached to it that really interrupts and restricts airflow (check out image 19 to see what we are talking about).