What is laziness? If it's taking the path of least resistance to achieve a goal, then we're all lazy. This is especially true for a large percentage of the male gender in relation to shopping. So, what's the path of least resistance for easy plug-and-play truck mods? Web shopping on www.truckperformance.com, that's what! We put the task of beefing up the power output of an '05 Silverado by way of web shopping and easy bolt-ons found at Truck Performance's website.
The whole experience was like watching David Copperfield performing live magic, on a street corner in New York City during a Friday lunch hour. Magically, all the power parts showed up at the door step via our favorite brown carrier. We opted to make the basic upgrades, making good power enhancement while still keeping the installation process simple. We tried AEM's new Brute Force dry air intake, so we didn't have to worry about destroying the MAF sensor by over-oiling a cotton-gauze filter when we clean it. We also incorporated JBA's Headers and after-cat exhaust system because JBA manufacturers its products to upgrade power, while being installer friendly. Then, finally, we chose an easy install programmer by Superchips to continue down the path of least resistance.
The time we spent in front of the computer till the time we were able to enjoy our first tire-hazing burnout consisted of almost five hours of actual work. All the components were easy to install, so if you applied yourself, it would take you the same amount of time. Of course, this wouldn't account for going to the store for a six pack of your favorite beverage, daydreaming of what to do next, trying to find the tool you just used, or running back and forth from the garage to the TV to see a football score. We also had the luxury of an air compressor and pneumatic tools. Without these devices, this install would have been a dusk-till-dawn job.
A quick pull on the dyno at Superior Automotive provided the hardcore evidence we needed to compare the before and after power mods. On average, the stock '05 5.3L truck scenario makes 245 hp and 286 lb-ft of torque with an automatic transmission measured at the tire. The stock powerband kicks in about 3,400 rpm and pulls to 4,900 rpm before the power starts to drop off.
After the mods, our truck made 306 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm, which is 400 rpm higher than stock. Horsepower was increased to 280 at 5,250 rpm. The engine always made more horsepower and torque over stock through this rpm range. This proves the exhaust, headers, and intake allowed the engine to breathe better, even at the same rpm, and the programmer provided the means to make best use of the performance enhancements.
1.First, we took off the small...
1.First, we took off the small section of exhaust that houses the catalytic converters from the exhaust system.
2.Removing the dipstick is...
2.Removing the dipstick is necessary to remove the passenger-side exhaust manifold. This was done by unscrewing the one bolt that holds it in place and pulling it free from the block. Because the dipstick passes right by the starter relay, we found out the hard way it's in your best interest to disconnect the battery. The sparks and starter turning the motor while sitting on jackstands are not a good thing.
3.After carefully pulling...
3.After carefully pulling the plug wires free of the plugs, the manifold bolts should be broken free by a half rotation, so the manifold bolts aren't put under additional stress for removal. This will also ensure you don't strip a manifold bolt hole in the aluminum heads.
4.Only six bolts are used...
4.Only six bolts are used to affix the manifold to the head. We removed all but one center bolt. After making sure it was less than finger tight, we removed the bolt while holding the exhaust manifold with the other. Once it was released from the head, we carefully removed the stock gasket and removed the manifold from the truck. We kept the thick plastic wrap on our new headers to keep the coating from being scratched. This truck has less than 6,000 miles on it, so we opted to reuse the stock gaskets. Start with a center bolt when installing the new headers to ensure the headers seal properly.
5.According to the instructions,...
5.According to the instructions, the driver-side manifold and header need to be removed and installed from the top. This would include disconnecting the steering shaft and moving it out of the way. This wouldn't be hard, but it already had the exhaust completely disconnected, allowing the header and exhaust manifold through the bottom side of the truck.
6.This may be before your...
6.This may be before your time, but there was a song by Blue Oyster Cult that had the lyrics "Don't fear the reaper." Well, our version of that song is "Don't fear the extension." We found a 3-foot extension reached the only difficult-to-reach bolt on the exhaust system. The rear manifold bolt on the driver side is recessed in the engine tunnel. Even with a 12-point shorty wrench, you'll only be able to turn the bolt one eighth of a turn per pull. With this shallow 13mm socket attached to a three-eighth drive wobbly and damn-near 3 feet of three eighths extension, the bolt can be reached through the fenderwell.
7.With all the bolts tight,...
7.With all the bolts tight, even the difficult one, the spark plug wires were reinstalled and we moved onto the rest of the JBA exhaust.