Exhaust Leak at Headers

If it was me Id just get the one side fixed and move on, but if
your going to add headers, at least get some long tubes. Those JBA shortys
look like a f'n pretzel.

If you're not going to get long tubes, then don't WASTE your money on the shorty headers. fix the bad gasket and put the rest of the money elsewhere.

I still say save the $300.

dude do what you want, longtube headers are the most powerful, but the main part of the market leans toward a good set of shorty headers. Since you are in CA and im assuiming you dont know of a place that will give him a "pass" for having his off road stuff on. no reason not to just go ahead and get new heads if he is practically paying that much anyway. Shortys wont kill you and are a big improvement on the stock manifolds.

I also have the same issues about wanting long tubes but getting it thru the CA Smog. ... They wont get thru the visual equipment smog inspection, regardless of how they effect the performance. That is not to say there might not be other options for the smog issue.

In regards to the shorties, the JBA's are nice ones, and yeak they really don't add much power (maybe 5 to 10), but they look bitchin and sound a little different. I have shorties on mine. I installed them myself. It is a job. You have to remove the battery tray, air filter box, starter, rack and pinion, the exhaust system, remove the bolts from one motor mount, and lift the engine slightly to get the header to bolt up, then rebolt everything back up. I did it without a lift, in a weekend, with a friend helping for about 6 hours on the first day.

A couple of notes: Use the Factory Ford crush gaskets. ( i used the gaskets supplied with my headers, and had to replace one side after it leaked.) Get a set of those Craftsmen swivel head ratcheting box end wrenches ... they make it much easier. Follow the JBA installation instructions. I don't have JBA shortie's but ended up folllowing their install instructions.

One thought on the manifold ... if it is warped, it wouldn't be hard to re surface it. I've seen a lot of exhaust manifolds and header flanges ground flat on a 6" belt sander and a file. Just check it with a straight edge afterwards. Every one sealed just fine afterwards.

Yeah ... shorties don't add much power but they definitely don't take it away. They do sound a little better, and they definetely have the "looks bitchin" factor.

Was it worth a weekend and $300.00? Hell yes!

You don't need to have it dyno'd for the shorties. The BBK throtle body and the JLT CAI would have more of an impact on needing a tune than the shorties would.