Kooks Long-Tube Headers for GMs 6.2L: Kookin in the Horsepower Kitchen
| 2011 Gmc Sierra side View
One of the most common questions we get is about adding headers to LS engines. Headers help to smooth out the flow of air leaving the engine, increase power by helping the engine expel the exhaust gases more efficiently, as well as adding a better exhaust note. As a rule of thumb, shorty headers help add low-end torque, with average horsepower peak numbers, while long-tube headers add big power figures, and produce a torque increase later in the rpm range. After bolting on a big ProCharger supercharger to this 2011 GMC Sierra in Issue 5, we wanted to help the force-fed 6.2L LS engine breathe easier and pick up some ponies while we were at it. The addiction to power never loses its grasp on you.
| 1. To help the supercharged engine breathe easier, we needed to swap out the factory exhaust system from the manifolds back.
After mulling it over, we called up Kooks Custom Headers and ordered a set of their long-tube headers for the 6.2L engine. Made from 304 stainless steel, the 1¾-inch primary tubes feed down into 3-inch high-flow race catalytic converters, which lead to a 3-inch Y-pipe and into a 3-inch collector. With a thick mounting flange, the supercharger’s extra heat won’t distort the metal for a leak-free system. Once they arrived, the truck and the kit were taken to Automotive Excellence in Weatherford, Oklahoma, where Randall Wilhite handled the install in no time. Follow along to see how we increased airflow, added a better sound, and got even more power from our performance engine.
