When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I bought these on Black Friday special since they were at a 25% discount and really couldn't resist the urge! I need to buy a few tools (o2 sensor & Torx T40 sockets), buy a little heat-wrap to better protect the fuel lines while I have it all apart, then I'll get the install going within the coming weeks...maybe over the long New Years weekend. The box arrived today and included OEM GM Genuine gaskets along with stainless steel hardware. Initial impressions are that they are well-constructed along with liberal/thick ceramic coating both inside & out (outside is a titanium metallic while inside is copper). They're more compact & lighter than I expected with is a nice surprise, they also don't stick up quite as high as others so they will fit the HTC if anyone is curious (I have a coupe). I've been a fan of aFe Power products for years and have run been using their products nearly continuously in some for or fashion for nearly two decades now so I'm excited to give these a try!
I think they should pair nicely with my existing mod list consisting of:
-Attack Blue air filter
-Soler Performance ported throttle body
-SoCal Porting ported intake manifold
I bought these on Black Friday special since they were at a 25% discount and really couldn't resist the urge! I need to buy a few tools (o2 sensor & Torx T40 sockets), buy a little heat-wrap to better protect the fuel lines while I have it all apart, then I'll get the install going within the coming weeks...maybe over the long New Years weekend. The box arrived today and included OEM GM Genuine gaskets along with stainless steel hardware. Initial impressions are that they are well-constructed along with liberal/thick ceramic coating both inside & out (outside is a titanium metallic while inside is copper). They're more compact & lighter than I expected with is a nice surprise, they also don't stick up quite as high as others so they will fit the HTC if anyone is curious (I have a coupe). I've been a fan of aFe Power products for years and have run been using their products nearly continuously in some for or fashion for nearly two decades now so I'm excited to give these a try! I think they should pair nicely with my existing mod list consisting of:
-Attack Blue air filter
-Soler Performance ported throttle body
-SoCal Porting ported intake manifold
For anyone who may be interested, these are the tools I'll be picking up to complete the job (in addition to your typical ratchets/sockets/wrenches, etc.). I'll report back once the job is done verifying if the tools worked as anticipated for this project.
Nice looking piece. I'd really like to see some pics and semi detailed info on what you have to do to get them in. Looking forward to the progress.
AFE & ARH both have good instructions posted on their websites for download, which I've done. I plan to print them as well for reference while in the garage. Honestly looks like a rather basic job for someone with DIY experience.
I've attached the 4 documents I've downloaded to this post... Hope they help!
Kooks' instructions suck, but then again so do their headers for the C8. I've attached them anyway just for additional reference. I've also attached AFE's CARB certificate.
I love the headers on my HTC... i have them paired with AFE exhaust, AFE black series carbon intake as well as a the 100mm Soler performance TB
Wow, quite the setup! Any heat-related issues on the HTC or all is well with the ceramic coating? How's the coating holding up? Thanks for chiming in. I'll be installing mine in the coming weeks (most likely the weekend after New Years).
What is the benefit of these headers, bigger primary tubes? Equal length? Better fit? How much do they cost?
1 7/8" primaries, optimized tube lengths & merge collectors, ceramic coated inside & out, etc.
I got them for $1,661 during Black Friday special, but right now they're on Christmas sale for $1,764. https://afepower.com/afe-power-48-34...ceramic-coated
Wow, quite the setup! Any heat-related issues on the HTC or all is well with the ceramic coating? How's the coating holding up? Thanks for chiming in. I'll be installing mine in the coming weeks (most likely the weekend after New Years).
No problems at all and I daily mine.. no heat issue and no heat issue when the top is down either. They look the same today as they day they were installed.
No problems at all and I daily mine.. no heat issue and no heat issue when the top is down either. They look the same today as they day they were installed.
The install is half done! I was working solo on it this afternoon. The Harbor Freight o2 sensor socket worked perfectly. Fitment is really nice; removing the factory header was the tough part. All gaskets and hardware needed are included. The only unlisted specialty tool needed is a 10mm hex bit, which luckily I already had in my toolbox (to install & tighten the auxiliary o2 sensor bung plug). I used a little copper anti-sieze during reassembly.
...and done! Did the whole job on the ground without jacking it up or removing the wheels. All specialty tools needed are listed in this thread. Beyond that, just basic hand tools used with a variety of ratchets, extensions, sockets, and wrenches. No air/power tools necessary. A few squirts of PB Blaster on the cat nuts makes removing them much easier. I used a little high-temp copper anti-sieze on the O2 sensors and cat nuts, but left the header bolts dry. Approximately 6' of DEI heat sheath was added to various lines & hoses for added protection.
One thing to add that I was curious about: The AFE collector outlet diameter does match the factory cat inlets. After reading and seeing the reports regarding Kooks actually being smaller it had me curious.
No. It was between 2 3/4" and 2 7/8", I don't remember precisely since I wanted to get back to wrenching, but the header outlets and cat inlets matched perfectly. Chevy apparently downsized the cat pipes vs. the C7 since those were a full 3" diameter.
The ceramic coating on the headers seems to be doing its job. Engine bay temps really didn't feel any hotter after driving to work than it normally does when you pop the trunk, nor did the fan kick off after shutting down the engine. Definitely a little more noise coming from the engine bay with the factory heatshields no longer there (the underside of the shields contain heat blankets which likely dampen things a bit), but I wouldn't call it anything obnoxious for someone modifying their car(s). Exhaust volume overall is slightly higher under throttle but seems just as quiet in Tour Mode at a steady cruise.
I should have thought about this ahead of time, but I just ordered a set of Corsa spark plug wire sleeves to protect them from excessive heat. I haven't heard of any failures, but I also don't want to be the first and find out somewhere in the middle of nowhere on a cross-country roadtrip next summer. The install would have been really easy while the headers were out, but should still be decent with the new headers in there due to more clearance and easier access without all the heat shielding in place. The wires aren't dangerously close to the headers, but they are still right there underneath so a little extra protection never hurts. ARH nor AFE recommend these be added (while ARH includes heat wrap for the fuel & EGR lines), but Corsa actually includes them with their headers. Who knows...better safe than sorry!
12-06-2021, 07:28 PM
Sharing a few pics of my new AFE Twisted Steel coated headers & Corsa sport cats
