Headers / exhaust upgrades

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Joined
Apr 4, 2023
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1
Messages
8
Location
Alberta
Hey everyone I’m new here. Just purchased a 2001 Land Cruiser that has had a lot of modifications done to it. Even though it has the TRD supercharger, I am finding that when passing vehicles on the highway with the large gap between gears on the 4 speed, that its passing capabilities are lack lustre. I am looking to further increase the power to compensate for the 4 speed tranny. Air intake isn’t an option as it already has a snorkel. Has the supercharger. My thoughts were to install headers and a complete new exhaust to increase power. 2 questions… Doug Thorley offers short tube headers. Are they worth it or should I be trying to track down some long tube headers?
Is there an exhaust system out there that eliminates the catalytic converters? And if so, is it worth it to eliminate them?
 
They are enroute and do any day for delivery. Once I get some time I will get them installed. I ordered the full exhaust package, headers to tail pipe.


Tex
They arrived last week and boxes suffered some. No damage except one bolt spot welding and broke the spot weld. Bold fell into the rapping and no lost.
Hole through the bolt where it hit something.

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I ordered the full system. Rhino was responsive, gave the same quote, and sent a PayPal invoice for payment. Shipping was fast, I ordered and figured it would be a while. It was around a week.

The packaging was not great. There were several areas where the coating had been worn through to bare metal on the headers. The welds are not impressive. I suck at welding and it looks like the welds I did on my coastal weld it yourself bumper. Haven’t dug further. Now to get the old ones out.
 
What are the Rhinos made out of? The OEM manifolds and exhaust system are probably 409 stainless....DT headers and some aftermarket catback systems are 304 stainless, which is even better. If that is a basic carbon steel system, I'd probably be hesitant to buy it unless you live in a very dry climate. The coated carbon steel headers can rust out pretty quickly due to the rather extreme heat cycles. If it is a 409 system, then it should be at least as good as OEM. I personally prefer 304 as it is closer to rust-proof and looks awesome after it gets hot and develops some color on it.

My DTs still look really good after 3 years here and they have seen some salt.
 
Mean to update this sooner but I was considering trying to problem solve a little more before I did.

I got the new headers, cats, and cat back installed a few months or so ago. Man I do not like doing the headers. Not too bad going in though. With the design I had to use ratcheting wrenches and no way to fit a torque wrench on the bolts. A few connections gave headaches like the Y to the single on the cat back portion. Messed with it enough and got it in. My first exhaust install so that was part of the problem.

First drive I heard a bad grinding noise. The Y was hitting the bottom of the u joint/driveline. Best solution I came up with was hammering and denting in the pipe in about 1/4 to clear it.

Then after a longer drive I found that the steering shaft was in contact with the header. Best solution I came up with was disconnecting the steering shaft and again hammering the header in about a 1/4” in two spots. Still makes a strange noise sometimes. May have damaged something in the steering or maybe still in contact at times, can’t tell and it’s not bad enough to worry me.

An annoying thing is that the ceramic coating is mottled black and ash colored. I used some VHT header paint to touch up the areas worn through in shipping/installing. That could be part of the problem there. I don’t know if this is common or not. So far no rusting issues.

I emailed with Rhino about the clearance issues. They suspected the motor mounts were worn out. They suggested that a small difference there could make the difference. I had replaced the motor mounts and transmission mount in the last year or two. Thought I used oem but it may have been beck/arnley the more I think about it. Sometimes they have Toyota packaged parks in a beck arnley box. I had already hammered the exhaust walls in and didn’t want to spend the money on oem motor mounts to see if that helped and I couldn’t find a spec for thickness.

It’s in there now and it works so I’m going to go with it as is for now.

On the upside I am very happy with the sound and the sound level. It has a nice light throaty v8 sound. Probably about the perfect sound level, sometimes around town I’d rather it be a little louder because it sounds good, on long highway stretches I wouldn’t want it louder. The noise of cooper st max tires and wind noise from a prinsu roof rack are louder than the exhaust, but you can hear it over stock.

I think I have a little gain in gas mileage. I don’t track it closely but check here and there. I don’t have enough consistent numbers to be able to give a great number. Normally now about 14.5.

Seems to have more power, at least by feel. I’m happy with it.

After the painful install I thought that if I had to do it again I might have done the doug thorley headers and Borla cat back. Wouldn’t get new cats, but would be stainless. And I wouldn’t wonder as much about the fitment issues.

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Sucks that your project could not end without blood shed. Usually I find out about needed maintenance from trying to upgrade something.
 
Seeing that those are non-stainless, I'd strongly suggest NOT using them unless you live in a truly desert environment. Carbon steel headers do not last that long. They might rust out within 5 years if you live in a wet climate or somewhere that gets any amount of salt. Not a job anyone would ever want to do twice. Same goes for the exhaust as well....easier install but $$$ to replace it. The DT headers are 304 SS which should last the life of the rig. The OEM exhaust and manifolds are probably 409 stainless (not as good as 304 SS but should last 15-20 years in most climates).
 

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