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.
