PaceSetter 1-5/8 in. Black Long Tube Headers (96-04 GT)

Video Review & Installation

Hey guys. Stephanie with AmercianMuscle.com, here with my review of these long tube headers from Pacesetter available for 1996 to 2004 GT Mustangs. These Pacesetter Long Tube Headers are going to be the perfect option for those guys out there that are looking for a set of long tube headers for some performance and sound gains, but that are on a serious budget. Picking up a set of long tubes means a mid-pipe as well and possibly even some tuning expenses. So it can get pretty expensive, pretty quick.These headers have a one and five eighths-inch diameter, and they're one-piece flanges as well. Getting into some of the specifics here, the first thing you're most likely noticing is that these are black. Now this is black paint, it's not any type of coating that's gonna help with heat dissipation or power or anything like that. Pacesetter does this solely to protect the headers when they're in storage and during shipment, but it's also gonna create a different feel in the engine compartment as well. If you're building more of a show car that has a little go to it, you might want to check out some of the chrome or even the ceramic-coated options since they might suit you better. But if you're just looking for some power and more sound out of your car, and you're not concerned with appearance then stay tuned. These have a 16-gauge carbon steel construction and they are mandrel bent which will help with smooth airflow. The header flanges which I mentioned earlier are CNC-machined and they're three-eighths inch thick, so that's gonna give them some additional strength. One thing I will say is that when it comes to long tubes well a tune is not required, it is always gonna be your best bet when you switch over to your long tube setup. Now I say this because a tune will not only help you get everything out of these expensive mods, but one of the main purposes of the tune with long tubes is to turn up the rear 02 sensors so you won't be getting a check engine light. Now if you really don't want to tune or it really isn't in the budget, since we are talking about budget shopping at this point, then you can get away with running some MIL eliminators to get rid of that check engine light. If you didn't know already, when you change your header setup to a long tube setup, you also need to change your mid-pipe to a shorty mid-pipe to work with the long tubes. These headers are specifically designed to work with a Pacesetter shorty mid-pipe. The Pacesetter mid-pipe is an X-pipe, so you know you can expect a louder, raspier sound than you get from an H-pipe. One thing I will say is to just know that when you're shopping on a budget, you might notice a few little sacrifices that you end up having to make. A lot of times, it's come down the form of fitment issues and the budget from the option often times don't have some of the nicer features like scavenger spikes or nicer collectors. At the end of the day, though, these aren't necessarily things that are essential to the header's function, so if you can live without them, then it's a go. That leaves me to the price of these headers, as we all pretty much know, or you know if you've been shopping for long tubes, they get pretty expensive. They are pricey, and they're difficult to install. The Pacesetter Long Tubes are priced much lower than any other option on the site. You'll get under $300 for this set right here, and the corresponding shorty X pipe that you will need with these is under $200. So in total at the end of the day, you're looking at under $500 for a set of long tubes and a shorty mid-pipe. Two tips I will give, however, is that I have heard of this black paint coating peeling after the headers have had some heat ran through them. If you want to avoid this peel, you can always coat the headers yourself or even wrap them if you want to. If you don't mind the looks at all, then you don't even have to worry about it. The other thing that I wanted to point is that while these do come with gaskets, I would highly recommend picking up a set of Ford gaskets for the install; they're just a hardier, better gasket. Either way, at the end of the day, you're looking at both power and sound gains here. Any power gains will change depending on your exact setup and tune situation, but usually you can expect some top-end gains with long tube headers. And in addition to that, you're also gonna get an awesome change in your exhaust [inaudible 00:03:21].As for the install on this one, long tubes are always gonna be a difficult install, I don't say this often, but if you don't have a helping hand or you don't have much experience, it might be better to just take the car to a shop for the install. If you do tackle this yourself, it's gonna be a full three out of three wrenches on the scale and a day in the garage, especially considering you will be installing a mid-pipe with these headers. You can do it on a jack and stands but doing this on a lift would make it easier for sure. You're gonna need your toolbox for this one with an assortment of different sockets, wrenches and extensions. You're looking at things like disconnecting the steering shaft, the starter and removing the motor mounts to get enough room to do this. A lot of the install obviously requires working in some pretty tight areas, so while everything is straightforward, getting access and maneuverability in these areas is actually tricky. To make things easier, you're even looking at pushing the trans out of the way to get enough room and having a helping hand in this case is really going to benefit you. But a day of rustling and some pretty penny spend on these mods is totally worth it in the end. So wrapping things up here, the Pacesetter Long Tubes are one and five eighths diameter, they're designed to work with the Pacesetter shorty mid-pipe, and they're gonna offer both performance and sound gains. This option is as budget-friendly as it gets, and the headers are painted black. You can check them out more online for yourself right here at AmericanMuscle.com.