Well I have a 99 2.7 5speed 4x4 as well.

What I found is...

LCE makes a Stainless steel header its a more conventional 4 into 1 design
and
NWOR (Northwest Offroad) makes a tri-Y header that is made of mild steel but nickel plated and comes with a lifetime warranty I believe.

THe NWOR is more expensive then the LCE header.

The NWOR is more low end then the LCE header.

The LCE header has more upper end then the NWOR header.

Thats the basics...

You have to factor in the catalytic convertor hook up (I am a huge advocate about retaining emissions), I believe the NWOR is a direct bolt on where as the LCE needs welded?? (double check that I am not 100% sure on that)

THe LCE is emissions legal in all 50 states and is carb approved.

THe NWOR has emissions hookups but not carb approved.

Anyway...I hope that helps....I think Downey makes a header too, but haven't seen or heard to much on that one. The LCE header appears to be the most popular.

Good luck..

Doug

 

my lce required no welding and came with att the mounting hardware.

 

Mmmm. Me wants.

Hey Red, how many cats do you have meow? Do you have 1 or 2? Meow, is that your 1st cat or 2nd cat in the photo? Ohhh I just noticed the stock heat shield won't go back on it, huh?? Is that an alright thing to do?

Comparing LCE's photo and Toyota's exploded view of the exhaust system from the FSM, it looks like LCE's header removes the first Three Way Catalytic converter, and connects to the second TWC. It's interesting how LCE states that "This Header Kit utilizes all factory emission and oxygen sensor equipment in stock locations and performs to OEM requirements," yet it's "Not legal for California." (Do all vehicles need to have two C/Cs on the exhaust in CA?) So with only one cat, wouldn't that shorten the life of the remaining cat?

Either way, I think once I get things squared away with my sensor issue, I want an LCE.

 

i have a 98 so it only came with 1 cat. and it has the egr hook up. but mine is blocked off and the tube is in my closet. yeah it can fit a 01 + but a 00- exhaust is needed or custom.

 

Anything 95-99 is a 1 cat EGR system. Anything 00+ is a dual cat system with no EGR, which means there are no legal headers for anything above 00', but anyone with a pre 2000 truck will have no troubles finding a emissions friendly header. Also, I'm pretty sure the pre 00' heatshields for the exhaust manifolds on the 4cyl's are a different shape than the 00' headshields, so if I am not mistaken, if you can somehow manage to find a header that you can fab up on your truck, you wont have to remove your heatshield. I think the pre 00' heatshields almost form fit the exhaust manifold, and the 00+ heatshields are merely pieces of metal bent at a right angle to simply fit above the exhaust manifold, thus allowing you to keep your heatshield....unless there is something I'm forgetting....

 

i made a heat sheild but it did nothin but hide the header. but i like the look of the header so i toook it off. coldnt u just get a exhaust from a 00 - tacoma, and block off the egr system and install the header to yor truck with just one cat? i did that because i had no flanges so i got a exhaust off of a 00 model tacoma reg cab. and bolted it to my header. bout a week later i had to have my old cat welded in to the place of the stock cat, cause everyone know cats dont like to sit in the rain and snow for a while. but it work finr with mine. i dnt see why a 01+ truck coulnt do the same, hell with one cat u would gain even more to end.

 

Anything 00+ is a dual cat system with no EGR

Kind of off topic, but I've heard this before. And my 2002 seems to have the EGR.
Image from LC Engineering:

It's the port on the side, right? I have a pipe that connects to that on my stock 2002 headers. If this is not the EGR, what is this?

 

well if you have a pipe comming off of it its defintally to an egr, but if you have a egr on your 2002 you must have had an engine swap or something, cuz like stated above you shouldnt have one.. my 01 dosent have one.. but my friends 97 does...well used to till we ripped it off thanks to colins kit

 

Hmmm. All this time, I've been wondering, because I thought it was weird that I had it. I don't have the complete FSM for 2002, but have PDF files for 2003, and it has some documentation for the EGR system. I see, in another post that 2004s don't have it. Maybe I'm starting to see things now.

And I hope there wasn't an engine swap. I'm going to go see if the correct VIN is on the engine.

 

Yeah, I do have the EGR. And the number on the engine is a serial number so I guess I couldn't tell if it has been swapped or not. The stickers on the underside of the hood indicate that this vehicle has EGR though. Is it this engine specific (2002 4WD 2.7L), perhaps?

 

you have a pic of your engine bay that would help tremendously

 

Here ya go

 

def had an engine swap cuz they stopped putting heat shields on ther too

 

Really? Ouch. Here's the sticker under the hood:

 

weird, it says egr on it.. leme check if mine does too

 

maybe te 2.7 kept it and the 2.4 got rid of it.

 

Perhaps its merely an oxygen sensor or something?

Errrrm, scratch that...weird....thats definitly a pre-00'' heatshield. Unless they kept the design in the 4x4s the same for all these years....I'm all confused....

 

Well... as long as it didn't have an engine swap. That would make me unhappy