Thoughts/do I need to dent my new headers, new pics ?

Come on Rob. Don't be modest. I have read thousands of your posts and you are very knowledgeable on a LOT of subjects. I have been impressed with what you know for years.
I appreciate the sentiment, but I have always tried to err on the modest side. I get bent sometimes when people ask for help I give it and they all out ignore it when I give good recommendations.....whether it ends up being the problem or not. How will you know unless you START somewhere? I worked on cars for a living for a long time. I have a LOT of experience using diagnostic trees. They can be long and drawn out, but in the end, you WILL find the issue. It's simply a methodical approach and most people want it all and want it now. That's not how diagnosis works.