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How I adapted Hooker Blackheart Duals to TSP Headers with Cats at home
Edit: Others have started to post up their experiences with installing and adapting this exhaust so I thought I'd list out the threads and posts here for others to find easier.
This is part one of how I adapted the off road version of the Hooker Blackheart Dual Exhaust system for 98-02 Fbodys to TSP 1-7/8 headers with high flow catalytic converters using all slip joint connectons for ease of assembly at home without a welder. Why cats? My state is pretty lenient about vehicle inspections but they still do a visual check for cats. I also got tired of having a car that stinks.
Parts utilized:
Hooker 2.5" Blackheart Exhaust System - 70501413RHKR
TSP 1-7/8 Primary to 3" Collector Headers - 1784G304
2x Magnaflow 3" Spun Metallic Cats - 59959
2x WALKER 41972 Heavy Duty Reducer Connector 3" OD to 2-1/2" ID; Length: 6"
1x WALKER 41966 Heavy Duty Connector 2-1/2" OD to 2-1/2" ID; Length: 12"
2x WALKER 33272 Mega Lap Joint Band Clamp 3"
1x WALKER 36438 AccuSeal Band Clamp 2.5"
I paid $150 for the cats and $50 for the Walker parts. Yes, the walker parts are aluminized steel. I couldn't find the reducer sizes I needed in pre-made stainless pieces online and there aren't many options for stainless work where I live. My car currently has no exhaust so there was no way to drive to an exhaust shop to have them weld me up stainless stuff without also paything them to install everything. Anywho, on to how I cut everything up to work!
The parts I used:
The initial test fit and alignment of the passenger and driver side exhaust to header section. To my luck, they lined right up. The angles were just slightly off but after some adjustment of the whole system later on they lined right up.
I measured and mocked up the adapters and performed the following cuts to the Blackheart system and the adapters.
The order of fitment goes Cat slip fit over the header and the 3" OD to 2 1/2" id adapter, adapters slip fit over remains of the hooker mid pipes.
I went ahead and test fit everything, successfully!
At this point I pulled everything down to make my relief cuts into the parts of the slip fit connections that went over another pipe so the AccuSeal clamps could compress them down. I also laid out the clamps where I wanted to make sure I had everything I needed. I cleaned up the stickers on the adapters (which are a royal b-word to remove, buy a bottle of pro strength Goo-Off). I also cleaned up the inside of the merge on the Xpipe with some half round files. It's a little rough from Hooker.
Here you can see what remains of the Hooker Offroad system after everything I used was installed into the car.
This was as far I got last night. Everything is in the car now and has great clearance and tucks up nice. I just need to fully tighten down all of the clamps and I can start the car. If nothing leaks, I'll leave it alone. If some of the clamped sections leak I'll drive it to an exhaust shop and have it welded. As I said, I had no way of getting my car to a shop to do the work of adapting the two systems for me so I had to come up with a way that let me do it at home and then drive it to a shop to be finished if needed. I'll update the next post with part two after I finish tonight.
*Side note* Due to the placement of the catalytic converter on the drivers side I did wrap my fuel and brake lines behind the heatshield to further protect them from the heat of the cat. Some have expressed concerns about that locations so I took preventative measures. I don't know if it's needed or not but it was a 5 min fix. I think the Cat fits well there. The pipe reduces to 2.5 before the floor brace so it tucks up nicely.
Last edited by RebelExtrm02; 07-07-2016 at 09:47 PM.
I was able to get the exhaust buttoned up and the car set on the floor last night. I don't have a video of the running car just yet (was delayed by a fiancee wedding planning meltdown lol), but will have those up this weekend.
Here are the pictures of the exhaust fully installed, cleaned up, and tightened down in the air. I need to go back and rotate some of my clamps because the threaded part of the bolts stick down in some spots.
Here are the shots of the exhaust with the car on the ground at ride height. This is with BMR springs and Koni Sport Shocks on the top perch holding it up. I didn't have a coke can so I used my bottle of Collenite 845. This will come in handy when you look at the comparison shots of my old exhaust (TSP 3" ORY and Magnaflow Quad Tip Catback).
Driver side clearance
Driver side cat
Driver side header
Passenger side clearance
Passenger side cat
Passenger side header
Last edited by RebelExtrm02; 03-18-2016 at 10:10 AM.
Very nice! Thanks for posting! Once it's all said and done, could you get some really detailed pics of the ground clearance with the headers?
Absolutely. It'll be the first time that car has sat on all fours on the ground in a year so I'll be going picture crazy haha. I'll also get some shots in daylight this weekend. By the time I get finished tonight it'll be dark out so I'll be working in garage light like last night's pictures unfortunately.
I'll have to do some digging but I think I have pictures showing ground clearance when I had the same headers and a tsp y pipe to compare. The car is lowered on BMR springs and Koni Shocks with the factory insulators for future reference.
Absolutely. It'll be the first time that car has sat on all fours on the ground in a year so I'll be going picture crazy haha. I'll also get some shots in daylight this weekend. By the time I get finished tonight it'll be dark out so I'll be working in garage light like last night's pictures unfortunately.
I'll have to do some digging but I think I have pictures showing ground clearance when I had the same headers and a tsp y pipe to compare. The car is lowered on BMR springs and Koni Shocks with the factory insulators for future reference.
Be sure to post up some video clips when you're done.
I've updated the second post with the installed pictures and the on the ground pictures to show the clearance. Here is another picture comparing the clearance of the new exhaust to my old exhaust (which was TSP 3" Ory and Magnaflow Quad Tip Catback).
So the second pic is where the exhaust ends up in relation to the headers when its all bolted up? Looks like it is pretty much a straight shot with just a reducer and a small but of 2.5, if you were to do this without cats.
Now send those modified pieces you made to Hooker so they can copy them and include them in a kit for longtubes lmao
There are no current plans to design new 4th-gen long tubes as our development schedule is booked through the end of the year. If it happens in the future, I'll look forward to executing a design that meets the high standards of the Hooker Blackheart line.
So the second pic is where the exhaust ends up in relation to the headers when its all bolted up? Looks like it is pretty much a straight shot with just a reducer and a small but of 2.5, if you were to do this without cats.
Yes the pipes line almost right up. The passenger mid pipe needs to be slid out about a half inch to line up with the passenger collector on the TSP headers. The drivers side goes right inline. If you didn't use cats you could use a couple 3" ID to 2.5" od reducers to make the connection. You would have to trim the drivers side back a bit on both the reducer and the Hooker midpipe since the TSP headers have pretty long collectors. The passenger side would bolt right in. The gap from pipe to pipe on the passenger side is 5" so you wouldn't even need a piece of 2.5" pipe. Something like the flowmaster 3" ID to 2.5" OD venturi reducer would be long enough enough.
Nice work. If you dont mind me asking how much did it all cost you?
$750 for the Blackheart dual exhaust system
$150 for the Magnaflow cats together
$50 for the Walker parts
In total, around $950 for catted duals over the axle and out the back with teh same clearance as my old ORY setup. Not bad if you ask me!
The headers were purchased long ago but I think I gave around $400 for them on a sale. If you want to know where I purchased everything from I can PM you since I think only one of the three places is a sponsor.
This is the thread we've been waiting for. Great to see that somebody pulled it off - and did so without a lot of heartache or drama (the fiancée wedding planning meltdown notwithstanding ).
This is the best I have right now, using my cell phone to capture it. Sorry it's not better. It's me backing the car out of the side of the garage for the first time in a year to wash it. I just finished reconditioning the entire car and rebuilding the top end of the motor. I actually had to run to the gas station to buy a can of fuel for it right before this because the tank was completely empty. My first attempt at recording was me starting the car and it immediately dying and not restarting haha. I'll better clips once I get it re-licensed and can drive it away from the house.
03-17-2016, 12:12 PM
How I adapted Hooker Blackheart Duals to TSP Headers with Cats at home 
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