02bluess

iTrader: (18)

Been noticing a tapping lately coming from what I thought was the front half of the driver side valve cover. Been worried that maybe I've got a bent pushrod after a mis-shift a month or so ago...

Pulled the valve cover and checked all the pushrods this evening; everything looked good, so I decided to take it for a spin.

Got out on the highway and started cruising for about 10 minutes. Then I pulled up to a stop light, accelerated away, and I hear a bang, feel a bump under my seat, and all of a sudden my exhaust is screaming...

Pull over and found this :




For those who haven't seen 98-99 Hooker Headers before, that nickel size hole is the spot where there used to be an EGR (or A.I.R., I forget off-hand) adaptor.

Has anyone else had this happen??

Also, could this be welded up?? I know very little about welding, so I know I couldn't do it, but I thought maybe somebody knowledgeable could??

TIA

Dutch SS

iTrader: (3)

yep......mine did that when they were about 6 months old........called up Jet-Hott, who claims it isnt thier problem cause all they do is coat them....say call Hooker. Call up Hooker, who says not thier problem cause Jet-Hott coated them and sold them to me. ended up just welding a plug over the hole, been going like that now for about a year, with no more problems........

I swear, between the tube breaking and all the rust on my 2 year old headers, i seriously doubt i will ever buy another Hooker or Jet-Hott product again

speedo

iTrader: (15)

Nothing has happened to mine like that yet.....but yes I pulled mine off for my head and cam swap after a year and three months and I had more rust build up in the welds then I wished to see. Hope mine hold together...

Did you have the EGR hooked up or just a block off plate???

BadBlackZ

iTrader: (1)

I had not even had my Hookers on for but a month and i crawled under to change an O2 sensor and noticed rust in the welds! I was like WTF!!!!

luv2spd

iTrader: (1)

I though hookers would hold up a little better than that. I've had my pacesetters for nine months and no rust whatsoever.

jrp

iTrader: (16)

a buddies hooker header had the same thing happen, dont remember the full details though.

LS1LT1

iTrader: (16)

I saw a friend's JHs have it happen as well.
I have a set with the EGR/AIR provisions (neither of which I'd be using) ready to go on, not sure I wanna do it now. Wish I had the race style (no provisions) LTs instead.

02bluess

iTrader: (18)

Block off plate, and I've got the rust in the welds, too. Mine are the Jet Hot coated as well...

To those that have had something similar happen, where did you get the "plug" to weld up the hole with??

Greg Fell

iTrader: (9)

Paul, Jeff over here in Peoria had same thing happen to his Kooks, they were brand new. However, his happened right after a certain mechanic put in his ill-fated 383, so do the math there.

He still hasn't fixed since his motor is a giant paper weight.

Keep in mind they are probably Aluminum, and harder to weld than steel, iron, if I'm not mistaken.

LS1LT1

iTrader: (16)

The headers you mean? Not aluminum, just coated mild steel that sort of looks like aluminum.

Damian

iTrader: (89)

Hooker HEADERS are junk. I have been trying to tell people that for almost 2 yrs now.

Scalpel

iTrader: (4)

LMAO.

I'm sorry that happened but I burst out laughing when I saw that. I know I'd be pissed if it happened to me.

z-ya

iTrader: (1)

Make a patch of metal slightly bigger than the hole and weld it on.

wbw2

iTrader: (1)

the welder you use to fix the problem should be able to make the necessary piece. I had hooker LT's on my old chevy 4x4, with the A.I.R. provision, and they did the same thing. I sprayed mine with engine enamel before install, and it kept the rust to a minimum.

speedo

iTrader: (15)

Another question, do you have your exhaust welded at the collectors or does it leak at the band clamps like mine do? I should just say how tight is your whole exhaust system.

Yea thinking them things are coated they wouldn't rust that fast..... My Air drips green water on the pass side after it drips off the header when I shut the car off. For a day or so there I was wondering where the coolant leak was until I snapped back to reality and remembered the coolant was RED!

02bluess

iTrader: (18)

Well at least someone found it amusing

Found someone to weld the header up, but I'll need to get it off the car. Not too big a deal to get the header off, except for the fact that the header and crappy Hooker y-pipe are crimped together so bad I'll never get them apart without a sawzall, which means I'll need to pick up a new one if I want to go racing next weekend

Is the Hooker y-pipe the only one that bolts up to the Hookers, or are there others that might work out better??

02bluess

iTrader: (18)

Band clamps, and they leak like crazy. I ended up tightening them so tight to try to get them to stop leaking that I crimped the hell out of the driver side header/y-pipe.

V-clamps would be the way to go, but they're $$ Might decide to go that route next year if I don't decide to go true duals. Sure would make it a lot easier to drop the headers for head swaps, too.

speedo

iTrader: (15)

Yea that is why I hate exhaust..... The band clamps work great for taking the Y pipe off the collector. I always have to cut where the catback starts to get the Y off (reg exhaust clamp...) My system leaks like a $%#, and every time I take it to my exhaust guy the gives me this face because I have no cats.. Whatever its cash in his pocket.

I have seen people weld flanges on the ends of the collector. I am sure a local muffler/welding shop will do this. You can get the flanges from Jegs, Summit or I am sure one of the sponsers of this board have some also. I wish I would have done that when I insalled my cam and heads last time around. I would have flanged all three connections, I know that will be comming off again sometime down the road and maybe it wouldn't leak so bad. Damn things are a pain in the butt to take off with out a lift and no shop space.

I kinda think the EGR blew because your system was so sealed and if you like me you get the rasp kick back when you let off the thoddle at some RPMs quickly.

Let us know what you do...

B18B1LS1

iTrader: (12)

Mine did the same thing after around a year of driving it. It looks like the weld was too hot because it's the header that broke, not the weld. The weld came off with the stem for the AIR. I guess you get what you pay for huh!

guadofreak

iTrader: (1)

I have seen that happen to almost every header system out there except FLP and the dynatechs...(same thing if i remember correctly)