Hooker Exhaust Good Or Bad
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,660
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From: England
From my understanding the Hooker is not too bad, the 2.5" muffler is good for upto 370bhp restriction free (that's engine bhp). I think their off the shelf cat back uses a 3" muffler but I'm not certain. If it does then I'm sure it would be fine for a full bolt on car and maybe even a mild cam as well without any major restriction.
As for sound, well it will never be the loudest. And this is the for the same reason it doesn't flow as well as some others.
The aero chamber muffler uses a large non-straight thru chamber to slow and supress the noise, this also inhibits flow (but as already stated, it shouldn't be an issue for most bolt on cars).
compared to this straight-thru glass pack Magnaflow muffler:
To make it louder try long tube headers and no CATS with a 3" Y pipe. Also a lopy cam will make it more audiable. However I have read many people say it never gets massivly loud at idle, only once you start to build the revs up.
If you want a louder muffler, you'll need a straight thru style one, such as a glass pack bullit muffler or straight thru chambered mufflers like the GMMG catback uses.
As for sound, well it will never be the loudest. And this is the for the same reason it doesn't flow as well as some others.
The aero chamber muffler uses a large non-straight thru chamber to slow and supress the noise, this also inhibits flow (but as already stated, it shouldn't be an issue for most bolt on cars).
compared to this straight-thru glass pack Magnaflow muffler:
To make it louder try long tube headers and no CATS with a 3" Y pipe. Also a lopy cam will make it more audiable. However I have read many people say it never gets massivly loud at idle, only once you start to build the revs up.
If you want a louder muffler, you'll need a straight thru style one, such as a glass pack bullit muffler or straight thru chambered mufflers like the GMMG catback uses.
i had the hooker cat back when my car was bone stock and it sounded quiet at idle and had a good mellow racy sound a WOT. i just didnt go back with it after the lt install because i wanted true duals. my friend got a cam, pacesetter lts, ory, and the same catback, and it sounds so SWEEEEET.
TECH Addict
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,660
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From: England
Originally Posted by TRANSAM_2000
What Muffler Can I Replace The Hooker With And Keep 3 In Pipe And Still Bolt On And Not Weld
).But isn't the muffler on the catback a single input and dual output just like the stock muffler is, thus giving you your twin outlets on each side of the car.
So in order to replace the muffler you would need the same type of thing else you wouldn't have dual tips. But these mufflers arn't straight thru by their very nature.
If you look at some of the alternative free flowing exhausts they use a muffler in the I pipe section of the exhaust before going over the axle, they then split into two pipes using a reverse Y piece to give you dual out puts. A SLP Loud Mouth or TSP Rumbler is of this nature. It means it's very easy to sway the muffler out.
The GMMG setup is similar but doesn't have a muffler in the I section, it has two mufflers one on each section after the reverse Y split, so the mufflers are in almost the stock location, but each with seperate pipes.
In all it's probably easier to sell the Hooker and buy a different catback instead of swapping the muffler over.
But it depends what you want, a different muffler may well be louder but it'll also sound different.
If you just want part time extra noise get an electric cut out and put it before the aerochamber muffler, this will by pass it totally and be just as if running straight pipe. Be warned it can be very loud, and to some a rather unrefined sound. But it will be cheap and at a flick of a switch you can quiet it down again.
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How you want your car to sound depends on a things such as your future plans. I have the hooker aero-chamber right now with Pacesetter LT's and the TSP ORY and a cut out in the i-pipe. when my car was stock with just the hooker muffler it sounded very good but very quiet. not MUCH louder than stock at all untill you got on it. However with the LT's and ORY. . . . WOW! the sound is amazing. very refined and toned at idle but when you get on it- its a lot louder. very good muffler if my .02 is worth anything. I'd say go with it! very good for the price!
XR1? 
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2002
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From: Seattle,Wa.
An exhaust cutout is what I did with the Hooker catback. I think the cutout sounds 10 times better then a Loudmouth catback,I've had both. The cutout also has less noise(drone) inside the car. You could have someone weld in a manual cutout and see how you like it, it would be much less then a new catback. Just my .02
can anybody send me pic of there cut outs on the car. would it hurt if i left them open because i would like it loud all the time and would it be to loud and get pulled over by the 5.0 im going to gut my cats this weekend if i dont gut them and put cut outs on it shoudn't be to loud.
so dont gut my cats and it will sound better and not as loud. but if i do gut them it will be loud as long as i dot get on it hard right
Last edited by TRANSAM_2000; Feb 3, 2006 at 06:47 PM.
Originally Posted by 300bhp/ton
If the search function worked, you would be able to read the flow data that was posted (or at least a link was, I forget) for various mufflers/catbacks. I remember the Hooker flowing very well (a relative term) and people in the dyno section posted results where there was only a few hp & tq drop with the Hooker as compared to straight-through via cutouts. That's impressive in my books.
Headers and ORY awaken the sound of the Hooker system, as does a cam. Most "loud" catback systems in stock cars are absolutely unbearable after LTs, ORY, cam, etc. Keep that in mind.
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Joined: Oct 2002
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From: Seattle,Wa.
The cutout goes in the I pipe which would be the passenger side where the back seat is. I think they're like $30.00. You may find one in a local auto parts or exhaust shop. I'm sure some of the sponsors here on this forum will have some also. You will probably need a 3 inch diameter cutout. Measure your I pipe to make sure. I paid something like $50. to have mine installed. My T/A is lowered so I jack the back end up a little to unbolt the cutout, it's just 3 bolts with nuts on the other side. I run cats so it's not to ungodly loud. I've never been pulled over by the cops.