Just a word of warning to anyone thinking about Hooker Long Tubes.

I tried to save a few bucks over the FLP's by getting a set of coated Hookers and Mufflex Y pipe.

Hookers..........$560
Mufflex Y........$285
Mufflex Adapter..$ 35
Random Cats......$350

or $1230 retail FLP's are $1300 on sale last month they were $1100

I like the design of the Hookers better so the money isn't really the issue. However, the quality of the set of Hookers I got sucks!

Primaries needed slag ground down inside primary where joined to the flange.

Flange surfaces needed filing to make to smooth it out in a few places.

O2 bung welded in the wrong place. Have to grind out the metal because it's misaligned or the O2 sensor won't be in the exhaust stream. Well actually it's so badly aligned the O2 couldn't be screwed all the way in as 2/3 of the hole was covered.

1/4 inch gap that wasn't welded. Gap was so bad you could blow compressed air thru it!

Natually, all this repair work has ruined the coating in a few spots. If anyone is considering buying a set of Hookers, I suggest get the headers uncoated and clean this stuff up then send them back and get them coated.

 

Sounds like quality control missed this set, maybe you could send them back?? Or did you already weld on them?

 

It's too bad you got a bad set, mine were fine <img border="0" title="" alt="[Confused]" src="images/icons/confused.gif" />
I'd probably reccomend one of the other LT headers for people who want/need cats like you mentioned. I bought mine uncoated, and got their y-pipe so the whole deal with O2 extensions and new AIR & EGR tubes was less than $750.
Hookers are still a good bang for the buck LT for people like me <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

 

Had their QC sticker on them so I assume they actually looked at the headers.

I would send these things back get a set of FLP's or Quick Times if time allowed, but my heads and cam install is Saturday. My installer works in professional racing so, it's like do it this Saturday or wait until Feb. I've been waiting three years to do the heads and cam package, so I think we'll just fix my sorry set of Hookers and go forward. However, I'm not going to say anything nice about my low quality set of Hookers online or off. <img border="0" alt="[devil]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_devil.gif" />

 

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by FAST LS1:
<strong>It's too bad you got a bad set, mine were fine <img border="0" title="" alt="[Confused]" src="images/icons/confused.gif" />
I'd probably reccomend one of the other LT headers for people who want/need cats like you mentioned.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I'm sure there are good sets that don't have any issues out their, it's just a lack of quality control that my set got out. I think your right on the money about the cats. However, I may try my set up for a little while without the cats.

 

Also, the metal doesn't seem as thick as other brands. It must be stretched a little thinner at the ends of the pipes when the flange (head side) is pressed on when they're made. I just got done welding up a friends set of Hookers as they were starting to crack in this area. Granted, he runs 623.8 rwhp/729.9 rwtq/10.87 @ 130.89 but the headers are only a year or two old. The coating might keep this from happening. And their quality may not be the greatest, but they do perform.

 

I cleaned up the ports on mine.They were alittle sloppy but not too bad,only alittle bit of slag.My 02 bungs needed to be slightly sanded so the sensors would sit in the stream properly but other than that the coating is AWESOME.

They fit the car like a glove and u get NO BANGING OF ANYKIND.IMO its the BEST non catted header out there to for the LS1 to date...

JS

<small>[ November 12, 2002, 11:30 PM: Message edited by: JS ]</small>

 

I'm also very happy with my hooker lt's and ory. I got mine straight from jet hot and they looked awesome. The welds weren't the smoothest or greatest but again you have to remember you get what you pay for.FLP is 2 min. up the street from me and if i had the 1300 i definatly would of gotten those. But for the $750 i payed shipped to my house, the hookers couldn't be beat.

PS-Also no banging probs. with the hookers.....unlike the FLP's <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" />

 

Glad I ordered mine from Jet-Hot, I think they touch them up before they coat them. Mine looked great. <img border="0" alt="[hail]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_hail.gif" />

 

my hookers were fine. they fit better then any other header ive seen for ls1's also.

 

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by MRZ28HO:
<strong>Glad I ordered mine from Jet-Hot, I think they touch them up before they coat them. Mine looked great. <img border="0" alt="[hail]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_hail.gif" /> </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">My Hookers came direct from Jet Hot.

Mine looked great too! Nice finish very impressive to my inexperienced eye. I missed everyone of these problems. My installer <img border="0" alt="[hail]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_hail.gif" /> Jesse at <img border="0" alt="[hail]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_hail.gif" /> SRP Racing, took one look at them and very matter of factly pointed out one problem after another with my Hookers. Thing is once I saw what he was talking about it was perfectly obvious.

Mine were not touched up by Jet Hot, there too many things still wrong with them. I really don't think it's Jet Hot's responsibility to fix Hookers quality issues.

I'm very unhappy with the quality of the Hookers. With that said, I do think the design is good, that's why I choose them over the other brands.

Bottom line with this post is a warning to make sure you really check these things out before you install. If my Hookers had went on the car as is, they would have had to have been pulled right back off due a bad leak. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="gr_eek2.gif" /> The spot that caused the leak wasn't even welded and isn't accessible when the headers are on the car.

I'm very annoyed as the cheap-o BlackJack headers on my 72 Vette (for 17 years no leaks due to header quality) are of much better overall quality than my particular set of Hooker are <img border="0" title="" alt="[Mad]" src="gr_images/icons/mad.gif" /> .

In any case, the headers go on the car Saturday.

It's very nice to see once they are on the car everyone seems to like them and have good results!

<img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" />

 

I got mine from Jethot yesterday and they look better than my Grotts did in every aspect. The welds are clean, the ports are clean, the EGR/AIR tubes are flush with the inside of the primaries. Maybe Jethot is doing some cleanup work before they coat them. I would recommend them over Grotts or FLP anyday.

68LS1... 10.8@130 with that much power and torque? Why the discrepency between power and track performance?

Tim

<small>[ November 13, 2002, 12:28 PM: Message edited by: TimZ28 ]</small>

 

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">
68LS1... 10.8@130 with that much power and torque? Why the discrepency between power and track performance?
</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">He is still running stock rear end (4th one I think), gears and suspension. His 0-60ft times aren't good. It's a iron 382 with nitrous.

 

99 Black Bird T/A you have a good point, everyone should inspect there "items" prior to installing. I know what the ports/primaries need to look like, as I had to seriously clean up my SLP headers for my 3rd gen. Sorry that your's were not as "satisfactory" in that area.

 

My install date has been moved up to Friday (tomorrow), so that some good news!

It will be FLP's next time around.

 

Thank Hooker that you can get your oil plug out...
FLPs block the plug and I have seen them cook oil filters to the point of warping them. Can't be good for the oil!
Dave