CamaroSS:
I installed SLP headers on my car and gained 5rwhp. You can imagine how pissed I was that I spent $1000 for 5hp, Yes, you're right.. that's nuts. I addressed it at SLP days and they gave me the "it's the weather" excuse. I was not satisfied. I just dynoed with a G5X2 cam and put down 388 on a mustang dyno. I will be changing my headers and re-dynoing. I will make my header only change dyno, then I'll be going back to stock MAFS and a ported TB. I will post results. The shop I was tuned at (along with the guy I bought the cam from) said that the SLPs were holding up the horsepower party. I should have the new dynos within a couple weeks and I'll post it all over the place. I'm either getting Kooks or Hookers.

 

MY LT HEADERS FROM JET HOT JES CAME IN BUT HAVENT PUT THEM ON YET. THE FINISH ON THIS HEADERS ARE VERY NICE, WELDS-NO PROB, CHEAPER THAN HOOKERS SHIPPED. THICKER FLANGED, LIFETIME RUST THROUGH WARRANTY, BETTER LOCATION FOR O2 SENSORS

 

QTP Headers are T-304 stainless steel, so it will be a long, long time before they start to rust. Other manufacturer's uncoated headers are mild steel, and will rust much quicker than stainless steel or coated headers.

Josh

 

So what happened to FLP? Nobody use their headers anymore? Kooks that good?

 

Josh,
The coating I would be looking for on my headers would be a heat dissipating/external temp reducing coating.

 

Stainless steel can deal with heat better than coated headers can. Thats why most cat backs are made from stainless. It will almost never rust. It might oxidize, but never rust.
AT ALL

 

"Don't know where you heard that hookers are better than SLP."

DYNO's and Track times

"Hooker caries a standard design, while SLP was designed specifically for this car."

I Guess the Hooker/Jet-Hot was designed for the Mustang?

"It was designed to give the highest performance gains by being capable of actually sucking the exhaust out of the combustion chamber resulting in high horsepower."

I guess you are speaking of the negative pressure waves not actually a suction. This is scavenging, and by the way the above statement is complete bull ****!

"The collector is designed specifically for increased torque while not creating too much back pressure. "

The collector on the SLP is the worst of any long tube header for the LS1, no transition area. Backpressure is not a good thing. You want to maintain a strong negative pressure wave by choosing the correct sized and length exhaust system. The reason for merge collectors and X pipe are to aid in the over scavenging effect of the negative pressure wave in order to pull MORE of the next fresh intake charge in order to make more HP & torque. Remember the engine is just a complex air pump so why would you want to stop up the outlet side of the pump?

"Hookers have very poor craftsmanship, however, they do not create a ground clearance issue like the SLPs, which is about 2" drivrs side 1.5" passenger."


I actually like the Jet-Hots better for quality but that is my experience.

"I recommend that you go with the www.quicktimeperformance.com headers for lowered car, and get the Y-pipe with the cut outs, also not one bit of ground clearance is lost."

I have personal reasons for staying away form QTP. Namely the fact that they are claimed to be equal length. Just does not seem right to have someone lie before you ever buy.

"The SLPs are stainless steel, and I have never heard of stainless steel rusting, hence he name stainless steel."

There are different grades of stainless steel. The higher the carbon content the more prone it is to rust, but also is easier to weld.


"SLP headers are coated using a Jet-Hot coating, the same used on the Jet-Hot headers."

Why do stainless headers need a coating? Maybe rust?

"The non-rear wheel engine gain should be 35-45hp and 50-60lb/ft for the SLPs and I have heard for multiple owners that Hookers don't come even close. Of the 4 people I know who once had Hooker LTs, 3 went with SLPs, they are all quite satisfied, and 1 went with the QTP LTs, he said simply, "Get Them!". All of my facts came directly from personal experience, costumer service, manufacturer's web site, and or a tech help set up by the manufacturer."

Believe all the sales hype, they need more business and Hot Rod called they want their reader back.

 

LMAO - You tell him speedfreak!

I can't get over the number of people who believe the hype!

BTW - did you see the cam they put in that poor guy's Z06 in GMHTP??? That much lift with stock valve springs - I wonder how long it will last?

 

So have we come up with a concensus of what the best header is for the broad masses? Jet-Hots? I was thinking of Kooks for myself, bolted to a AFR 205 head. Now that I see that the LS2 heads may bolt directly to the LS1 it has got me thinking I may want to wait for AFR to get their hands on them. My question is 1 3/4" or 1 7/8" for my head choice? Info is appreciated.

 

This thread is over a year old....

 

I know it was over a year I was searching to do back research and was hoping to get input from more before investing about 1600 on a setup. My base idea was to run Kooks with a catted Y into a 3" pipe with QTP elec cutout and then into the GMMG. Just don't want to make the wrong choice if I can do as much education on the front side ya know?

 

design and theory that didnt pan out in the real world, SLP offers nothing in terms of performance that any other header doesnt provide. people switching out there hookers/jethots, kooks/ qtp or any other brand of header out for slp's is rare, but the opposite is quite occurant.

 

so why didnt you start a new thread

 

Kooks are the best available. Price is not that much more than the SLP or Hooker.

 

i have owned all three sets. all make great power.

but, one thing is for sure, SLP's are nothing but a headache if you drive your car alot. everytime you go over a bump, it sounds like 2 midgets in the trunk wrestling.

i now have Jet-Hots, i dont know how much RWHP i gained, but i dropped 2 tenths on the motor, and 2.5 tenths on the bottle with just adding JetHots and true duals.

for the money and performance i would get some Jet Hots.

(unless you are just made of money, then buy some badass stepped Kook's)

 

jet hots.

 

so omitting the opinion of camaroSS, which ones are the best? Also, which ones have O2 provisions?

 

I have SLP's now and wasn't too impressed. I plan on getting them out here before too long and will probably go with Hooker's. Don't go with SLP. Just my $.02

 

The answer is simple, everyone will get different gains and have different experiences with their headers. You have to look at what you want. You want your headers to never rust? Go with a stainless steel header such as Kooks or QTP. They both offer their headers in coated but it is really just a waste because it will chip and then the headers will rust. skip the steps and get stainless. You want the best flowing design again your back to Kooks or QTP. SLP's don't flow as well as either of these and not much cheaper. SLP's also hang way down. The kooks and QTP's are designed to tuck up nicely. You want to spend the least amount possible for the best gains. My advice is get the better quality first and skip having to buy lesser quality stuff first then end up buying the better stuff later.

Personally I have Kooks LT's and A catted Y-pipe from them (connected to a SLP LM). Thats the only mod I have and I'm putting 335rwhp in my 98 SS.

everything is a matter of taste and research. What you want and what you will pay. GL to all in deciding