I heard nothing but good **** about Kooks, and let me say from my experience (and with Drew778) what a crock.

I will just go with my install/performance questions:

Do Kooks 1 7/8" race headers normally come to rest on rubbing on the floorpan? A BFH cleared my floor for these AWESOME EZ Fitting headers...WTFE!

Do Kooks normally need to have double gaskets on the head to keep it from leaking? Not sure if it'll work, but single gaskets didnt!

Do Kooks generally leak exhaust around the exterior weld, you know that 1 inch strip of welding seen at the top and bottom of the primaries? Mine do!

Does Kooks normally angle their Y pipe to I pipe transition down for any good reason? There is absolutely no way I can put a cat back on this I Pipe, unless I have a shop use a torch to heat the transition pipe and then bend it, causing a wrinkle to form, wont that be just dandy, brand new SS Exhaust needing to be rigged! great job there Kooks.

When installing Kooks, is it normal to have to cut about 3inches or more off the drivers Y pipe so it can fit to the pass side Y pipe? I had to cut more than that, but I think 3" would have cleared me for take off...not like the ******* **** is leak free anyway!

Do Kooks normally sit about 1/8" from the top of the passenger side K Member, not the flange where top and bottom of the K are pinched, but the rounded top section? If it werent for the solid hangar being used, it would definately be smacking the K. Might be a hair or two less than and 1/8".

I think you get my point. This was my begining:

https://ls1tech.com/forums/generation-iii-external-engine/408661-sharing-my-kooks-1-7-8-experience.html



So, curious as to how the hell you ship a Y pipe like this one. I really wish I hadnt cut it to fit like I did, or I know where I'd like to shove it...in hopes of getting one right back though.

Charlie

*edit* I know the pics may not do it justice, but I will snap more once its on the rack, and try and show the under side of the #7 cyl primary, where its also showing signs of leaking! And they have about 20miles on them.

 

The last set of Kooks 1 7/8" we installed went on perfect, the y-pipe tucks great and fit was excellent, no cutting. The only spot they hit was on the steering shaft which was expected with a 1 7/8" header, we just loosened the shaft and moved it over.

Sorry you had trouble, but yes your right it's always good said about Kooks.

 

I guess I can "pipe" in here too. Kooks.....The headers so far, have had no leaks, but fitment.... . Now, I do have the 1 7/8" - 2" race header, so I expected them to be pretty tight. But, so far, I had to cut the BMR K-member, beat the crap out of a portion of the passenger side of the car where the collector sits( still working on that are too ), and custom make a steering shaft with like a 65 degree angle for the manual rack(the stock steering shaft would have gone through the middle of 1#). But besides that, they are great.

 

First you never,ever use the paper gaskets.Use new GM gasket's. As for the Y-pipe fit--did you leave the headers loose while fitting on the rest of the system? That is important to get the right fit. As for cutting 3" off the Y-pipe-that is just weird and not right.

 

Well all i can say is my headers fit great with gm gaskets ....but cated-Y-pipe is another story.Where driver side y slips in the pass.side didnt fit (toolong) had too cut 1 1/2 off too give me some play.Pass.side bracket didnt line up ,and i had to cut 1 1/2 off the end of the Y so it could fit to the I pipe...(some one must have been 1 1/2 off that day 4/26/05mfg date)

fits good for a $500 y pipe

 

Contact Kooks or whomever you bought them through.

I run their 1.875-2.000 step headers and the fitment is excellent.

 

We've done TONS of Kooks installs and the fitment is tight but they always fit. Sometimes you just have to finess them. Has your car been wrecked? We put them on a C5 that had been wrecked up pretty badly and nothing wanted to fit. It was a PITA, but we found a way to make it happen.

 

I bet they will not honor their fitment issues or defective product. They have your money now the can play you like a puppet. We'll see if they fix their f'up. Which I highly doubt. Its bad for a company to screw up nowadays because all the average joes got computers and can inform the world. You spend big bucks for the best and they send you some mickey mouse BS least they could do is send you another set.