Steven6282

I'm putting a new engine in my camaro, and decided to do a new set of headers / cat / exhaust at the same time.

I went with the ceramic coated Hooker 2055's, what I didn't realize was these headers have the smog tubes coming out the top. Rather ugly on my nice looking headers...

I've removed my smog pump as it did not even function any longer and wasn't even connected.

My question is how hard would it be to modify the headers to remove the smog tubes? With the ceramic coating can I cut the tubes off and spot weld the hole without messing the coating up? If I can't remove the tubes without messing them up I guess I'll have to find some threaded ceramic coated end cap for them and pout about the ugliness every time I pop my hood lol...

It's my fault for not paying enough attention when ordering the headers and looking at the picture to see these ugly tubes poking out the top. Just went with these cause everyone said they were the best headers I could get, now I feel like I may have wasted 700 dollars lol.

Orr89RocZ

iTrader: (20)

Can you sell them and order the other style, 2460's? I think you can recoupe alot of your money there, but you can cut them off and spot weld it shut, but your headers will have a open weld spot instead of being nicely coated

Steven6282

I ordered them from summit racing, might could exchange them, I dont know would have to check what their exchange policy is.

The 2460's are the same thing as the 2055's just without the smog tubes?

The only 2460's I see on summit don't include the ypipe like the 2055's that I ordered. Is there a ypipe for them?

EDIT: actually I found the ypipe for the 2460's but it's only a 2.5in outlet diameter.

It's possible than the ypipe that came with the 2055s are only 2.5in as well I'm not sure honestly, don't see the specs for it listed on summitracing, I had assumed it was 3in when I read the diameter on the 2055's was 3in. Didn't realize they changed the outlet diameter from the inlet diameter on some ypipes.

So I guess that would be the two main questions, the outlet diameter being 2.5in vs 3in (the cat I ordered is a catco 9118 and it has 3in inlet and outlet), and also if there are any other differences besides the smog tubes between the two?

SKELITOR117

iTrader: (3)

I know the 2460s are like $500 cheaper. Thats a bonus right there.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/HOK-2460HKR/ These are the one's I'm thinking of getting. Should be fine for that 86 Z28 5.0 H.O., Is it an H.O?

Mike92Firebird

iTrader: (3)

This is the Y-pipe it will use for the 2460's http://www.jegs.com/i/Hooker/520/16767/10002/-1

85_ZED28

The 2055 y-pipe outlet is 3".

Summit should take them back. Just buy the non-coated 2055s and cut off the air tubes, weld them up, then get them coated.

Steven6282

You are looking at non ceramic coated vs ceramic coated I think.

These are the 2055's I bought:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/HOK-2055-1HKR/

This is the 2460 equivalent and ypipe:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/HOK-2460-1HKR/
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/HOK-16767HKR/

It is 70 dollars cheaper for the ypipe + 2460s but 70 dollars isn't really that big of a deal.

But like I said the ypipe for the 2460 says it has a 2.5in outlet. I haven't checked yet to see if the 2055s are the same or not, I hope not cause I was setting everything up for a 3in exhaust. I'll have to measure the outlet on the ypipe that came with the 2055's and see if it's 3in or not.

This is the cat I purchased:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/CTO-9118/

3in inlet and outlet, if the outlet on the ypipe is only 2.5in that's going to cause problems is it not?

Steven6282

I don't know of where to get them coated and if that will turn out to be more expensive or not. If the 2055's ypipe is 3" outlet, why is the 2460s not? Kind of sucks, I'd rather not have to mod them but wanted to go with a 3" exhaust.

85_ZED28

The 2055 y-pipe is 3".

Steven6282

Yeah I just went and measured and confirmed that.

So I don't want to go with the 2460s simply because the ypipe is only 2.5 in instead of 3in.

So I guess I have to figure out one... where I would go to get the pipes ceramic coated if I got summit to exchange them for the non coated pipes and cut the tubes off then weld up the holes.

If I did that about how much it would cost.

And, whether I want to go through that much trouble or just get something to cap off the end of the tubes on the ones I have.

Right this second I'm leaning toward just keeping the ones I got and capping them off. The tubes are ugly but I don't know if it's worth all the trouble of sending them back then getting a set of non coated ones and getting them coated locally.

The plus side to having the tubes, is in the unlikely even my state ever goes to requiring inspections again, it would be easier to put a smog pump back on the car.

Orr89RocZ

iTrader: (20)

Jet Hot will do it and if you mention TGO membership, they should give you 10-15% off but its been a while since I ordered stuff from them. Probably cost around 300 bucks to coat them tho so the net cost will be about the same plus shipping your way.

Email JetHot and ask for a quote.

Summit has a great exchange policy so just send it back and get the non coated version, cap the pipes and then have it coated.

Steven6282

300 dollars would make it more than 100 dollars higher cost to do it that way if you factor in shipping.

I'll have to check if there are any places locally that do it and if so how much they charge. What kind of place would I look for to do this? A machine shop, body shop, or something else? lol

IROCtheRoad

Jet Hot charges 200-250 for shorty headers and about 120 for a y pipe

Orr89RocZ

iTrader: (20)

I would just coat the headers and leave the ypipe as is. You have to locate a ceramic coater in your area. I have seen a few local shops do it, so its possible there may be a location near you.

Steven6282

What is the difference in ceramic coating and powder coating?

I've had a few people that I talked to locally tell me to just have the headers powder coated, but not sure if there is some advantage to ceramic coating that powder coating doesn't give.

One local powder coating place said he could do a silver powder coating to look similar to the ceramic for 150 dollars for the headers and ypipe together.

Orr89RocZ

iTrader: (20)

I'm not sure powercoat will hold up to the temps of exhaust?

Steven6282

I've been told by a few people that they had their exhaust powder coated. I know it doesn't hold up to heat as well as ceramic, ceramic is up to like 1300 c, and even high temp powder coating is only around 1000 at best from what I read.

But I couldn't find anywhere locally to do ceramic coating when I was looking today. Don't have time to send off the exhaust and wait for it to come back in. My new engine is coming in next week and someone else is doing the swap for me since I don't have enough experience and don't have a real shop to work on it in, so I have to adhere to their time table on when they can get it done.

I have decided that I'm going to send the ones I have in now back to summit and exchange them for the black painted ones so that I can cut the tubes off and weld up the holes. Worse case scenario I have to put them on simply painted black for now, but would rather have some sort of coating on them.

Thirdgen89GTA

iTrader: (5)

Here is a picture that answers questions about the 2055 Y-pipe.

Ceramic coated 2055 headers, coated Y-pipe + air tubes cut off and welded over.

If that Y Pipe is 2.5" then I can't measure.



And for those who doubt.

Pat Hall

iTrader: (31)

I know this post is kinda old, and I don't know if you ever resolved your problem or not, but i have to agree with Orr and say your best bet would be to return the ones you have to Summit, get the uncoated ones, and just have the smog tubes removed, welded up, and have ONLY the headers coated by JetHot. I have a set of the 2055's that the headers and y-pipe are both JetHot coated, and the coating is already coming off the y-pipe. The coating on the headers still looks perfect, but the y-pipe's coating is looking pretty rough. So you might as well save $120 and leave the y-pipe uncoated. Besides, once they're installed you really don't even see the y-pipe all that well anyways. Another thing is the y-pipe gets so hot during operation that it really never develops much of a rust/corrosion problem without the coating anyways. My factory y-pipe was never coated with anything of course, and it was still just as solid 20 years later as the day the factory bolted it on! I don't really think the coating going bad on my y-pipe was due to a bad job by JetHot, I just think that since it's underneath the car, gets pretty hot, and is exposed to all the wet weather and road salt during the wintertime that the coating just breaks down on it much quicker than the headers, which are protected much better being up in the engine compartment.