92blue

iTrader: (1)

Sorry ahead of time for the long post, but I figured I should give some background:

A couple of years ago, I picked up a set of Hooker 2460s (Hooker 1 5/8 shorties ) for my stock L03 (at the time). In my ignorance, I paid an extra $120 or so for the air tubes which I ended up cutting off and welding shut anyway. I bought them under the impression that the stock y pipe would bolt up, but to my delight, it didn't.

Anyway, I had to drive the car over to a muffler shop, and had them modify a $90 hedman y pipe to make something that would bolt up to my headers. Well, for $70, I drove home with a hacked up turd of a y pipe, and a very nice, annoying exhaust leak at the collectors. We've been together for about 20,000 miles now.

I didn't really pay attention to it back then since it didn't really seem to hurt performance much. I got rid of the paper gaskets, tried copper ones, and percys dead soft aluminum gaskets. Didn't help. It got a little better at times, but never went away.

Anyway, I have a different setup now, and it really seems to either make or break the car now. I've gone through 3 sets of dead soft aluminum gaskets. I've tried them by themselves, I've even tried them with copper rtv hoping to see if that would work, and nothing. I've made sure that the bolts are tight after the car went through one or two heating cycles, and they are. I think the problem lies in the flange that slides up the y pipe on either side and bolts onto the collector flange. Its not flat, its bent up at the bolt holes. I think the collectors are leaking between the bolts due to the bent flange.

You can hear the leak/feel the power go away as the car warms up. Its so bad that the car starts to surge at idle, and sometimes stalls. I start it back up right away (now its in open loop and not changing the blms), and it idles super stable. I've moved the blm min temp to 150 degrees C, and it seems to have fixed the surging problem. That seems to point that the problem is definitely the exhaust leak messing with O2 voltage.

This in turn is making me think of picking up a new y pipe. I don't want to pick up something that I'll end up replacing in a couple of years if I go with a different setup though.

Engine specs are in the sig, but I would like to have something that would work with future upgrades: AFRs or similar flowing heads and a super ram or stealth ram, and maybe some nitrous at the track.

I think the 2460s should be adequate for such a combo, but wanted to see what others had to say. I was looking at the new Hooker y pipe for the 2460s. Its 2.5 throughout, but if I went with this, I would cut the y pipe where the two 2.5s meet and weld a 3" back to the muffler. Anesthes has a post with a similar mod.

I don't want to invest money on a setup if its not going to be up to par with future plans though. Any input or advice?

I have alot of expenses now, and will be getting married soon, so I can't spend a fortune right now.

sellmanb

Get the proper y-pipe for your car. The stock y-pipe is more of a T-pipe, and no good for flow at all, that was your first mistake. Then trying for a Hedman's y-pipe was your next one, they arent made for the hookers (you knew that though lol) and dont flow as well as the hooker 2460's anyhow.

If I were you. I'd cut your losses. If you can find the correct y-pipe for it (one made for it) then get that one! Otherwise you'll end up spending more at a exhaust shop to have another y-pipe custom fabbed and on more gaskets b/c it wont work still, than just buying a new correct y-pipe.


I dont remember how the old saying goes, but the morale is ... spend more now, save more later.

92blue

iTrader: (1)

I was planning on picking up the Hooker y pipe for the headers, but only if it these headers have enough "flexibility" for future upgrades. I don't want to keep these heads and TPI for ever. What I would hate is to spend some money on a y pipe now, and two years later end up throwing it out because I need different headers.

I went with the 2460s to save money. Only $140 I thought. In my ignorance I thought I would be messing things up with the ecm (that was black magic to me back then) and ended up paying $250 for them with provisions for air. I figured it still isn't that bad of a price until I was under the car and saw the y pipe wouldn't fit. Bought the hedman for $90, had it modified to fit for $70. I ended up spending $410 for everything. It definitely wasn't worth it, the Hooker Super Comp Shorties were $350 at the time I think with a y pipe included.

Basically, trying to save me money cost me alot more in the long run.

I guess the question is now the following:

How far can you go with 1 5/8 shorties, and the hooker y pipe for them? Its 2.5 at each collector, and I would have them merge into a single 3" from there back.

92blue

iTrader: (1)

Anyone?