I can get brand new hooker 2055 shorties w/out the y -pipe for $145.00 + $16.00 shipping. Is it worth it? On a stock 350 L98 what would be the hp and torque difference between these and SLP's in the idle to 4500 range? IE is the HP difference enough to make up for the $500.00 difference or no? I will be putting out right at 300hp...

Thanks

James

 

You should buy the hooker y pipe to go along with it, but I believe that the Hookers are actually better than the SLP's unlike what most other people think. Check out my response on this post as to why. https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...hreadid=167510

 

I personally think the Hookers would be close enough to the flow of the SLPs, especially considering the price. I bought the SLPs, but not because I think they are necessarily that much superior, but because they are stainless and I got a deal on them. If you don't need the Y-pipe I'd buy them and for another $179 have Jet-Hot coat them, and still have less than $400 in them with shipping.

 

Cool thanks guys, I decided to pick them up. I knew they wouldn't be SLP's, but for the price can't go wrong.

James

 

I personally don't buy into the SLP hype. The only reason I might buy them would be if I absolutely needed 1 3/4 inch primaries in shorty version, but with the puny 2 1/2 inch collector that necks down inside it really wouldnt do much over the 1 5/8 I dont think. Their y pipe also only has 2 1/4 pipes and it sticks out pretty far in the wheel well. SLP's are a rip off in my opinion. You made a good choice with the hookers, just make sure to get the y pipe and open up the ball flange the the ID of the y pipe.

 

What do you mean open up the ball flange? Also if I dont get them coated will they rust out?

James

 

Do a search, five7kid is the man to ask about this really.

 

Cool thanks

 

I'll volunteer, even though you didn't ask yet.

The collector to y-pipe juction is a "ball" type of flange. The collector ends in a hemispheric ball, with an opening at the bottom. The y-pipe is flared. The two join to form the seal (no gasket required).

When I took my headers out of the box, I found the opening in the ball to be 1.9". Inquiries here determined that is typical, although the actual opening varied somewhat. The ID of the y-pipe down pipes is about 2-1/4".

I asked Hooker why the opening was so small. Their response was "to ensure a good seal." The gases have slowed down by the time they get there, they said, so the small opening wasn't a performance problem.

I didn't really agree, so I did a fit check of the y-pipe to establish where on the ball the flare met. I then took my high speed angle grinder and opened the ball up, centered on the point where the two meet, until it was about 2-1/4". Bolted it up, no leakage problems.

The y-pipe itself is an excellent piece, and probably better than anything you could get fabricated at a muffler shop. I hear you can contact Hooker directly, and they'll make an extra y-pipe the next time they make a run, and sell you the extra. I haven't checked into that personally, and you'll probably have to pay in advance and wait as much as 2 months, but like I said, it is an excellent piece.

As for ceramic coating, that is one place I wish I hadn't let budget rule. It is a good investment. I painted mine with 1500 degree paint instead, cured them in the kitchen oven and stunk up the house good. The y-pipe wouldn't fit into the oven, so it was "cured in place" on the car.

 

5-7,

how long did the 1500 degree paint stand up? i will be removing the shipping paint on my new hedman long tubes and coating them in VHT high heat paint (the 1500 degree stuff) and then baking them in the kitchen oven as well. i am just wondering how long the paint lasted and whether your headers have started to rust. i realize this option is not as good a jet-hot or similar coating, but sending headers that cost $154 with tax (canadian dollars) doesnt make sense. the cost of the coating would be 2 or 3 times the cost of the headers.

 

I've had them on since Nov '01, and put about 12k miles on, driving daily and through the snow. The headers look fine. The y-pipe is more exposed, wasn't cured properly, and has streaks/spots of rust. I may drop it down one of these days and repaint it, but it isn't totally hosed, either.

The keys to a good painting job are surface prep and curing. Sand blast if possible, wipe with laquer thinner just before painting. After they dry, put them in an oven at 400F for a good hour if possible. Use the oven timer, open the windows in the house, and get out for a couple of hours (remove all pets, of course). The fumes are really nasty.

 

wow thats pretty good...a year and half and no rust. winter driven to boot. i will definetly take the time to VHT my headers.

thanks for the advice about the laquer thinner. i would have probably just wiped them down with a rag.

yeah i figured the fumes would be pretty nasty, i will have to be kinda careful.

thanks for again for the help and quick response.