Anybody use Hooker catback exhaust?
 

anyone use the hooker exhaust? if so, is it a good sound.. is it loud like flowmaster of more subtle like the magnaflow?

Re: Anybody use Hooker catback exhaust?
 

nobody? someone must of gave it a try lol.

Re: Anybody use Hooker catback exhaust?
 

One is on the way to my house from hooker.
I should have it bolted up this saturday.

Re: Anybody use Hooker catback exhaust?
 

Are you talking about the Aerochamber or another one?

On a mostly stock SBC it sounds amazing. Even sounds more amazing on a cammed high compression engine.

But it can definitely be loud. I'm shocked that its actually louder than my SLP 2otL setup.

Friend has one on his 97Z with a LQ4/cammed/headed swap. We both have long tubes, no cats. His car is 10:1 compression, mine is near 11:1 compression. I have less displacement, more compression, and slightly more duration on the camshaft.

But my car is actually the quieter of the two. Its strange. I would have thought that the increase in compression would lead to a louder car, even though I have less displacement. Maybe its the extra cubes.

Maybe its the cat-back itself. Which is funny because the SLP 2otL is basically a conjoined glasspack. 3" center inlet, leads to a twin resonator core. You can see straight through the muffler. The hooker is a chambered muffler.

Either way, the Aerochamber sounds good It can be quiet if you want. You can have a conversation in the car without any drone. But outside it can get loud on the throttle. My 2otL does too. Sadly I've never had the chance to hear the car outside when someone else is at the wheel.

Re: Anybody use Hooker catback exhaust?
 

im looking at these one right now.

https://www.summitracing.com/int/par...l/trans-am-gta

I don't want a crazy loud system like the flowmaster. I like the subtle tones of a magnaflow but I'm curious if Hooker may be the best bang for my buck.

I like hearing the rumble at idle and the roar when stepped on but not the crazy roar while cruising the highway.

Re: Anybody use Hooker catback exhaust?
 

That certainly looks like an aero chamber muffler.

Before installation I'd prime and paint the muffler. They do rust out first. I'd also ditch all of the c clamps for band clamps. You thank yourself later if you ever have to remove it.

You have a baby cam. Just about any real exhaust will be quiet.

My fbo lt1 swap with no cats and the SLP 2otL catback was quiet as a mouse and sounded stock. It wasn't even that loud at full throttle. The aerochamber will be the same

Re: Anybody use Hooker catback exhaust?
 

yes i do believe its an aero chamber muffler. thats the only system i can find for my vehicle that hooker makes. I wouldn't mind louder then stock just not something not crazy loud while highway cruising.

I will also have to replace the cat as the one on my car is on the way out but functions good right now.. but i figure if im gonna change the exhaust i may as well change the cat too.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/151547790992?...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Re: Anybody use Hooker catback exhaust?
 

I bought one yrs ago.. loved the sound and lasted longer than a Flowmaster. Excellent quality and worth the money

Re: Anybody use Hooker catback exhaust?
 

If you are still running a cat and factory manifolds then the hooker system will sound extremely tame.

Nothing you do to that car will make it loud unless you just run it straight out the Y-pipe. And even then you won't come near the volume created by a newer high compression engine.

Re: Anybody use Hooker catback exhaust?
 

my old l03 had a magnaflow catback.. that sounded pretty decent.. hopefully this will be close to that. Do you have a recommended catalytic converter? I'm going to change mine.. must have a 3inch inlet to accomodate the hooker 2055's i wanna get.

Re: Anybody use Hooker catback exhaust?
 

Here's a nice trick to the Hooker exhausts if you want it to be louder:

Since the muffler bolts to the pipe on a 3 bolt flange, just put a few washers in between the muffler flange and over the axle pipe flange and create an open spacer. Sort of simulates a Borla adjustable system. I think I spaced mine about 1/3rd of an inch and it definitely makes a difference. I'll try and grab a picture or two in a minute to illustrate what I'm talking about.

Re: Anybody use Hooker catback exhaust?
 

And probably increases drone 10x over stock because now you've got an exhaust leak right under the rear cargo area.

If you want louder on a whim, get an exhaust cut-out.

Re: Anybody use Hooker catback exhaust?
 

In my experience, it actually does not drone at all. I've had my exhaust set up like this for 13 months now.

I only mentioned it for people on a tight budget but wanted a louder sound from their Hooker system.

To be honest, right before I put the Hooker system on, the weld behind the cat broke and I had to remove the entire factory cat-back system. THAT droned really bad in the cabin because it dumped right under the passenger floor board.

Re: Anybody use Hooker catback exhaust?
 

All of that sound is going to be bouncing between the pavement and the sheet metal. And it resonates in the cabin.

I want my car to be civil and quiet when I'm not on it. And indeed my cammed LT1 is actually pretty quiet at idle inside the car. Outside the car its a fair bit louder. But the SLP 2otL tips exit on the drivers side rear, about 1" past the bumper. So most of the exhaust noise is not resonating under the car. Most of my road noise comes from the NT05 tires, the Rotojoint suspension, and the fact that it is a 11:1 compression cammed engine.

You crack open the exhaust under the car and it will resonate against the floorboards and sheet metal.

Its pure science. If you can't hear it, maybe you are just used to way loud cars.

The borla adjustable system still routes the exhaust out from under the car via a straight pipe. So its not bouncing around under the car.

Re: Anybody use Hooker catback exhaust?
 

I get what you're saying on paper, but I'm telling you, it does not drone in my car. None. Maybe some other Hooker owners can give it a shot. Maybe take 10 minutes of your time to put in spacers and then to remove them.

Re: Anybody use Hooker catback exhaust?
 

I put my Hooker catback on yesterday and It sounds superb. Much nicer than expected. Zero drone and fairly quiet. From the inside it sounds the same as the stock LS1 catback I had on it previously untill you get it wound up a bit. On the outside it has a pleasing rumble without being obnoxious.

I currently do not have a cat installed (Magnaflow carb legal cat self disintegrated) and Edelbrock headers.

Now the bad.
F'in thing was made in China with disregard for quality control.
It required me to weld an 1 1/2" extension on the over the axle pipe hanger mount.
Internally the muffler looks like it necks down to around 2 1/4" at the tailpipes.
Tailpipes fit tight on one side and sloppy lose on the other.
Exhaust gasket was installed in the hardware bag and was crumpled and unusable.
If you don't have access to a welder I would recommend taking it to an exhaust shop to have it installed.

Re: Anybody use Hooker catback exhaust?
 

i just bought this on jegs, for $367.

http://www.jegs.com/i/Hooker-Headers/520/16823/10002/-1

Does this muffler sound the same as yours? I hope so :)

Re: Anybody use Hooker catback exhaust?
 

Mine was the 16820 but same muffler. Let us know how your install goes :)

Re: Anybody use Hooker catback exhaust?
 

install went OK. It came with all the parts i needed. My hanger above the rear end was a little crappy, so i added a piece of rubber to lift it another half-inch. Before i did that, it was hitting against the top of the differential.

The tail pipes aren't perfectly straight, but that's my fault - i was rushing and tired. It sounds MUCH better than my old edelbrock 3" catback.