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Cheap Hookers......?? Sanity check on BBC headers.

Greg72

Greg72

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I've been looking over some different styles of mass produced headers and found that I can buy a brand new set of Hooker Headers #2455 (2" primaries)....they've got 5/16" flanges and 16GA tubing. All that stuff seems to be in the "good quality" category, but the price in basic black paint is only $169?? :dunno:

Hooker also makes a "Super Comp" version (also 2" primaries, also 5/16" flange)....their part # 2213. Pricing is $513 for black painted finish.

What gives? Maybe I just don't understand the Hooker product families well enough, or I'm looking at the "wrong" features (flange and tube wall thickness) to determine what makes a quality header...

The 3X price difference has me troubled... but if I get the same thrill from a cheap hooker :D , I guess it's hard to spend triple the price. What am I missing here... :thinking:


:usaflag:
 
super comps are tuned.... equal length primaries..... MUCH better performance....

get the cheapies and send em to Jethot... :wink1:
 
My struggle is that no matter what I buy, they are going to get cut up to create an "outboard" set anyway.... so I don't want to pay for ceramic coatings (yet). Really all I want is a good basis for my semi-custom header work.

I can buy U-bends in 16GA mild steel which will be great for grafting in just off the flanges. I figure an extra 8" extension off each exhaust port will get the collector to the outside of the framerail the way I'll need it.

So, tinny-sounding headers are typically 18GA tubes or worse? 16GA seems to be what the good custom shops use as well, and a 5/16" flange (while not the largest I've seen) also seems to be a solid thickness to work with.


:usaflag:
 
sure the cheap hookers are an excellent candidate for modding... 16 is the thinnest tubewall i'll ever run....

when your done, then send em out... :wink1:
 
I would stay away from a header that only has a 5/16" flange. You ideally want a 1/2" flange but most are 3/8" flange.

EDIT: I just reread additional posts here and since you plan to cut the header up anyways why not just buy one of the build it yourself header kits?
 
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5/16 ain't bad.. heck hedmans are only 1/4... and the ONLY company i've ever seen with 1/2 is L & L...
 
All I can say is i've ran ALOT of headers in my past and the 5/16" flanges warp like no tomorrow. I would not run anything less than a 3/8" flange and 16ga tube.
 
i just took a peak over at Summit and the thickest flange for a painted, full length BB chevy header is the hooker at 5/16's... the other options are summits and hedmans, both at a 1/4... to go 3/8 it looks like ya need to run a thorley tri-y, shorty, stainless, etc...

i guess he could buy nice flanges for a header kit, get the cheap hookers, then piece the 2 together too...
 
4X4HIGH said:
All I can say is i've ran ALOT of headers in my past and the 5/16" flanges warp like no tomorrow. I would not run anything less than a 3/8" flange and 16ga tube.
Click to expand...

Who sells the flange blanks in a 3/8" or larger size for DIYers? L&L, Cone Engineering? etc. I don't care if I have to weld my extensions to a new flange, then graft them to those cheapie Hookers... I'll still be WAY ahead from a cost & labor perspective vs. starting from scratch...

:dunno:


:usaflag:
 
You can call any of the major brand name header companies and they should be able to cut you a flange any thickness you want. I know a CNC machinist who can make them for you but he will need a template if he doesn't already have one (he might though since his boss ran a BBC in one of his cars and built the headers for it).
 
Greg, I would go with a flange kit that already has a short piece of tube welded to the flange and already machined sealing to the head. I think Hooker has a kit I was looking at earlier (they do cost about 150.00 though) but the hardest part is then done for you which would be the machined seal surface for the head.

Here it is, only thing is it doesn't say what the flange thickness is on this set (might be worth a call to Hooker to find out).

http://www.jegs.com/i/Hooker-Headers/520/11626/10002/-1?parentProductId=744797
 
Greg72 said:
Who sells the flange blanks in a 3/8" or larger size for DIYers? L&L, Cone Engineering? etc. I don't care if I have to weld my extensions to a new flange, then graft them to those cheapie Hookers... I'll still be WAY ahead from a cost & labor perspective vs. starting from scratch...

:dunno:


:usaflag:
Click to expand...

Try contacting L&L because they make all of their headers with 1/2" thick flanges at the head end. I'd bet they would sell you bare flanges.
 
Could get the gaskets for the exh. port you want to run and have some thick flanges made?

I had some of the basic hookers on my nova. When I installed them I ran it to get them hot, snugged the bolts down ( not tightened, just snug) did that about four times and I had to pry the headers off the heads when I pulled the engine becuae the gaskets were stuck that well.
 
I have no experience with cheap hookers, but I don't think I recommend them. My advice would be to use protection and move the discussion to the Pig Pen.
 
I've have used Hooker competitions for years, they seal fine and they are one of the few headers that still have welded collector flanges. You can't go wrong for the price. The super comps are equal length tuned primaries, so if you are competition racing and need an extra few hundredths in the quarter, then maybe it's worth your money, otherwise probably not. Because the super comps are made with 18 gauge steel to be lightweight, not to last a long time on the street. And if you don't overtighten them the flanges will seal up fine and won't warp. I do recommend a good header gasket, aluminum or copper if you plan on removing them more than once. Or the new carbon gaskets work real well for me so far, but they aren't reusable like the aluminum or copper ones, so once I have to remove them again i will probably go back to soft metal gaskets. The soft aluminum gaskets work AWESOME on the collector, I have one set I have had on for over a decade and have removed them probably 10 times and they still seal fine.
 
For future reference, I found another link to a manufacturer who appears to make VERY high quality 3/8" header flanges in either mild steel or stainless:

http://www.stainlessheaders.com/flanges


It seems like there's more to the story than just buying the thickest flange you can find and torquing the crap out of them. With a high-quality compressable gasket it seems like you can get away with less bolt torque and will probably avoid a lot of warping issues as a result.

Of course, if you're using lower torque the odds of bolts loosening up (and creating leaks) is probably higher.... which is probably why people overtighten header bolts in the first place. A locking fastener system (Like the Stage-8 stuff) should probably also be considered mandatory if you're going to use lower bolt torques & compressable gaskets. :thinking:



:usaflag:
 
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