hooker headers

[cruzn57]

I'm seeking info on hooker headers, for the turbo V-6, after looking at them, they have long primaries, and a real long connector pipe, any benefits, any draw backs? any lag or what?
thanks,

 

[QuickWrench]

I've installed a couple of sets of these. Unless they've made real advancements in the last 4 years [since I last installed a set for someone], STAY AWAY!!!

1. These things are a huge pain in the @$$ to install.
2. They're LOUD.
3. They leak.
4. They move around. Unlike the stock units, these units have no solid bracket to stabilize the pipe that the turbo bolts to. Instead, the intercooler acts as a major source of importance in how the turbo sits in place. Sucks.

There are scores of guys out there running low 10's on cleaned-up stock headers, and doing it quietly. Spend your hard-earned money on your girlfriend. You'll thank me.

...or maybe I'm just way off. Good luck.

 

[cruzn57]

thanks, I am new to the turbo arena, and have used hooker in the past on hot rods, but was unsure of their use for turbo cars, HEY! how'd you know my girl friend anyhow?? I knew I shouldn'ta work over time last week!! I wondered where she learned the new tricks, ha ha

 

[QuickWrench]

Glad to have you onboard!

Hooker, in general, makes a very good product line. I swear by their '86 - '87 TR exhaust as the hands-down, no BS, best bank-for-the-buck exhaust on the market for these cars.

...but not their TR headers.

g'luck.

 

[TURBOV6]

I have a friend that bought a set that I had and did his best time ever with the Hooker's.

 

[Steve Wood]

Due to the large diameter tubes, they create a lot more lag and detract from the drivability of the car. I also cracked an oil return line every few months as long as I ran them due to the lack of bracing. I was not the only one to have this problem. The best day of ownership is the day you take them off in my opinion.

Maybe on a low 11 sec car they begin to help on the top end but I suspect it is lost on the bottom end. Once you get really fast and don't care about daily drivability, they are probably okay.

 

[stss96]

I had a set of hookers on a car that i bought, I could only stall up 2lbs of boost off the line. I switched back to stock headers and got 11lbs.

 

[D's 6 Turbo]

been running them on my car for 8 yrs. Fit was a pain, however, they work well on my car. They do occasionally leak @ crossover pipe(needs to be tightened 2-3 times/yr. about a 10-15 minute process). The problem I had was that all my ceramic coating flaked off. Got them jet-hotted 2 yrs. ago and since them sero problems.

 

[dannyv6]

I had a set on my car and now i dont. Went back to the stockers. I had the same problems with the oil return line cracking and leaks at the flanges. Save your loot and buy something else.

 

[Chris Taylor]

Poston's has the best replacement header IMO. I have installed these and they are nice!! A awesome header for the $$$.

 

[SpoolinGN]

i had the same thoughts about these headers. But after i got them the turbo spools alot faster now then before. I love the new way they connect together. makes the headers work together at the middle then having the gases bounce around before the turbo. The only thing was that i have to do alittle customizing to make the THDP fit with these.
I'm pretty happy with these headers.

 

[cruzn57]

hookers

Thanks for all the responses!
looks like I get both sides of the fence, now I'm in the dark totally! I think depending on what level your mods are, you either love em, or hate em!
so.................
think I'll go sweet talk the girl friend! ( win -win situation!)

 

[turbov6joe]

I've had a set on my car for almost 2 years now. No problems with sealing, leaks, cracks, lag etc... They did give my exhaust note a different sound, no biggie there. I picked up some HP, I think it was about 16 HP at the higher end of the rpm band. My coating is still on there and I run hot EGT's (1600*+). No rust or bent flanges. Overall for $150 new I can't beat them. My OE headers had been welded SO many times they looked like they had some sort of disease! I would NOT put them on a motor that produces less than 450+ HP, they will do more hurt than good IMO.
HTH

 

[REDS HOT AIR]

so what im getting out of this is cars in the 120 or better trap speed range should get an improvement?

 

[Steve Wood]

Maybe...I would have said something in the nines might get an improvement.

I suspect that those that have them, unless they have very loose converters, would be amazed at the low end snap they would discover when they went back to stock pieces...My car felt like it picked up 75 hp when I went back.

 

[turbochargedgnx]

SPRINGS

INSTALL SPRINGS.....at the cross over flanges,and longer bolts then they give you...the springs keep a nice tight fit on the flanges just like gm uses on some stock cars....my hookers dont leak but i check them during winter storage.

you can get them at any hardware store....the hookers flow better then stock and are bigger...but that will give you some lag and slow you down ,there for higher power levels

 

[sackracing]

my buddy has them on his car that won the tse class at bowling green in 92, the same set and he just had a new motor built and is still using them. i have a te63-1 turbo with an out of the box art carr 9inch converter and the headers work fine, i build more boost than i can hold on the line. i had to tighten them once over the last 900 miles