Hooker Headers

[Denny]

I know alot of you guys are using the Hooker headers on the small block chevy and like them. I really wanted to get the sanderson stainless block hugger headers but they look like they could be a pain to get to the collector bolts (especially on the passenger side). I have a few questions. What is the difference in the Super Competition headers and the Competition headers? Also do any of you have the ceramic coating and how is it holding up? Also is it easy to get to the plugs or are are there problems. Also do the collectors work out ok for the automatic trans linkage from the frame? Opps one more thing will they work on the Vortex heads?
Thanks any help would be appreciated.

[Super Chevy]

i have hedmans so i cant tell you on the holding up part,but the differance between the two is the super comp. has bigger tubes 1 7/8 and the regular comp has 1 5/8. the super comp outflows the regulars by a bit too. i wish i would have got hookers but im pretty happy with my hedmans..

[Denny]

Thanks Super Chevy. I have small ram horns on my engine and I know they are killing the power. I really had my heart set on stainless headers but can't seem to find any on the market that are not a pain.

[Longhorn Man]

I have super comps on mine, but I can only answer a couple of your questions though.
1. The plus are real easy...only one plug needs a wrench, the rest are good with the socket and a 3 inch extention.
2. Collecter to shift linkage...not even an issue.
I can also say I love them, and would never even think of another brand.

[Denny]

Thanks longhornmail. They sound like they are good headers from what you say. Did you buy yours from Summit or did you get them locally? I went to hookers site and it sounds like the ones I need are the 2808-1HKR, they show 1 5/8 tubes 30 inches long and 2 1/2 inch collectors.

[Longhorn Man]

They came wit the GMC when i got it. I am so cheap, i woulda never realized the better product.

[Denny]

LOL nothing wrong with that heheh

[crazy longhorn]

I have hooker comps on the longhorn,& am very happy with them. The comps are a heavier 16 guage, versus 18 guage on the supercomps. the supercomps have more equal lenght tubes,& I think there is a set available with 1 3/4" tubes, versus the 1 5/8 on the comps. Plug clearance is good, #7 & needs to be removed with a boxed end wrench.....all the rest with a socket/ratchet. # 5 needed a 135 boot on the wire, & all the rest drop in with 90 boots. I ordered the headers through Jegs for $154 painted.........Al

[Denny]

Thanks crazy longhorn. They sound good, I can live with one plug needing box end wrench. The good plug clearence is great. I hate burnt up plug wires. I think the 1 5/8 would be better probably for the low and mid range torque. Are you guys running 2 1/2 in exhaust pipes or 2 1/4? I have 2 1/4 on my truck with flowmasters. Sallee chevrolet says the ram horn manifolds cost this engine 60 horse and alot of torque. I know on my 350 engine I had in this truck I took off the headers and put on some edelbrock aluminum heads and the ram horns the power was the same. The heads made up the difference. I am sure it would have run alot stronger with a good set of headers.

[crazy longhorn]

Im runnin 2 1/2 pipe,with H pipe & dynomax superturbos. the eng is an edelbrock rpm topped 383, with a comp cams Xe268. the 3" tailpipes are a little overkill tho(loud @ hyway cruise)........Al

[Longhorn Man]

My exhaust is 2 1/2.
i run the Bosh plugs becouse they are the shortest plugs at a normal parts store, and not costing $3 each (like the special shorty plugs) And my 90 degree boots do clear the headeers, but I gotta say, they are getting a little crispy. If I wasn't plannin on dumpin the poor 'ole girl on someone else, I would be looking to swap out the wires. But they have been on there since well before I got the truck.

[Denny]

LOL I know what ya mean about loud on the highway. I have 2 chamber flowmasters and they are so loud with my sliding window open I can kick myself for not getting the 3 chamber mufflers.
Its amazing how long the plug wires last with all that heat from headers. MSD makes some boot covers that sound good, might be worth the money with headers. I just put MSD 8.5 plug wires on this truck but with straight boots. Guess I will be buying another set with 90 degree boots.

[crazy longhorn]

I tryed a set of 40s flows, but they didnt stay on too long. talk about a resonance @ hyway cruise with 4.10 gears! It gave me a headache

[Denny]

I just had these put on this spring LOL I don't think they will be on next summer though. Guess I am getting too old far all that noise. My son says he can tell my truck from a block away when I come over to his house LOL

[Denny]

It looks like I am down to 2 headers, the Hooker Super comp with ceramic coating or the Stainless Works stainless headers. There is about 100 dollars difference in the two.
Has anyone checked out the Stainless Works header? Here is the site see what you think.

http://www.stainlessworks.net/Headers.htm

The only thing that scares me about the stainless Works headers is that they recommend shorty plugs, so I am not sure if there is bad plug wire clearance.

[70c10]

Denny,
I'm with longhornmail on this one. I got Super Comps too and no probs yet. I have Taylor wires with 90 degree boots. The ceramic coating is shot and the 1500 degree paint only holds up for a while. But they were on the truck when I bought it.

[MikeB]

Hooker's website (www.holley.com) shows Super Comps are available in 1-5/8 and 1-3/4 tubes. Go with the smaller ones for low-to-mid speed torque. Chevy High Performance magazine has been playing with a GM crate 383 in their last few issues. They found that the engine liked 1-5/8 headers better than 1-3/4. It even made more hp with the smaller ones -- go figure.

[crazy longhorn]

Im running 1 5/8 tube on my 383,& for the price difference the Comps looked like the way for this ol "poor boy" to go.....Al

[slam33]

You can get the Comps with ceramic, Summit has them. The cost is about the price of the Supers without the coating. You will be better off with the Comps. The set that I have were a pain to get in, had to lift the motor. The Comps went in no problems and I like the thicker tube. The Supers have 2 1/2 collector same as the Comps. The big supers, 1 3/4 pipe/ 3" collector will probably work worst in a street truck becuse your not running abouve 6 grand all the time. Sometimes full blown race stuff just doesn't work best on the street, otherwise we would all be running 1150 dom Carbs and Zoomies.

[Denny]

Thanks guys. Sounds like the comps with the ceramic are the best buy for the money. I agree with you guys the 1 5/8 tubes are best for my truck. I really appreciate all the feed back.
I wonder how long that ceramic coating lasts? The thing that concerns me is that I live in the country off 3 blocks of private gravel road. I drive about 2 miles an hour on it LOL but I am concerned about rocks chipping them, that is one of the reasons I was leaning toward the stainless headers.

[Denny]

Things are not looking good for headers. I just checked out shorty plugs by Accel and they do not make one for my vortex heads on the 383HT engine. So wire clearance is going to be important.

[crazy longhorn]

Denny, I have Hooker# 2452(painted) headers on the longhorn. Im running Edelbrock heads,& have an autolite double platinum plug(shorter plug),& the wires(90 boot) drop in from the top.....all but # 5, which is a 135 boot. Looking at the eng, I beleive you can run the wires up from the bottom with a 90 degree boot to keep away from the heat,& may get away with the longer plugs. You might run that by some of the other guys,& see if anybody has done that. Good luck ........Al

[Longhorn Man]

Like i had said elsewhere, i run the Bosh NON-platnums...99 cents @ auto zone. They are shorter than any of the other 'normal' sparklers on the shelf.
I'm not a huge fan of paying 3,4 even 10 bucks for a sparkler.
A day late, but here are my hooker pics...
Drivers side

[Longhorn Man]

Passenger side;

[Longhorn Man]

And from underneath;