I'm wanting to put some full-length hooker headers on my L98. What problems would I encounter with this.. Like people say there could be a problem with leaking. But if it's done right, it shouldn't be a problem in my opinion.

 

All these horror stories are a bunch of bullsh*t.

Before I installed my Hooker long tubes I too heard a lot of garbage. So I called a bunch of corvette specialty shops out of an issue of Corvette Trader and asked them. They all fed me the same nonsense stories about sometimes having to raise the engine to get them in, ground clearance problems, and how they hate to install long tubes on C4's and even refuse to in some cases, etc. Even a local exhaust shop owner told me "I'll pay you $500 to put them in". He still owes me that $500.

Toss the supplied gaskets in the trash, and use reusable aluminum gaskets at the heads and collectors.

The only real problem I had was Hooker's matching 3 inch front y-pipe, part number 16720. I've only heard automatic car guys have this problem. Hooker cut the corner too close to the pan on one side making it hit, while leaving a bunch of empty room along the car's undercarrier pipe tunner when it should be running.

I had to have an exhaust shop cut the bad section out, and weld in a correctly bended section for clearance. This needs to be done with the headers installed on the car or you will not get the correct spacing between the collectors if you do it off the car.

The front y-pipe is almost $200. If you have an automatic, I suggest you don't even bother buying it. Just have a competent exhaust shop do one that will fit right for less. If manual trans, ignore this.

 

Thanks for the reply. My car does happen to be an automatic (unfortunately). I know a few friends who have put headers on their cars and would be glad to take a look at what i want done for me and help me install them. my friend has a lift in his garage and he thinks he could do it in an hour or less if everything goes smooth. Find some headers specific to an 87' and it shouldnt have any problems fitting so no welding would be needed, hopefully.

 

If it's your first time, you won't do this under 1 hour. Why be in a mad rush anyway? These Hookers are a direct fit.

A lift is a plus since the passanger header goes in from the bottom with the starter and spark plugs removed.

The driver side goes in from the top with oil filter, spark plugs, and fan switch(if you have dual fans) removed from the head. Some of the tubes bend real close to the header bolt heads. You have to hand start these first then the rest. Otherwise when the header meets the head, you can't get these in.

Don't forget that the Hooker 2151 super comps (without the air tubes) don't come with an O2 sensor bung so make preperations. You have to drill a hole and weld your own, like this. I bought the threaded bung at an exhaust shop. The 2149's (with the air tubes) have an O2 bung high up on the #7 pipe which is not an ideal location because it only reads output from 1 cylinder.




Last header bolt on passager side can be a pain in the azz to tighten all the way, unless you use this:
1/4 driver ratchet with swivel joint and small hands.

 

alrighty. i see what youre saying. thanks for the pics. ill buy em and get to work. if i run into any problems, ill message ya. But it doesnt look TOO difficult. just patience and a swivel-head ratchet

 

Take all your header bolts and poke them through a piece of cardboard so that you can paint all the heads with some black rustoleum paint. They begin to rust and turn ugly after a while if you don't.

You might also need to do something about the rear AC compressor bracket on passanger side. Since these hookers have a flat flange unlike the high stock headers, you need a spacer here to make up the difference and still allow you to keep the rear AC brace. The headers will come with some in a bag, but they need to be welded on to work. I bought this sleeve at the hardware store and used a long bolt with no welding required since it rests on top of the flange not through it to give clamping. Only minor grinding of the tip of the bracket was needed.



For the rear alt brace on the driver' side you can do something like this.
I've been running without a brace there for years because my car was missing it when I got it. Never a problem.