Some time back, Nick mentioned a change that was being made to their header design to help ease the installation issues several have experienced. Has anyone recently purchased a set that have been modified, and if so, can you provide any input on the installation? I am primarily concerned with jacking the motor

 

 

I wish they had been redisigned for the pair I bought. Jacking the motor wasn't so bad. Do it from the front, buy a water temp sensor, an oil temp sensor, put duct tape on your brake booster canister, and if you can remove the alternator AND the alternator mounting bracket.
My main complaint is that they hang well below the tunnel. If you have a lowered car you will hit the cat mounting flanges on stuff you didn't before. I know, I have. :mad They make great power though.

 

Bluerag just installed the new Kooks, I just got back from his house (3hr drive) look for his thread on the install I rode with him and man his car hauls booty and then some
Don't want to steal his thunder so look for his post

 

I just put a set on my car 2 weeks ago.1 7/8 race style. I pulled the water temp sensor,Alt and bracket,then jacked the motor.Thet went in.Pass side just needed to be jacked.Fit is just plain awesome.The headers and 3" X fit perfect and in the tunnel.

 

I didn't have this problem with the 1 7/8" version, x-pipe and off road pipe (no cats). Maybe it's only an issue if you have the cats?

Were a bitch to install, but love the results!

Steve

 

I was also apprehensive about jacking the motor but that was the easiest part. Loosen the motor mounts under the car, not on top of the mount. A mechanic that works on the C5R'S told me about this method before I did mine. I would also suggest locking header bolts. I wouldn't attempt this install without a lift and two of you working on it. They're not easy to install, but well worth the effort.

 

didnt have a problem puttin mine on ,I enjoyed it,woke the car up big time,now if I can get around puttin the h/c& intake in I'll have a bigger smile

 

My driver side tubes were difficult. Aligning them was no big deal, neither is the clearance. I haven't scraped yet and my car is as low as I can get it.

 

i agree with Arkay. Mine hang low and are causing me to have an exhuast leak where the long tubes meet the catbacks. because the they hand lowit causes mine to be on a slight angle where the two brackets meet. Im hoping I can go the a shop with a lift and have them tighten up where the spring bolts attach to the frame under the tunnel tube

 

When did you install them? Nick sent me an e-mail stating that the design change had taken effect when he posted on the forum, so if you installed some time back then you may have a set that pre-dates the change.

 

I installed them late this winter and got them from Texas Speed. It was no big deal, I just wanted to state that they fit well and do not scrape...once I got the header to cat flanges lined up.

 

I just put mine on last weekend. I didnt get the cats ( somehow I forgot to order them) I believe I got the latest version as the rear pipes have four slots cut in them so they clamp better and the muff tips stay level. The pipes dont seem to hang any lower than stock but the flanges that draw the xpipe to the collector seem to hang lower. I must admit I positioned them so it was easiest to get a wrench on both ends of the bolts. They dont hang straight down but the bolt holes are at about 2 & 8 oclock. I havent lowered my car and havent hit anything with them yet but next time up on the jack Ill try and get them to rotate up for more clearance. Bloody knucks and squashed fingers aside the install went about as expected. Be sure and read all the tips posted on the forum they really helped a lot. The kooks instructions are a bit cryptic but you need to remove/move all they say and it will happen. I tried to remove one thing at a time and squeeze the header in. I just wasted time. As was already said many times the drivers side is the worst. I had to remove the alt bracket as well to get enuf space. I am happy with the results. I have the Z06 muffs and without the cats it has a nice rumbly idle and really howls when I stomp it. I also did the haltech stinger and the varram throttle body insert. It pulls harder thur the gears than before. It pops just a bit when I let off the throttle at the higher rpms. I plan to get to a dyno as soon as the next session opens up in Ft. Myers. All in all so far it was worth doing.

 

I've had my headers on for a couple of months.

LOVE THEM.

I have the original version (before he announced the revision) I believe and admit it was a tight fit installing but being a novice mechanic and as a one-man-job, have to say it wasn't that bad once you learned the tricks. Loosening the motor mount and jacking it is one of the easiest parts of the entire install.

The construction and fit has been top notch. Clearace from heads, steering shaft to catback is excellent. No codes thrown to date.

Shortly after the install i took a trip from ft. laud to sanibel island one weekend. Car ran flawlessly. Sounded awesome (smooth as stock under light load driving but a screaming beast at WOT and no resonance anywhere). And when I returned I checked torque on the headers bolts and the rest of the setup, everything was tight and lined up and I've basically haven't thought about them since.

Will get the car dynoed with them someday. You can definitely feel the power when you ask for it. Definitely more torque... I nearly let the rear end get away from me recently when I was making a turn into a street and excelerated hard (not WOT) and AH was foolishly disabled... COMPETITION MODE FOR NOW ON.

Lots of good headers out there but IMO, you definitely can't go wrong with the KOOKS.

Enjoy.
Don

 

I just got my car back from the Vette Doctors where I had them install a Kooks 1 3/4 set-up with CATS. They seem to tuck up where they belong and nothing hangs down below the A&A rails. And yes, SOTP says its more responsive and the sound awesome.
Joe