Well I Just Ordered the Kooks
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 38,314
Likes: 35
Well I Just Ordered the Kooks
After weighing all my options, I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the Kooks with the cats. This will be my last performance mod aside from going to Z06 brake pads. I figure with my present mods, the headers and tuning, the car should have a very good chance against virtually anything stock. 
Price was just too good to pass up, and I looked at all the major header brands spoken of here and narrowed it to Kooks or LGs. . Getting the whole system for a little bit more than what some manufacturers want for just headers.
There might be easier to install headers, but when I weighed in performance, build quality, customer support, company reputation, and price/value, I decided I could live with the difficult install.
The LGs were close, but in the end the price deterred me. What they give you in ease of install is offset by price. And what Kooks gives you in price, is offset by ease of installation.
They should be here soon, so it will give me plenty of time to review the install tips and advice here and over at the Z06 forum. If I get stuck, I can always consult you guys, so what have I got to lose.
Price was just too good to pass up, and I looked at all the major header brands spoken of here and narrowed it to Kooks or LGs. . Getting the whole system for a little bit more than what some manufacturers want for just headers.
There might be easier to install headers, but when I weighed in performance, build quality, customer support, company reputation, and price/value, I decided I could live with the difficult install.
The LGs were close, but in the end the price deterred me. What they give you in ease of install is offset by price. And what Kooks gives you in price, is offset by ease of installation.
They should be here soon, so it will give me plenty of time to review the install tips and advice here and over at the Z06 forum. If I get stuck, I can always consult you guys, so what have I got to lose.
Last edited by '06 Quicksilver Z06; Aug 9, 2004 at 06:44 PM.
Pro
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 651
Likes: 1
From: Z16 #1990 Ridgecrest CA
Kooks Rock!
I installed mine last Month, and helped a buddy last weekend (1 3/4 with high flow cats). I would recommend that you search for and read all the Kooks install posts. I cleaned my headers by pulling a soapy rag through each tube a couple times because they had a lot of metal grit and stuff. I didn't want the cats to get plugged up.............good choice 
and good luck on the install
Stan
and good luck on the installStan
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 54,204
Likes: 180
From: S.W. Ohio. . . . . . NRA Life Member
Well I Just Ordered the Kooks
I hate you !!!
No... not really. I just envy you; as this will (hopefully) be my next mod somewhere down the road.
Please keep us posted on the install and results.
I hate you !!!
No... not really. I just envy you; as this will (hopefully) be my next mod somewhere down the road.
Please keep us posted on the install and results.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 3,604
Likes: 396
From: Austin, TX
Great choice. The install isn't really that hard....just take your time.
Good tip above about cleaning them.....mine came in real dirty inside. For the headers I used a garden hose and sprayed water through them and let them dry in the sun. For the "X" I used a cloth and carefully wiped out the upstream side (i.e. so the crap wouldn't clog up the cats).
Good tip above about cleaning them.....mine came in real dirty inside. For the headers I used a garden hose and sprayed water through them and let them dry in the sun. For the "X" I used a cloth and carefully wiped out the upstream side (i.e. so the crap wouldn't clog up the cats).
Last edited by SnowyATX; Aug 9, 2004 at 07:26 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 37,636
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From: Just trying to make it through each day.
Cruise-In III Veteran
Cruise-In V Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03-'04
Private Message sent. I am close to making a purchase on a "complete system".......headers, high flow cats, and x-pipe...........
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 25,238
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From: Oswego NY
Cruise-In IV Veteran
Cruise-In V Veteran
Originally Posted by Buckmaster
Private Message sent. I am close to making a purchase on a "complete system".......headers, high flow cats, and x-pipe...........
will you adopt me
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Drifting
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,912
Likes: 0
From: South Florida
Originally Posted by EB20003
After weighing all my options, I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the Kooks with the cats.
Someone brung up a good point about cleaning the inside of the headers... I did notice a lot of metal grit in the headers and x-pipe too and took a rag and flexible rod and pushed it through the pipes a few times to clean out as much of it as I could as well as the intake of the x-pipe.
Pretty tiny stuff... maybe would have blown through the cats (?!) but a preventive measure to not clog the cats. Definitely one step Kooks should take before shipping them out.
The install is not that hard and details like that is another reason I'm glad I did the install myself.
Good luck and look forward to reading the results.
Don
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 38,314
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I already know that the install will take a couple days, maybe more going slow.
Sort of looking forward to it. Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment but I have read the install procedures incessantly.
I will be attempting to do this without removing the starter or the alternator bracket. Some here have done the install without removing these. . If I have to remove these I will of course.
The only part that has me leery is the steering linkage step. I understand that bolt can be tough to break.
Jacking the motor up should be no biggie. I know I should loosen the mount bolts from the bottom down to just a few threads, but should I loosen them on both sides or just the side that I am working on before jacking?
Sort of looking forward to it. Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment but I have read the install procedures incessantly.
I will be attempting to do this without removing the starter or the alternator bracket. Some here have done the install without removing these. . If I have to remove these I will of course.
The only part that has me leery is the steering linkage step. I understand that bolt can be tough to break.
Jacking the motor up should be no biggie. I know I should loosen the mount bolts from the bottom down to just a few threads, but should I loosen them on both sides or just the side that I am working on before jacking?
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,912
Likes: 0
From: South Florida
From personal experience, removing the alternator bracket or the sensor next to it was not needed... i think the 2x3 ensured that.
The starter I could not see any way around it but it was one of the easier pieces to remove.
the steering linkage was hard until I found an extension to my rachet handle long enough to give me a leverage... basically a 3 foot pipe and it turned easily.
Motor mounts.... remove the bolt on the side you are lifting with the jack. the other side leave the bold on with a couple of threads showing. i believe it will help with the tilt angle.
if you jack with removing both bolts, eventually the other side of the motor will lift up too and you wont get the angle you want the motor to tilt.
don't forget the 2x3.
i don't know if my kooks posts are still on this forum but i'm pretty sure there on the 'other' forum.
good luck.
The starter I could not see any way around it but it was one of the easier pieces to remove.
the steering linkage was hard until I found an extension to my rachet handle long enough to give me a leverage... basically a 3 foot pipe and it turned easily.
Motor mounts.... remove the bolt on the side you are lifting with the jack. the other side leave the bold on with a couple of threads showing. i believe it will help with the tilt angle.
if you jack with removing both bolts, eventually the other side of the motor will lift up too and you wont get the angle you want the motor to tilt.
don't forget the 2x3.
i don't know if my kooks posts are still on this forum but i'm pretty sure there on the 'other' forum.
good luck.
Originally Posted by EB20003
I already know that the install will take a couple days, maybe more going slow.
Sort of looking forward to it. Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment but I have read the install procedures incessantly.
I will be attempting to do this without removing the starter or the alternator bracket. Some here have done the install without removing these. . If I have to remove these I will of course.
The only part that has me leery is the steering linkage step. I understand that bolt can be tough to break.
Jacking the motor up should be no biggie. I know I should loosen the mount bolts from the bottom down to just a few threads, but should I loosen them on both sides or just the side that I am working on before jacking?
Sort of looking forward to it. Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment but I have read the install procedures incessantly.
I will be attempting to do this without removing the starter or the alternator bracket. Some here have done the install without removing these. . If I have to remove these I will of course.
The only part that has me leery is the steering linkage step. I understand that bolt can be tough to break.
Jacking the motor up should be no biggie. I know I should loosen the mount bolts from the bottom down to just a few threads, but should I loosen them on both sides or just the side that I am working on before jacking?
Last edited by don527; Aug 10, 2004 at 12:23 AM.