Hooked Headers Rant //Update w-PICS

Hooker 5209 2"headers.
Bazillion of them in use including my other car.
Putting them on a 68 B body.
Tube around the starter overlaps the frame 1-1/2"
Cut modified welded.
Flat spot to clear P.S. shock tower.
Dent all the tubes near the torsion bars.
Dent to clear frame on P.S.
Dent to clear STOCK steering column.

I have about 25 hours in getting them on.

Other than those issues fit PERFECT

I tried to install a set of Hooker headers on a big block B body Mopar about 30 years ago. They didn't even come close to fitting. I think one tube ran right into the steering box. I worked on them for a while and even took them to a shop to change one of the tubes. But it didn't end well so they ended up going into the dumpster. It was a lot of money for me to waste 30 years ago. Left a bad taste in my mouth and I've never used anything from Hooker since.

It's right there on the destructions on the back......all the way on the bottom

YOUR RESULTS MAY DIFFER

I dont understand. I have those headers on my 68 charger since 92 and they pretty much fit perfect. No issues at all. Alum edelbrock heads on big block rb. A couple of diff engs with that setup over the years.

My buddy bought the same headers 5209 super comps about 8 yrs ago and they fit terribly. Clearances not right. Dent this tube , bang that tube. And the collector flanges underneath clocked all wrong. They used to be flat side face down for better ground clearance. Now one was pointing down, the other mid way. Not sure what happened

These are the expensive ceramic coated ones.
They were 400 buck in the scratch and dent section.
Lots of scratches, but worth a shot.

I thought.

Live and learn I guess.

If you think those are junk you should try 5210s. Their jig was worn out 40 years ago. Absolute junk.

Out of all the cars I've either owned or built I have only bought
1 set of headers.. they were Hooker super comps and they fit
great on my SB but it had plenty of room due to no inner
fender wells... all the rest of my headers I built.. for me its
not hard to do

Any more just go with TTI headers Dennis. They flat out fit. But damn they are expensive.
The only complaint I have is they really hug the transmission. Nice on a street car with a full exhaust but not so much on a race car.
When i get my Cuda back I will probably just pony up for a set of custome made headers. That way I know everything will clear.

Sorry to hear they're being a pain.

I'm lucky, mine fit pretty well. There is one tight spot where #7 wraps around the torsion bar
But no problems. I have a B engine, it looks like an RB could improve the clearances a little.

That brings back memories. The first set of headers I ever put on were Caslers (IIRC) on my 340 4-spd Dart. That project used up three days of my first vacation from work. I was a full bore neophyte on this car stuff, and had minimal tools. Despite missing several bolts, those suckers never leaked. When I built the motor a couple years later, a set of Hookers went on. With every bolt. And they leaked brutally. The only way I was able to eliminate the racket from leaky flanges was to turn it into a full-time bracket car with open exhaust. My current heap has Doug Thorley's on it.

When I bought my '73 Cuda w/440 in 2000, it had Hooker supercomps, well after 2 years they rusted out. I hate changing headers so I got a set of Hedman Hedders Elite 14 guage ceramic coating, they fit great. I can even pull my mini starter out without touching the header which is nice.

Sounds like my old 440 with INDY SR heads... The 5209's fit my car perfect with a 400 block and SR heads.

Dennis you know they only make three kinds of parts for race cars...

1.) Do not Fit

2.) Do not work

3.) Do not need


Hooker jigs must be shot...I am using Frazee's old set Hooker 5320's I think, They fit much better than the 5209's and that is with Indy - 1 heads.. two adjustments #5 at frame and #2 at shock post...Rest was a decent fit for off the shelf stuff.

Cook used to say "only two kinds of parts, the ones you can't get and the ones that don't work "
Once again, he was right LOL.
##%€£₩¥=$!&***%!!!!#!!#!!###!!!!##!! $$$$$$$$$!!!!!

I got em where I need them now,but what test of will.

Feels like I spent a weekend with an EXPENSIVE HOOKER,,,I need a nap. .
.

Hooker has the premium price but not the fit and thick construction of a premium header (premium being TTI and DOUGS). Hooker says the Super Comps are made to be light weight but their material quality is that of the cheapo Black Jack headers from the old days.

That brings back memories. But I don't remember Black Jack headers having a fitment issue.

Dang getting old stinks. I can't remember if it was Black Jack or Eagle headers that Summit sold back in the late 70's or early 80's. $49.95 boy they were fun.pulled the bfh out on those babies more than once.

That' leads to my next question: What block and what cylinder heads?

I’ve been lucky.
I’ve had quite a few different headers on my heap through the years....... some were easier to install than others, but none needed any extraordinary measures to get them on the car.
Once installed, they all had pretty good clearance/access.

Two sets of Eagle BB headers($49 from Summit in the 80’s), two sets of Hooker 5209’s(first set basically rotted out), Hooker Competition series for the 383, and I had the Super Comp SB headers on the 340.
I never ran it, but had it completely installed...... an RB 451 with SR heads and the TTi stepped headers for Indy heads. These were actually the easiest to put in.

RB
Stage 6 heads.
Old 1-7/8 " I removed fit.
Cheapo Patriot /Summit

Imo, stage 6’s on an RB is asking for fitment issues with 5209’s.

The stage 6 ex ports are about 3/8” higher and 3/8” farther apart than oe heads.

Not flaming....... it just is what it is.

I know with the two sets I had in my car, there were several areas of the headers that didn’t have 3/8” to spare.
They just barely...... and I mean barely....... didn’t hit anything.

FWIW, TTi lists the Indy stepped RB header for use with stage 6’s(with a $50 mod when ordering..... and another $50 mod if they have straight plugs).

1-7/8" Super Comps on a 70 Charger, Iron heads, RB, a little tough to install,
needed an "adjustment" on #7 hitting the torsion bar. Other than that, fine.

Also, when trying to attach 3" TTI exhaust, the flanges were clocked 60* off.
TTI made me a custom set to match up to the Hookers.

One thing to remember, though, the Super Comps are equal length, so TTIs have made
fitment as a compromise,

I know I know......many feel equal length are un-neccesary for most applications, just saying

Joe

Hmmm. Well that would account for some of the issues, but not the 1-1/2" tube.
I knew it would be a Bi,,h and it was.
Major complication is working around nice paint top and bottom.

Dennis with you fab skills you could make your own. Sure in the end you would be happier.

I’m sure they still fit better then Blackjacks.

Thanks Tom, I have considered doing just that.

If I had a Tig Welder I probably would have done it.
I would make stainless steel headers so I could burn my fingers more efficiently changing plugs

Bought a set 5210's when I first was restoring my 70 GTX. I could not believe how badly they fit for brand new headers. I had to beat them to death for clearance in certain spots. That was the last set I ever bought.

Took some pictures today,all done I think.
Except for adjusting the crooked clamps................

#########

I used to have 5209s on a 440 in my cuda. The slip fit tube on the driver's side hit the frame rail bad, had to smash a big flat spot on it. Both sides needed clearance to clear the tie rod ends during turning.

Boy that sure does look purty with those shiny DC valve covers!

I crawled under a friend's RB E-body w/ E RPM heads and Hooker 5209s and saw why they weren't going to work "out of the box" on my 440 Challenger w/ Stage VI heads.

Ended up using the Hookers on the engine dyno, but 2" TTIs on the car so I wouldn't have to re-engineer them to work.

Indy SR/440-1 heads would be even worse, since they raise the exhaust port even higher than Stage VIs & Victors do.

Now that I see the pictures I understand why they don't fit!

Engine is in stock location.
Steering shaft dent is only interference I am responsible for.

The tube that goes between the torsion bar and frame around the starter is the one that blew me up.
Can't even get a 2"tube through there, never mind the way it was routed into the space of the frame.

#7 tube is stupid tight to the torsion bar even with a B block and std port heads. It works but there is no room to spare.

It totally makes sense it is no-go with raised block and raised port heads.

Love the direct connection valve covers.

I run Hooker 5903’s on my 67 B-engine combo, so not exactly an apples to apples comparison, but they fit nicely with no modifications needed. I’m not discounting all the other responses from those of us that have had fitment issues with Hooker products, but I hardly think it’s fair to single out the headers as the problem on a combo that includes an aftermarket K-frame, aftermarket steering, and raised port heads. Let’s face it, if off the shelf headers DID fit the OP’s combo, then they are way wrong.

I was thinking about those headers (well actually, some patriot bare headers so I could try a hi temp paint on them...the tubes all look the same), do you run angle spark plug heads? if so, how is the plug/wire clearances?

I have no doubt the quality is suspect of degrading. That said any amount of variation in pitch and roll of engine placement can make a huge change in the routing and fitment of tubes.

Stealth Heads, so straight plugs. No fitment issues, plugs are pretty easy to access. I did think of one issue: my #7 tube blocks off the bolt hole location in the inside of that port. I run them with no bolt there, they’ve never leaked at that location.