Will Hooker headers work on ZZ4 engine (angle heads)?

[1DOWN6TOGO]

Highly,
the headers you posted when you initially started this thread, were sidemount. which lead to sidepiped. as far as i can tell, you can not mount those hooker sidemount headers to angled heads. have you searched Hooker's site for undercarriage headers that mount to angled heads. i'm certain they'll have plenty to choose from. just like EVO's. well if he finds them for you i'm sure you'll know then, lol! i'm writing this as he just posted. oh well.
if u like the undercarriage headers and the prospect of more performance EVO described then go with that. if you still want to consider sidepipes and the sidemount header system feel free to ask me anything. i found the pipes myself and did all of my own work ordering and mounting. i'm very satisfied, they have a great feel to their sound, they are absolutely beautiful, i have not burnt myself once, yet i am constantly having to watch out for my passengers legs (nothing worse than burning through ur date's silky smooth legs!) and i'm sure i can help you with any questions you have about them.

sam

 

[HighlyFanatic]

The Hookers are tight, but they fit and do thier job, so I think I still got my money's worth! :L :L :L (yes, pun intended).

If you want, I'll hunt down the exact part number.

:L :L :L

yes would you please get the part number! i'd appreciate it

thanks in advance

 

[HighlyFanatic]

Highly,

if you still want to consider sidepipes and the sidemount header system feel free to ask me anything. i found the pipes myself and did all of my own work ordering and mounting. i'm very satisfied, they have a great feel to their sound, they are absolutely beautiful, i have not burnt myself once, yet i am constantly having to watch out for my passengers legs (nothing worse than burning through ur date's silky smooth legs!) and i'm sure i can help you with any questions you have about them.
sam

thx sam. also im still interested in getting the Hooker headers (like Evo's) because my goal is to ultimately have a sidepipe exhaust installed too. i phoned my local block shop today, they quoted me $900 CDN for the crate install. i asked about Hooker headers & a sidepipe install, and they guy is looking into it.

EVO's headers are undercarriage headers, correct? do undercarriage headers work with sidepipes exhausts too? basically i want sidepipes....so any headers that'll attach to the engine heads and the sidepipes would fit my bill.

 

[HighlyFanatic]

btw, i phoned summit racing....to ask about my header problem. the guy wasnt much help, but he told me that the Street Roder headers were too long and wouldnt fit in an '81 vette.

heres what i found on the Hooker website again

Will your headers fit with aftermarket cylinder heads?
Most aftermarket cylinder head manufacturers offer stock replacement and racing heads. Hooker headers will accommodate the stock replacement head in most cases. If the aftermarket head uses an angle plug configuration, the Hooker header for that application will have footnote 62 which says that it will fit with angle plug heads. If your aftermarket head is a straight plug stock replacement, the Hooker header for your application will fit.

and damn! look i found another set of headers that might just work? http://www.holley.com/HiOctn/ProdLine/Products/ES/ESHHSCH/Roadster.html

it has the footnote 62, which means it will fit angle plug heads! yeehaw....but something about it looks off

 

[Evolution1980]

....but something about it looks off

Highly Fanatic,

I believe you are thinking it looks off because they are not equal length headers (which also give the slighest amount of power loss...or so it's stated/believed.) Mine are equal length, but I wouldn't let that be a MAJOR factor...

This is all from memory, and it's a bit fuzzy but...for a complete set of chrome Hooker side-exhaust, I believe that you buy the complete package ($1100 last I checked). Meaning that the collectors (headers) and the actual side exhaust are all in the same package. The collectors would come off the block and wrap right to the outside of the car, as a single piece (behind the front wheel). Then, the side-exhaust gets bolted up to there. But I'm not sure about that.

As for calling Summit, they are good with pretty much everything, but when you start taking aftermarket items and putting them into something individual like a vette, much of their documentation of knowledge gets a bit unclear, no fault of their own. If you were to ask them, "Hey can these fit a ZZ4 in an '81 F-body?" they'll likely give you a correct answer. But the vette has always been it's own breed. Just like on that one engine site I think you posted, it specifically said about one of the engines, "Will not clear stock corvette hood." The guys (and girls!) that work at Summit are good, but if they knew everything about every car for the past 30 years, they certainly wouldn't be working at Summit!!! :L

OK....I just finished checking Summit's site. Here are some part numbers you can go on for Side Exhaust. (And I was correct about the collectors flaring out off the block, unlike mine which go straight back as 1Down6ToGo stated).

Start with Summit P/N: HOK-50735. Bring up the spec page, then click on TECHNICAL. It will list the other part numbers needed for the headers/collectors. There are 1 7/8" and 2 1/8" versions. You'll need to figure out which you need. Obviously, you'll want to call and verify, as well as making sure they'll fit the block. Nice thing about Summit is that even if they don't fit after you've opened them, they'll take 'em back!

 

[Evolution1980]

Part Number HOK-2224-1 Equal length (!!!)

They also mention these part numbers, but I'm not sure what the difference is: HOK-50735 and HOK-65284
As well as an alternator bracket HOK-10922.

Again, best thing is to ask them all these questions, then try to buy what seems correct. Worst case is you have to send them back. (This all may have been another reason why I didn't get them )

 

[1DOWN6TOGO]

let me try to help you understand.
sidemount headers are completely different from undercarriage headers. sidemount headers meet at the collector outside of the frame of the car. like in the last picture that Evo just posted.
all sidemount headers are equal length. and i have not found any that match up to angled heads.
if you want sidepipes. you have to have sidemount headers, or a kit from mid-america for sidemounting mufflers. mid-america's kit is rather expensive compared to sidemount headers. and the headers sound (and look) better. i spent under $1k for my entire set. that's sidemount headers and pipes and that lil' bracket which is only neccessary if you have a stock engine, i didn't need it because i have gotten rid of the old C3 emissions crap, like the pollution pump. now if you wanna do sidepipes right, which i would do if i could start over. you go chrome. it's a lil more expensive. about $300 more. so between $1200 and $1300. and installing is no problem. if you have someone do it, i would get several quotes.
here's the part numbers if you search summit racing

hok-2233 or hok-2234 (smaller headers on the 2234 means more backpresure and a bit more performance, according to Evo)

hok-65284 (doublecheck that, you wanna make sure you're getting chrome, not painted!)

and then, the bracket. hok-10922 get this, and if you don't need it for some reason, like me, then summit will take it back, they are good at doing that.

good luck getting install quotes.

if i didn't clear something up. ask it.

 

[HighlyFanatic]

if i didn't clear something up. ask it.

crystal clear now

because I really want the sidemount headers & the sidepipe im gonna have to find a different engine that doesnt have angled heads (no more ZZ4)

 

[1DOWN6TOGO]

not a different engine.
just different heads.
is this the engine you already have?
because Evo knows more about that engine and how to mod it.
but if not, i'm sure any of us can help you find or modify ur engine.

 

[HighlyFanatic]

2224-hkr

not a different engine.
just different heads.
is this the engine you already have?
because Evo knows more about that engine and how to mod it.
but if not, i'm sure any of us can help you find or modify ur engine.

this is the engine i wanted to get....im going to do everything at once: Engine, Exhaust, Tranny in that order.

yes, your right...all i need is different heads, but everywhere i look....they sell the ZZ4 long block with the heads (and no uprade options) ...i wonder i could order a longblock without the angle plug heads!

btw, what kinda heads would i install then??

 

[1DOWN6TOGO]

i don't know, that's dependent on the cam that comes with it, or what options the longblock comes with. someone, like Evo, who knows about the ZZ4, may know

 

[impala]

HighlyFanatic,

Scoggin-Dickey Performance Parts in Lubbock, Texas sells Blueprinted ZZ4 Short Blocks. They will do additional assembly options in their own shop. Their telephone number is 1-800-456-0211. If nothing else call them for their free catalog. They also have a web page: www.SDPC2000.com.


Eugene

 

[oopsme]

Hooker headers and sidepipes

In my 74 I had hooker headers and chrome sidepipes installed, so when my engine failed (L82) I started looking at the ZZ4 but was concerned about the angled plugs with my headers, I called Hooker Tech sales and was told that my headers would not work with the angled heads. My solution was I talked to Sallee Chevrolet(my engine vendor) about my problem and they agreed to substitute Edelbrock Performer Al heads at even exchange. It has worked out great!

 

[maxrevs85]

I also checked with Hooker before buying and was told they wont work. There were some angled heads that would work and it seems it was the edelbrock. I know my AFR was on the list of ones that wouldnt work. I went with TPIS. They fit PERFECT. But that with a c4.

 

[Evolution1980]

Just as an FYI...oopsme resurrected this thread after it sat dormant for 2.5 years. While the info contained above is still relavent, I doubt the person that needed the info still has that need.

 

[vmrod]

Allright, I am so glad this topic has come back up!


I plan on calling Hooker to see if these sidemount/sidepipe headers will fit my Dart II heads (with angle plugs). It sounds as though they will not.
I wanna know why they do not fit. I can buy slightly shorter spark plugs from Jegs with angle boot wires. I wonder if that would be enough?

I hate to think that I need to replace these heads for the sidepipes!

 

[Steven James Urry]

1968 vette with ZZ4 and Hooker super compition headers angled plugs

Yes they will work ,I have them on mine, and I installed the glass pack muffler in them ,and they do sound good ,not to loud ,and not to tame, but just right. The only problem ,is the first pipe on each side is bent in ,and I needed to install a stud & nut instead of the bolts, but only two ,the rest are bolts. Clean install and sounds good. I do not have anything powered except steering, so that may be a area to check into.

 

[vmrod]

Thanks for the info. My biggest concern was spark plug clearance. (Which I can use shorter plugs.) If all I need is a couple studs and nuts, then that would be great!! I hope that in June, I can get them!

 

[Bill75]

Steven.........Just to clarify this for my slow brain, they work for you because you have a ZZ4 with Hooker Comp headers and under the car exhaust, NOT SIDEPIPES. Correct?

As I understand it, the Hooker headers will work with a ZZ4 engine that has angled heads only if you run under the car exhaust. If you try to run Hooker headers with Hooker sidepipes, the headers will not line up with the engine exhaust properly.

 

[vmrod]

I can't say that I have angled HEADS, but I can say that my SPARK PLUGS are angled. When I dropped in the new engine with the Dart II heads, I was able to easily bolt onto my stock exhaust manifolds which were kinda hanging there. If my heads were angled, then the stock manifold would have given me problems.

I phoned JetHot and asked about refunds. I was told that if I did not dent the headers/sidepipes, then I could get a full refund (sans shipping). If I scratched then, then I would have to pay a small fee for recoating. This seems like a very reasonable offer for the folks serious about installing a good exhaust system.