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View Full Version : hedman vs hooker headers..help!!!



texasdvldog
08-29-2005, 10:55 AM
I sent away for 2 sets of ceramic coated headers..the first one is:

Headman part# HED-68278

VS

Hooker Competition Headers part# HOK-2451-1HKR

I have to send one of these bad boys back to Summit but I wanted to know which one would give me less headaches when trying to get around the steering box?? I keep hearing all these nightmares of having to put dimples in the tube that runs by the box.

Oh by the way, I have a 67 RS/SS with a SBC 350 performance crate motor that's going to be installed. Thanks in advance!

Castlesmith
08-29-2005, 11:34 AM
I don't know about the hedman's...but the hooker super comp, I have on my 67 vert. 383, with stock steering. The headers are 1 3/4 tubes and I did have to dimple the tube to clear the steering box. It took 4 hands and a piece of pipe and a bench vise to make a nice clearance and we did not mar the ceramic coating....but we had to do it!

mdprovee
08-29-2005, 11:40 AM
Also with the Hookers, they hang down low on the drivers side. They also have the 3 hole flange welded with on hole pointing down. Cuts down on your road clearence.

Mike

texasdvldog
08-30-2005, 08:55 AM
cmon guys, help me out here...I'm sure you all have to have an opinion of which ones are the better fit?!?:help:

RobM
08-30-2005, 11:16 AM
i don’t know about headman but i personally am not too impressed with my hooker headers. and I’ve called their tech support and they basically told me that no matter what their designee is right and i just have to make them work in my car. In my car the passenger side collector sat way up high and i had a very hard time running exhaust off of it with out hitting the tranny cross member for my 4 speed. All hooker told me was i had to bend the exhaust to fit and the header was supposed to be that way. also both of my collector flanges have one of the holes pointing down on both sides which cuts down on ground clearance. I also hear that some people have this problem and some don’t. Now i know non of these old cars are exactly alike but i would think the flanges on all their headers would be welded on the same! this leads me to believe that the quality control isn’t that great

Kenova
08-30-2005, 05:15 PM
Another set of Hookers here. They came with my Nova when I bought it. I don't have a part number, but I can tell you they are 1 7/8 inch tubes. They look bloody huge on the small block 400. I have excellent clearance with manual steering and four speed. They fit close to the floor and the flanges don't hang too low. I'm using a small starter. If the old full size starter doesn't hit, I'm sure there would be a problem with heat.
I've never had any experience with Headmans, so I may not be much help either.
Ken

inSANe DIEGO
08-30-2005, 09:23 PM
I have Eagle (which I was told are the same as Hedmans) and the fit is fine. The primaries hang a bit low- about the same as the collector flange if rotated to have one bolt straight down. My UCAs have "dimpled" one primary on each side, BUT that was with the soft stock saggy springs and a couple of Duke of Hazard moments back in my more foolish days...
Bring the driver side header in from underneath the car.

NOVA
04-08-2006, 03:02 PM
I am on my forth set of ceramic hedman's on all chevy app's 283,350-2 and now on my ZZ4 and have been very pleased with the fit and quality,I get the shorty style so I do not have clearance issues .... I ve had good luck with hedman's.

HILROD
04-09-2006, 07:35 AM
All the heddmans I've used fit great with very good ground clearance. The drivers header some times just touches the steering box lightly. There is clearance normally but scratches the coating under torque. The should fit fine on all normal cars (1969 camaro) but I used mismatched poly mounts and stands to lower engine to keep it under the stock cowl. It has a Weind 144 blower. Also these are the 1 7/8 tubes. FRANK

Drewhelm
05-11-2006, 02:13 PM
I have a set of Hedman's on my 69 Firebird and they fit better than any other header I've seen. (Hooker, Hooker Super Comp, Thorley, or Dynomax. They are ceramic coated and have the ball collectors.

1Fine69
05-13-2006, 06:13 PM
i ordered the hooker super comps and they were jsut bad. I couldnt get the drivers side in. They were supposed to be caoted inside and out. the inside was rusted. I sent them back and ordered hedmans. il tell you how it comes out

6'9"Witha69
05-16-2006, 12:33 PM
Hedman. I have had 2 pair on my 69. ne was a long tube and the current are shorties. The shorties had an argument with Steering box. Just slightly though.

My friends also run mainly Hedman. The ones who have tried hookers have given up on them quickly!

zuess4u
05-16-2006, 05:09 PM
We just ordered S&S headers for our project today. They do cost a little more, but the flange is 3/8's, and flanges are lazer cut, rather then stampped. The thing we were pleased with, was the routing of the tubes, lots "O" clearance for R&P and or power steering box. Their welds are show quality as well, these will be 1 7/8's.

You can go to their site and get a really good picture of the acrual header....nice close up... www.Sandsheaders.com (http://www.Sandsheaders.com) see what you think.

1Fine69
05-18-2006, 03:50 PM
check out the headmans. compared to the hookers they seemed to be a work of art!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2006/05/longtubes-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2006/05/headers-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2006/05/headersclose-1.jpg

DeltaT
07-31-2006, 06:21 PM
These are Hedman Huslers after I modified them: Lowered bolt holes .2" for raised exhaust port heads, clearanced for mini-starter, Jet-Hot coated.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif


I've had both Hookers and Hedmans, and they both seem to have a wide variation in craftmanship and quality. I think it depends on the guys in the shop the day yours were built. I also see a lot of differences between right & keft side headers, so I suspect the same guy doesn't do a set at a time.

If you get them uncoated, at least you can clean them up and port match them as much as possible and not ruin the ceramic. Either brand, I'd never run another uncoated set.

Jim

JL8Jeff
08-01-2006, 07:50 AM
I ran the Hooker headers (I think they were the 2451) on my 68 Camaro with AC with a 94 LT1 in it and they fit fine. I think the passenger side header was close to the floorboard and the driver's side hung down lower. The driver's side was real close to the steering box but then I think they all are.

ill steez
08-07-2006, 11:45 PM
I initially got the hedmans because of price. after about 3 months they started leaking really bad so i sent them back. the new set they sent me started leaking after about 2 months, so i sent them back for a refund.

after that i got the hooker supercomps, which are way more expensive than i think they should be to be honest, and i must say that i like them much more than the hedmans. they were however extremely difficult to install due to their length, and since i didnt get the ceramic coated ones they started looking pretty ugly after a month or so.

basically if you have the extra money to spend, and you arent easily frustrated when working on a car, i say go with the hooker supercomps. if you want an easy install along with fantastic customer service, go with the hedmans.

all i know is that i wont be getting hedmans again.

BA.
08-29-2006, 04:07 PM
damn, I'm obviously about a month late! I've got these brand new 1 3/4" Cyclone Race, adj primary length headers here, ceramic coated...... and they are collecting dust!

Sir Don
09-12-2006, 02:22 PM
(for a 69 Camaro) Suggest putting a bit of stock or two washers on all three bolts between the engine mount and the engine. lifts the engine about 1/10th of an inch on an angle away from the steering box. IMHO Anyone see any problems with that?

HTRDMX55
12-04-2006, 07:25 PM
All i know is my hooker supers were a big P.i.t.a to put on. I had to grind the flanges on the bottom so the would clear my arp head bolts. If I knew this, i would have tried to mock them up to the motor before I put it in the car. I will never buy another set from them.

burnscityboy
03-15-2007, 11:38 AM
I try to mock up things as well nothing like try to fit a part in the car just to find out you have to take it backout and in the case of headers its hard on the coating .

Mr.VENGEANCE
07-14-2007, 08:46 AM
ahhaha

man has ANYONE ever had a good experience with installing, fitting, getting headers right the first time without a prybar!?

hahaha

6'9"Witha69
07-14-2007, 05:51 PM
ahhaha

man has ANYONE ever had a good experience with installing, fitting, getting headers right the first time without a prybar!?

hahahaNot me!