Problems with Kooks custom conversion headers!

[jsrocket]

Has anyone tried using the LS conversion headers from kooks. I bought the LS conversion headers from kooks for 64-72 LS chevelle swap and I am unable to get the angle of my transmission past 5 degrees without running the passenger side header into the floor pan.

[garys 68]

I'm guessing you might have raised the front of the motor for tie rod or crossmember to oil pan clearance?

[dhutton]

Is that an LH8 hummer pan? Not the best choice if it is and may be the cause of your problem as Gary said.

[jsrocket]

Thank you for your replies. It is the hummer oil pan. I will try putting an F body oil pan on and see if that will help my problem. I think I need about 2.5 inches on the passengers side to make it work.

[dhutton]

I think an F body pan will hit the crossmember. You might need an aftermarket pan. The Mast one looks perfect if it ever gets released. It is supposed to be released any day.

[jsrocket]

I tried the F body oil pan and it works without hitting the crossmember. I still have a header problem on the passenger's side though. I have contacted Kooks and sent them pics to show the problem. So far I feel that they are dragging there feet and they don't believe that there could be any problem on there end. I told them that the box the headers arrived in was marked LS1 swap Camaro. They said that they can ship them in any box, it's the tag they wire on the mounting flange that matters. I'm going to try to send them back. There is nothing that I can do to make the engine go down in the front 2.5 inches.

[dhutton]

What mounts and frame stands are you using?

[jsrocket]

I will be making them custom. Right know I can put the engine anywhere as long as it doesn't interfear with steering linkage and crossmember. I want the angle of the engine and t56 to be between 2 and 3.5 degrees tilt to the back of the car.

[dhutton]

It sounds to me like you might have the engine too high if you are fitting an F body pan without hitting the crossmember. Either that or it is quite far back. Where is the sump relative to the crossmember? How about posting a couple of pics with the F body pan? Steering linkage almost always hits the pan in A bodies when the steering is turned max. That is why the MAST pan looks promising, it is more shallow at the front of the pan

[70 Chevelle]

I'm not sure if it's an optical illusion or not but it lloks as if the passenger side of the engine is sitting higher. In the second picture the flat part of the pan does not look to be on the same plane as the crossmember. Is it completely bolted to the frame ? If not it looks as if it needs to be turned clockwise. If thats the case it will move the pass side hedder down and the drivers up. Sorry if it's just an illusion.

[jsrocket]

I am unable to get kooks to take the headers back to make sure they sent me the right ones. So I will need to move the drivers side and passengers side floor pans up so that the headers don't interfear there and possibly order a mast oil pan or modify the one I already have. The Mast oil pan is $420. I don't know if I am going to spend that. Another reason I don't think Kooks sent me the correct headers is that there is only .100" of clearence on both sides between the frame and the headers and moving it down only makes this worse. I going to have to box the frame out to fix this problem. Thanks for all your replies.

[scemeca]

I had the same problem with my tierod ends hitting the pan also if your look at the thread that stealth has on the ls1 forum it will help that guy is great with his pics that is about the most detailed thread that i have found http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/conver...ogress-14.html i hope this helps.

[Evldoer]

Jsrocket is working on his project in my shop, and I have been working with him to try and help him past this snag in his build. What we have come up with is these headers from Kooks were simply not built to work in this chassis. We have tried 3 different pans, and none of them will work for correct engine placement. Headers are too wide for the frame, and we cant move engine up to rectify the problem, and it cant go down either. We really like the quality of the headers, but the problem is with customer support from Kooks custom headers. I called George Rumore myself and talked with him, first time he asked me if we were using their motor mounts, and I replied that there was no mention of their mount on their website, or in the box the headers came with, so he looked at his site and couldnt find them either, said he would speak to his boss right away and call me right back. Guess what, that didnt happen, I had to call him the next day and he tells me oh yeah, I was just going to call you. What a joke, Then he goes on to tell me that he would like me to take some measurements and call him back. This is the problem with some of these companies we have to deal with. They get to a point where they are making so much money that they dont want to go to the extra effort to help a guy out. So basically we are sick of getting the run around from Mr. Rumore, and we are going to make the headers work, this means clearance work to the frame, modifying the oil pan, and modifying the floor pans. All this to get a 900$ set of headers to work. Would it have killed them to just say send them back and we will check them out and send you a new set? Probably not. You can bet we will be grinding the tag off the headers that say KOOKS, and every person I hear talking about Kooks will not get anything good from me about their products.
Thanks Scemeca for that link, its a great thread.


MIKE

[TwinSting]

What is the part number you have? A 6451 is for the Camaro, Firebird and Nova. You need a 6450 for the Chevelle and they sell the motor plates too part LS1-60017. You can call JR Competition, they have them in stock and a ton of experience fitting these. 760-745-4540

[Ron.in.SoCal]

^ Ditto on JR. Great guy, stocking dealer...

[Evldoer]

The tag on these headers is 6450. It also states that it is for a 64-72 chevelle. Now is it possible they were tagged wrong? Who knows, at this point it doesnt matter anymore , Jsrocket already made some sparks fly with the plasma on the frame, and boy do they ever fit good now. Thanks for the heads up with JR compitition, sounds like he should have got them from him in the first place.

Mike