In the next couple of months I'm going to be pulling the engine from my '95 Camaro. I've presently got Pacesetter Long Tube headers. Is there any benefit to going to Kooks or Hookers or someone else over the Pacesetters. I mean besides, hopefully, higher quality. Any performance benefit or maintenance benefit?

 

Yes, there are a few benefits.

1. Pacesetters are made of mild steel, whereas Kooks and Hookers are stainless.

Mild steel will rust, and quickly. Eventually, it’ll rust all the way through. Depending on the climate and when/where/how often you drive, this could happen quickly or it could take more than a decade.

Stainless has better thermal properties, which means more of the heat will stay in the exhaust. That’s good for performance (improves scavenging efficiency), and it also keeps underhood temps lower, which is beneficial for lots of reasons.

2. Kooks and Hooker use equal-length primaries; Pacesetter does not.

Having the primaries all be the same length means that the exhaust pulses reach the collectors separately, whereas with unequal-length primaries, the pulse from one cylinder can collide with the pulse from another. Those collisions hurt flow, which costs power.

In your case, we’re probably talking about an extra 10hp at peak if you get the more expensive headers. Low-RPM torque will show even more benefit.

 

Thanks Jake
you 'da man!