convertz

I just put a hooker aerochamber muffler (not a ful cat-back) on my LT-1. Th efirst day it didnt sound much different than stock, now its a little louder, but its still not as loud as I had hoped for. I know these mufflers have to break in a little bit but how long should this take.

How long till I hear the mean sound im waiting for?

thanks

Kataklysm

Took mine about a month.

94Z28WP

I was in the same boat as you when I first got mine 6 months or so ago... I initialy wanted Flowmaster but was "talked out of it" by searching and reading over many posts against Flowmaster here... I wasn't happy with it at first when I drove off from the muffler shop... As a few weeks went by, it did get louder... But even now, I'd like it to be a few db's louder... I do love the tone of it though... I'm getting a high flow cat and I'm planning on adding headers soon so hopefully I'll be happier with it then... Give it a little more time... Maybe look into replacing the cat with a pipe etc. if it still isn't loud enough.

This site needs an exhaust forum!

stereomandan

I think it's somewhat of a myth that they break in. I mean, what is there to break in? I looked in the Hooker muffler, and it's very open in there. I'm not sure if the Hooker muffler uses any fiberglass in it's muffler, but that's the only thing that could "break in"

Put some headers on there, and you'll hear a different car, especially without cats. Even with headers and no cat(bullet muffler instead), the Hooker catback is tame at idle in my car. That's what I wanted though. At WOT, it sounds awesome, and plenty loud enough for me.

You can get a loud muffler, but most of them sound terrible at WOT. Raspy.

By the way, your car sounds much louder to someone outside the car. Have someone drive by you in your car at partial throttle, and WOT.

Dan

ws6transam

There can't be any break-in on a Hooker Aerochamber as it's all stainless and aluminized metal: No baffle material whatsoever. It's straight-through, three chambers, which are all built with parabolic shaped inner walls. If you ever "break in" your aerochamber, it'll be becuase it's rusting out.

TRICK95

I think you were assuming it would sound like a 5-litre mustang or f-body w/a flowmaster american thunder cat-back at partial throttle & idle. Yeah, they're loud and all, but generic sounding nowdays. I have flowmaster on both 4th gens, and I like their sound and all, but on my previous 3rd gen project, I had a hooker aerochamber, and it sounded truly different than the rest of the market.

The best part was, it was semi-tame at idle and part throttle, but dang, at wot, the thing definitely woke up! I'm sure my neighbors at the time can assest to that. It was on a cam/head 350 carbed 3rd gen.

BTW, they flow well, have the best over-the-axle to muffle setup going, and the intermediate pipes last a long time without rusting. Seem to be better made than flowmaster, imo.

2000LS1Z28

I used to have the full 3" Hooker Aerochamber cat-back on my basically otherwise stock '95 Z28 (it was already on the car when I bought it) and it just wasn't what I wanted at all...It had a fairly nice tone through the rpm range, but it was VERY quiet at idle (almost stock like) and wasn't really noticeably in the car until 2.5k rpms+...Yes, outside it is definitely louder, but still not nearly as loud as some other systems...And like the others are saying, I don't really see how there is much to "break in" with that muffler...So don't expect it to get much louder, if any at all...

I ended up replacing mine with a GMMG system and it is MUCH better IMO...Has a noticeable rumble at idle, sounds very deep on acceleration, and is meaner than $hit at WOT! Truly a great tone out of this cat-back. Loud, yet "refined." And the best part is, unlike most other systems, it only gets better with some headers. Although the Hooker is one of those few that actually improves with headers too...

So if you're not happy with it now, I say just bite the bullet and replace it with something much louder that will give you the volume/tone you want...

Mike

zx1216

with the manifolds and cat it was a little bit louder than stock but sounded good, with longtubes and no cat it is badass, pretty loud but quiets down at cruise rpm so it is the best of both worlds.

Klypto

just get a cutout... solves all problems... not sure about LT1, but i have SERO rasp on the LS1 with gutted cats....

i have a video of it, email if want it... its from 8 stories up, but can tell how loud it is...

email = Binkyboy88@***.net
aim = Binkyboy88


cory

94Z28WP

I don't agree with you guys... My muffler definately changed as time went by... When I pulled away from the muffler shop, it was not the same sound it has now... It's not a night and day difference, no.. And like I said above, I'd like it to be louder... But there was a noticable sound difference after a while... Only explanation I have for that, is possibly a new muffler with bare metal absorbs or reacts to certain sound frequencies differently than a muffler that has the "soot" black coating that forms after a while. Maybe it's not the loudness of the exhaust that changes as much as a deeper tone.