Hooker LT vs. MAC CC LTs?

Nazman

New Member
Apr 28, 2000
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San Antonio, TX
What do you guys think?

I have one of my JBA (passenger side) flange crack all the way. I'm not going to go to the pain of swapping it and keep the ST style.

Have you guys seen the new MAC LT CC? Any one running it.

If you had the choice which one would you get?

The MAC are about 400+ and the Hookers about 600+.

Coments?

Naz
 
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I would not buy any MAC headers at all, this is based on a lot of problems with slag still in the tubes when people installed them that many traced right to their engine failures. Take a look at Corral.net and do a search on the topic. Their Quality control seems to be dismal. I have heard great things about the hookers though. Does BBK make a LT for your model year? I haven't heard one bad thing about their LTs (mine are awesome and weren't as much as the hookers).

Chris
 
What are "MAC LT CC?" Does the CC denote something different than the normal MAC longtubes?

Oh oops... ceramic coated... my bad...

I got my MAC LTs JetHot coated inside and out for $250.
 
Wow that isn't cool. JBA's are expensive!

Do you know what caused the failure? I mean were you removing it when it happened or did you just notice a exhaust leak one day?

Sorry I have not used Longtubes so no recommendation. I won't put any MAC products on my car because they look like cheaper, inferior products to me.

Nazman said:
What do you guys think?

I have one of my JBA (passenger side) flange crack all the way. I'm not going to go to the pain of swapping it and keep the ST style.

Have you guys seen the new MAC LT CC? Any one running it.

If you had the choice which one would you get?

The MAC are about 400+ and the Hookers about 600+.

Coments?

Naz
 
djtech said:
Wow that isn't cool. JBA's are expensive!

Do you know what caused the failure? I mean were you removing it when it happened or did you just notice a exhaust leak one day?

Sorry I have not used Longtubes so no recommendation. I won't put any MAC products on my car because they look like cheaper, inferior products to me.

DJ,

Dont worry brother. Yes, the JBA are very expensive and they are a PITA to install. I much rather go to the pain of installing LTs for the gain than go to the pain of installing STs again.

Yes, I was just driving along from Hiederburg (about 30 minutes from where I'm located) doing the average 90-110MPH on the Autobahn and the car just developed this out of normal exhaust noise. I checked everything and noticed the BIG crack.

Nothing more. I know of a couple of other Cobra owners who experienced the cracked flange! Bad stuff!

Naz
 
White360RFnSwee said:
mac will give you more horsepower than BBK, mostly because BBK have the little kink in their pipe for fitment...

Mac pipes are decent pipes...
MAC's have caused many engines to consume oil, either from damaging the valve seals or from weld slag in the tubes being sucked into the EGR and back into the engine that scars the cylinder walls...either way, they ruin engines...I wouldn't install a set of those on a Cobra if someone paid me $1000 to do it...

I'd stick with Hookers, BBK's or Kook's LTs...My Hookers have added a lot of needed low-mid range power to my car...
 
Well this is coming from my rep at MAC, he states that it is not weld slag that is causing engine failure in some 4.6 motors, he states that it flowing so well that it is pulling oil around the piston seals that that is causing the problem! THey have broken down a few engines both good and bad and it is like the current head problem, it is what day of the week your car is made and if they car that day to do a good job!

I am trying to get a statement from MAC position on this and will post it as soon as I get it.

Thanks guys, if you have any question please don't hesitate to email me at [email protected] or PM here at Stangnet.
 
Yeah, it took me and my uncle a good 16 hrs to put on my JBA shorties. I think it would actually be faster to remove the motor and do it instead of working in the confined spaces of our engine bay.

Damn, I hope mine don't break! Your the first person I've heard this happen to. The other Cobra owners you've said that had this problem too... were these JBA's as well? Were yours and these other ones you've heard about that broke ceramic coated?

These things cost a lot of money to crack on you. Did you contact JBA? I would just to see how they react. If they send you a new set, you could always sell them for some $$$ twards your mid/long tubes.

Nazman said:
DJ,

Dont worry brother. Yes, the JBA are very expensive and they are a PITA to install. I much rather go to the pain of installing LTs for the gain than go to the pain of installing STs again.

Yes, I was just driving along from Hiederburg (about 30 minutes from where I'm located) doing the average 90-110MPH on the Autobahn and the car just developed this out of normal exhaust noise. I checked everything and noticed the BIG crack.

Nothing more. I know of a couple of other Cobra owners who experienced the cracked flange! Bad stuff!

Naz
 
missouri_guy197 said:
MAC's have caused many engines to consume oil, either from damaging the valve seals or from weld slag in the tubes being sucked into the EGR and back into the engine that scars the cylinder walls...either way, they ruin engines...I wouldn't install a set of those on a Cobra if someone paid me $1000 to do it...

I'd stick with Hookers, BBK's or Kook's LTs...My Hookers have added a lot of needed low-mid range power to my car...

I also have hooker LT's, and they seem Ok, everything from power gains, to ground clearance, and fit/finish, I recommend them. :nice:
 
djtech said:
Yeah, it took me and my uncle a good 16 hrs to put on my JBA shorties. I think it would actually be faster to remove the motor and do it instead of working in the confined spaces of our engine bay.

Damn, I hope mine don't break! Your the first person I've heard this happen to. The other Cobra owners you've said that had this problem too... were these JBA's as well? Were yours and these other ones you've heard about that broke ceramic coated?

These things cost a lot of money to crack on you. Did you contact JBA? I would just to see how they react. If they send you a new set, you could always sell them for some $$$ twards your mid/long tubes.

I was at the local speed shop asking about longtubes for my mach1 motor swap. They had a 03 cobra they were installing JBA shorty headers in that the guy said he got "cheap" Well those were the biggest hack of a header I have ever saw. Every exhaust port was all ground up, the actual exhaust flanges were all irregular in shape. I mean these things were suppose to be rectangular but some were like ovalish. Then some exhaust ports were way restrictive compared to others.
He then brough out the bassani mid length headers which were no lie 150% better.
As for the cobra, he dynoed 405 RWHP with just an intake. Nice huh. lol
 
Your right on how the JBA shorty header looks up close. Mine looked a lot like you described. I was suprised how one tube was pinched so the header bolt could be put in and taken out.

I can't say I think the things you've described makes a lot of difference. Mine are ceramic coated and have a very smooth look to the inside and outside. Plus they gotta flow better then the stock manifold right? :)

95stangGT said:
I was at the local speed shop asking about longtubes for my mach1 motor swap. They had a 03 cobra they were installing JBA shorty headers in that the guy said he got "cheap" Well those were the biggest hack of a header I have ever saw. Every exhaust port was all ground up, the actual exhaust flanges were all irregular in shape. I mean these things were suppose to be rectangular but some were like ovalish. Then some exhaust ports were way restrictive compared to others.
He then brough out the bassani mid length headers which were no lie 150% better.
As for the cobra, he dynoed 405 RWHP with just an intake. Nice huh. lol
 
The stuff about Mac headers flowing so well that they cause the motors to burn oil is BS. If that was true why don't any of the other longtubes out there do the exact samething. Its the slag in the headers getting sucked back in through the EGR. I have seen this first hand on a customers cobra. Guy put Mac longtubes on his car, wasn't soon after his 65k mile motor started burning oil like a pig, he then went to BBK long tubes. Now if what Mac says is true that its because the headers flow so well that if you took them off you wouldn't have the problem anymore, wrong damage is already done due to slag. We ended up putting in a new longblock in that cobra.
 
5.0's 4 ever said:
The stuff about Mac headers flowing so well that they cause the motors to burn oil is BS. If that was true why don't any of the other longtubes out there do the exact samething. Its the slag in the headers getting sucked back in through the EGR. I have seen this first hand on a customers cobra. Guy put Mac longtubes on his car, wasn't soon after his 65k mile motor started burning oil like a pig, he then went to BBK long tubes. Now if what Mac says is true that its because the headers flow so well that if you took them off you wouldn't have the problem anymore, wrong damage is already done due to slag. We ended up putting in a new longblock in that cobra.

My question is: Why people will install any part "as is"? I clean and check everything that goes on my car! New or not so new!

If you are installing a new set of headers, for example. At least blow them with some air as a bare minimum.

Naz
 
I agree blowing them out with compressed air would help but how do you know if got it all and nothing else will break free. The best solution would be to not connect the EGR pipe, or buy a quality made set of long tubes in the first place so you don't chance this problem.
 
5.0's 4 ever said:
The best solution would be to not connect the EGR pipe, or buy a quality made set of long tubes in the first place so you don't chance this problem.

Have to agree, QUALITY is very important.

I'm going with the Hookers LTs Ceramic along with their X-Pipe.

Naz