catted Y for pacesetter headers - 1999 Z28
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catted Y for pacesetter headers - 1999 Z28 Just bought a nice set of used Pacesetter headers. Living in a state with emissions inspections, I've decided to either have cats and a y pipe with O2 bungs, or get a catted Y with bungs. I've also seen cats with bungs welded in. Since the car is lowered, clearance is an issue. This is a daily driver with stock exhaust into Magnaflow catback.
Some of the alternatives are (all are 3"):
1) get a Paceseter Y add cats with bungs. Will have to shorten the Y to accommodate the length of the cats, and am concerned about dealing with the flattened out portions of the Y. Anybody with experience with this combination and your thoughts.
2) Ebay stainless Y with bungs, but they are near the front portion and might have to be cutoff to accommodate the cats, so I would need the cats w/bungs
3) Kooks Y (several available on this site)
4) other manufacturers you've experience with
Leaning towards #2 with cats w/bungs
Some of the alternatives are (all are 3"):
1) get a Paceseter Y add cats with bungs. Will have to shorten the Y to accommodate the length of the cats, and am concerned about dealing with the flattened out portions of the Y. Anybody with experience with this combination and your thoughts.
2) Ebay stainless Y with bungs, but they are near the front portion and might have to be cutoff to accommodate the cats, so I would need the cats w/bungs
3) Kooks Y (several available on this site)
4) other manufacturers you've experience with
Leaning towards #2 with cats w/bungs
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Now leaning towards Kooks and adding my own cats. Not in any hurry at this point since I just finished a month long project to replace all my brake lines, hoses and calipers. Maybe a fall project.
Send a PM to iceman19. He has a nice used stainless y pipe with cats (kooks I think) and he wasnt asking too much for it at all. That would honestly be the easiest route for you if you have to have cats on the car. Buying a ypipe and cats separately then having someone weld them in and hope it all still fits together right would be a major pain in the ***. 
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Yeah, I've looked at that one too. Since I live in MD and the car is a daily driver, I need to have the rear O2 sensors connected, so I'd need to have O2 bungs installed behind the cats. While I have experience welding sheet metal, I've not considered drilling a hole and welding in O2 bungs. If that Y had the bungs, that would be a no brainer for me.
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OK, ordered a pair of thunderbolt 3" ID cats. These have O2 bungs welded in the outlet. Hopefully with the 3" ID, I will be able to slip them onto the headers that are 3" OD, or put cut them onto the Y pipe where they will fit the best (driver's side).
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Update - received the cats yesterday and they slip over the header collector nicely. Next month, will order a stainless Y, as I gather all the parts needed for this, um, adventure. Need to get header gaskets, new header bolts, O2 sensors, clamps and since I'm in there, motor mounts.
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If you are running headers, you won't need rear 02 sensors. They will throw a code & turn on the check engine light. You can put them in for visuals, but have them tuned out. I speak from this very experience.
I have no cats or rear 02s but I have them tuned out. I have been getting lucky with very few places in NY not caring about visual inspection since no cats are on the car or rear 02s.
If I do end up in a situation where I need to have cats, I plan to get hollow cats that are just there to pass visual inspection.
If I do end up in a situation where I need to have cats, I plan to get hollow cats that are just there to pass visual inspection.