Okay... I need your opinions here. Maybe some of you have gone through this before so your expirience would be helpful.

I am re-doing my exhaust system back to a y-pipe setup. I need to fit the cats and cutouts both on the y-pipe. I also need to maintain enough ground clearence to go over speed-bumps (the main reason to re-doing the exhuast).

Here are my two options:

1) Buy 3" ORY from TSP and try to fit the carsound cats and cutouts on it.
2) Have local exhaust shop custom fab a 2.5" y-pipe with cats and cutouts.

Basically, I don't really mind if the y-pipe is 2.5" and a little restrictive. If I want any power, I will open the cutouts. I am leaning towards option two right now. The problem with #1 is that TSP doesnt have any finalized pics of their y-pipe, and I don't even know if cats and cutouts will fit without hacking it to bits.

If ANYONE has any insight on this that would be great. Thanks!

 

Here's the question you need to ask yourself. Where is the part of the exhaust that scrapes now? If it's in the front, a 3inch y wont provide any more ground clearance than you already have, so you will have to go 2.5". A third, more expensive option is using some oval tubing for part of the exhaust. If you go with cutouts in front of the cats it will be tricky as your exhaust will have to make a sharp 90* to meet up for the Y.

 

The back where the dumps are, are what scrapes now. If i tried to go over speed bumps, the car would get stuck, thats how bad it is. Oval pipe is not an option.

 

The only problem I see is trying to squeeze the cats and the cutouts into the same y.

The problem here comes the drivers side. I can gurantee that the cat is gonna be really low on the drivers side and its gonna catch everything. Since this is gonna cost quite a bit anyways.

This is a way that it may work. You should have flanges welded onto both the cats and the cutouts. Make them interchangable.

Just an idea.

 

Id make a custom 3" ypipe with a pair of bullets (they kinda look like cats) and a 3.5" or 4" flowmaster collector with a same sized cutout.

I dont like cats. They eat more power than people realize and they are not cheap. Plus they have been known to fail. Are you getting cats for a sniff test or for visual inspection?

 

Cats are a must. They are there to pass the sniffer yes. I dont care that they wont flow well... Thats what the cutouts are for. I need to have cats because if I get caught w/o them, its a $20,000 fine no question asked. Everything will be flanged too, to make it easy to work on.

Here's what I'm thinking... Pacesetter headers, shortened and flanged into dual 3" cutouts(flanged), then 3" to 2.5" reducers, into 2.5" Carsound cats, into Magnaflow Y-collector, and then into 3" Dynomax I-pipe. I will have some pipe off the cutout to quiet it down a tad and to get the 16-20" I need.

 

It sucks that you have to run cats. What youre planning sounds like it should work. The only thing that I would worry about is the cutouts leaking. The cats might create some back pressure and cause the cutouts to leak. Someone posted on this board about cutouts leaking with cats after them. I dont remember all the details as to what was causing the leaks.

If it was my car, Id keep the macs and weld up a pair of 3" cats and use the 2.5" ypipe with flowmaster collector and run it through a loudmouth catback. I heard a stock camaro with a loudmouth. I was amazed at how good it sounded.

Anyways, youre idea will definitly work and give you 15hp over my idea. Its just too complicated for my tastes. Its your car so good luck.

 

I've seen many many people weld their cutouts directly to the headers and then use a catted y pipe. Sure, there is some fab. work to the y pipe, but that would work for what ur doin.
Nothing would scare the **** out of someone like open headers

 

If you wanted to keep the duals, you could go under the axle and mount the mufflers near the stock location where I have mine. Ground clearance isn't a problem for speedbumps as it can tuck up closely. Just an idea.

 

Good idea, I have seen that setup in person, and it definately has an effect on increasing ground clearance.

 

Nope, no duals. Way to expensive, and I dont want to mess with them. I guess i will go ahead with the 2.5" y-pipe and see how it works. Out of curiosity, do 3" cats flow better than 2.5" cats?

 

i think u could cut back the collector on the header and weld teh cut-outs to the header or flange them, then make your y-pipe with cats

 

Thats exactly what I'm doing

 

3" will continue to filter most of the hydrocarbons for clean emissions. With your cam I recommend 3" if there is room. They actually flow about ~20% CFM wise to 2.5" cats. Not to rehash non exact information fwiw, but with 3" off the collector then reducer after the cat it would still be a nice setup even with the cutout closed. And then when you're at the track you can utilize the cutout as per your setup, right. You can see what all your exhaust guy says to check for, just another option to utilize 3" cats along with a 2.5" --> 3" FM collector.

 

From what I understand, even with cats there is a chance you won't pass inspection with your LT's. And not to promote being unlawful, but it seems to me a cheaper, easier route would be to avoid the cats altogether and 'monetarily persuade' an emissions tester to avoid any fines. I am by nature not a dishonest person, but $20,000 seems like way to hefty a fine for removing your cats.

 

Ferocity02, you may see some issues with your cut out's being so close to the O2 sensors if you cut the headers back and weld them on. Shaun (srstereo) has a custom made Y-pipe with dual cutouts on his pacesetter's, you might PM him, I know he posted some Pics some time back. I think he is selling his car now and putting it back to stock, so he may be selling the y-pipe as well...

Dan

 

His name doesn't come up in a search...

 

Pack your up and move to a different state. Then get an ORY and put cutouts on those

Just my .75 cents

Good luck though

 

Trust me, I would if I could

 

In California it isnt a chance, its a guarantee. He will either convert back to stock when smog time rolls around or he has a special friend . Its such a rediculous law about the cats. A small fine would be ok, but 20 g's is a little excessive.