Bad MAC Header/Y Pipe Install
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2005
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Bad MAC Header/Y Pipe Install Hi
I just got my 98 Camaro back with a new set of MAC Headers and Catalytic Y pipe. The shop left the tunnel brace off and said it would not fit with the new Y pipe. I seen photos of shorty, mid length and long tube headers and Y pipe installs before and I have never seen an install where the tunnel brace had to be left off.
I had a look under the car and everything looks to be in place. The Y pipe is bolted to the hanger in the correct location and it is not bent or damaged. The rear collector is at the location where the tunnel brace fits. It is definatley too low to allow the tunnel brace to fit. Also the driver side catalytic converter seem quite low. Can anyone give me some insight into what happened. I thought MAC systems were always a good fit.
Is the system adjustable?
Can it be moved up on the collectors?
Does anyone use this sytem and have the same issue?
Also, I noticed they left the heatshields on. Should these be removed to make more room to raise the Y pipe?
Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks JA
I just got my 98 Camaro back with a new set of MAC Headers and Catalytic Y pipe. The shop left the tunnel brace off and said it would not fit with the new Y pipe. I seen photos of shorty, mid length and long tube headers and Y pipe installs before and I have never seen an install where the tunnel brace had to be left off.
I had a look under the car and everything looks to be in place. The Y pipe is bolted to the hanger in the correct location and it is not bent or damaged. The rear collector is at the location where the tunnel brace fits. It is definatley too low to allow the tunnel brace to fit. Also the driver side catalytic converter seem quite low. Can anyone give me some insight into what happened. I thought MAC systems were always a good fit.
Is the system adjustable?
Can it be moved up on the collectors?
Does anyone use this sytem and have the same issue?
Also, I noticed they left the heatshields on. Should these be removed to make more room to raise the Y pipe?
Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks JA
Teching In
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 49
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From: Music City
I had same problem. I ended up changing to a torque arm to one that replaced the brace and gave me more room. However, before I got that far I took a stack of washers and longer bolts to lower the brace slightly. Just put the washers between the floor and the brace to lower it.
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 563
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Hi
I just had a look at it up on a hoist. The install actually looks fine. I did not relize there was so little clearance on the driver side to fit the catalytic converter. There is also a perpendicular floor brace at that location that makes it even more difficult. The catalytic converter is up pretty much as high as it can go, so I guess that is a trade off when putting headers and cats on a Camaro. I foresee beating the **** out of the cat on the roads around here. Obviously GM never designed the car with headers in mind.
I had the shop shim the tunnel brace down with short pieces of pipe and it fits fine now. I could buy a tubulare brace with more clearance, but I think that would be a waist of money. I should probably just take it off and leave it off.
Thanks for the input JA
I just had a look at it up on a hoist. The install actually looks fine. I did not relize there was so little clearance on the driver side to fit the catalytic converter. There is also a perpendicular floor brace at that location that makes it even more difficult. The catalytic converter is up pretty much as high as it can go, so I guess that is a trade off when putting headers and cats on a Camaro. I foresee beating the **** out of the cat on the roads around here. Obviously GM never designed the car with headers in mind.
I had the shop shim the tunnel brace down with short pieces of pipe and it fits fine now. I could buy a tubulare brace with more clearance, but I think that would be a waist of money. I should probably just take it off and leave it off.
Thanks for the input JA
