Yesterday my friend Matt and I installed the HVMC QTP headers and Y-pipe. The car already had Hooker headers on it with a Hooker catback. Main reason for the change is the Hookers are some of the first batch that ever came out, and they are getting old and rusty. I also wanted the HVMC headers from QTP for the power bump.
The install was a lot easier this time around than when I installed the Hookers, mainly due to gear wrenches, and not having to deal with the AIR and EGR, both of which I've deleted. On the downside we got the headers in, Y-pipe all in place, tightened down the headers only to find they were hitting the K-member and body on the passenger side. So I had to take the coil pack back off the passenger side, take out the dipstick, and loosen all the bolts. It gained us about an 1/8th of an inch clearance on both the K-member and the body seam weld. Tightened the header up, put all the elctricals back on and away we went with tightening up the y-pipe.
Now the y-pipe bolted brace on the pass side didn't fit well, but it was good enough. We installed the rest of the y-pipe and pulled it off the ramp.

Well I tried to back it off the ramp, too bad I literally had less than 1" of ground clearance on the drivers side.

We pulled it back out on the ramp, loosened up the drivers side header, pushed it as high up as possible. Loosened all of the y-pipe again and pushed, turned, tweaked everything to the maximum ground clearance. Still pretty bad at about 2". I am lowered, but I can't even get in and out of my flat driveway without scraping. Literally an inch or two lower than the Hooker Y-pipe.

I've already sent an email to a shop in Atlanta that has a mandrel bender and does great custom exhaust work. The ground clearance is just too low, I'm going to be forced to go true duals over the axle.

The headers looked great, and went in well enough. Just disapointed in the y-pipe ground clearance. It's a nicely built y-pipe, but the design is not the best for ground clearance like EVERYONE has stated before.

Edit: There is one major plus to this system, which is the LACK of the dreaded rasp! The rasp is virtually gone compared to the Hooker headers and y pipe. That's a major plus that almost cancels out the clearance problems

Edit: pics





I didn't have a Coke can handy, but the clearance is less than half the height of that bottle on it's side.

 

thats sucks buddy, hopefully it turns out good for yah. About the headers hitting the K member, mine hit a tiny bit on the k member, you think im going to have to remove the header to grind some off?

 

I took an adjustable wrench and bent the body seam back a little bit. As for clearancing the K-member, I stayed away from that since it's a stamped metal assembly. Hacking into is the last thing I'd want to do for fear of reducing it's rigidity.

 

The y pipe sucks. Not only did mine have low ground clearance, it would not even slide onto the header collectors . There is no excuse for that in my opinion.

 

The QTP y-pipe sucks... I had to cut mine up and weld it together to get any clearence at all.

 

I' ve had similar problems, with two installs. The grinding wasn' t too bad though. It seemed where I had to grind, was well behing critical stress points ( as far as I could judge ) and clearance on the unibody rail was pretty tight on mine, and pretty good on the last one I did. However, I have loosened my motor mounts and what-not in the past, to remove some MAC mids. However, I didn' t have any of these problems with the standard collector QTPs I had in there earlier. I wonder if things are that much difference, primary shape-wise between the two. I didn' t have to grind or remove a thing when I had the standard collector QTPs, and had to adjust the steering shaft and and grind, still have very little clearance on the side of the tube, to the unibody rail.

The Y-pipe was no too fun either. Ground clearance was pretty bad on the last one. Stock height, and no real suspension stuff. BUT, we had SLP SFCs in there, and in order to sqeeze the Y-pipe in there, we had to rotate the first pipe down for side-to-side clearance, and sacrificed ground clearance. I had to something similar on my car, but, after changing the cats', I took the opportunity to redo that leg of the Y-pipe, and all is better now.

People with SLP SFCs should be aware this will likely become a difficulty due to their design. It' s workable, but, plan for it. Were it not for these SFCs, it would have went right in, IMHO.

Congrats' though!!!

 

I Did the Pacestters and TSP Y. I had NO issues and actually GAINED ground clearance over my factory Y. I am also lowered.

 

mine's about an inch to the ground, but still run it i don't give a **** as long as my engine don't blow out **** it its all good buy a new set of headers and y pipe later like u just did, u change ur hooker to qtp it's goin to be alrite

just make sure u turn when u see a speed bump or else u'll get stock. lol

 

yes theyre y-pipe sucks.... i have to plan which way i take to places accordingly ucause railroad tracks are a no no... yeah it sucks but i will deal with it for now...

 

Updated with pics of the y-pipe clearance.

 

What clearance?

No offense (well maybe a lil) but I can't for the life of me understand why people with QTP LT's do not get a custom merge.

 

Did you talk to Grand muffler yet?

 

Yep, that is about the clearance I have on mine. Luckily that sucker is coming off soon anyway.

 

My QTP ory fits perfect, but I have Jet Hot long tubes, maybee the connecting point on the header is lower on the QTP headers. Is the y-pipe almost touching the bottom of the car? I was able to adjust mine up so close I actually welded a small valve spring to keep it from hitting, about 1" clearence between them.

 

I've called twice, emailed twice. Talked to Todd again today and he said he's been too busy, and will have to call me tomorrow to discuss the job. Bad news from the initial call, he said it normally takes 3 days for a full mandrel bent exhaust since they can't stay on one project to completion.

Good news, I think I've got my sun visors fixed, also ordered the Mecham tips on Monday, they will be here this week, and also ordered two brass gears to fix my headlights, they will also be here this week.

 

did you try to fit the hooker y on the QTP's????

 

wow that's a lot less clearance than what I have with my system. Looks like the header hangs down more too. My passanger side went in with no trouble and no grinding needed. These new ones since QTP lowered the price seem to have trouble fitting. I wonder if the jig is off a little

 

The reason why my next y-pipe will be custom oval tubing.

 

wow that is pretty sad. My Jet Hot ORY tucks up pretty damn well esp compared to that

 

thats a can of horse ****. take off that y-pipe and have one made or make one... thats crap.
i GAINED almost 2 inches of ground clearance by switching to headers and a ypipe (catless)