Review of PaceSetter Y pipe
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From: Montgomery, AL
Review of PaceSetter Y pipe
After a lot of trouble getting my adjustable TSP catted Y to adjust correctly I decided to say "to heck with it" and I got a new Y pipe. I ended up going with the pacesetter because of the clearance it is suppost to provide.
*Note, this is a review for the TWO piece ORY Pipe*
There were always a few concerns with the pacesetter Y pipe:
The flat spots: Yeah, they have to take away from the performance. How much? I have no idea. But I will say this, I have so much ground clearance that I can almost get an entire coke can to stand up ANYWHERE in my exhaust system. It hits on the rim of the can at the top. If I were maybe an eighth of an inch higher then the whole can would go under (I am at stock ride height). If you were considering long tube headers and lowering the car then I would have to recommend this Y pipe. With stock ride height I will take on the nastiest of speedbumps without worrying. Not so much with my TSP catted Y ( the dents and scrapes all over it will tell you about those speed bumps too!)
Bumping: Well, If you were to attack this with no other mods to the car other than Long tube headers, then you may bump. I've got poly mounts already and it hasnt banged yet! Keep in mind, I had to set my bumpstop aside (yet another purchase indication of how well the fit is with the tsp catted Y), mainly because the flat spot on the Y pipe didnt fill in the band that makes up the bumpstop. It might work, but I decided to chance it and go with just the poly mounts at first. So far no banging!
The Merge: Yeah, the merge sucks. But then again most of the merges leave something to be desired. I do feel, however, that if a man was so inclined to get out a dremel or some type of grinding device that this problem could be corrected. The problem is that the hole that the drivers side pipe has to enter the merge is too small. If the metal on the passenger side pipe was trimmed then I dont think this would be an issue. Plus, with the new two piece construction you can actually reach the merge with tools. I just didnt care...I was so cought up in the fact that putting on a y pipe didnt involve adjusting a million different joints (Personally I think "adjustable" is a clevar advertising trick that allows it to be shipped in a box 1/10th of the size. I cant imagine why you would want to adjust a y pipe in 6 different places anyway)
The fit: No complaints at all. They slid over the headers like they were made to be used (imagine that, pacesetter headers fitting a pacesetter Y ), the cat back (hooker) fit right together without ANY issues. I didnt have to do anything to it out of the box to make it fit on my car. Period. It was the easiest thing I have ever dont to the exhaust on my car. No grinding, no cutting, no filing...nothing.
Other: Like always, I will say to chuck the U clamps. If you want to retain the ease of use with this Y pipe, or you ever want to sell it and would like to disassemble it then you better use band clamps. U clamps crimp the pipes and make it almost impossible to seperate them. So needless to say, I used ALL band clamps. You will need the two that come with the headers (thanks TSP!) and then Two more....for a total of 4...to include the clamp that connects the Y to the catback. The "adjustable" Y pipes will need a lot more because of all the adjustment points. So, you will save a considerable amount of money on band clamps by using this Y pipe. Another note to consider, there is a hanger next to the transmition that the stock Y pipe used. The pasetter Y has a provision to use this hanger. I dont know why I was so thrilled about this, but it just seemed like an awsesome idea! Once that bracket was lined up you knew that you had installed the Y pipe on at the correct spot (no more adjustment onto the headers or toward the catback needed). Plus this little dude would keep it from sagging or rattling.
*Heres an interesting note: When I changed over from my TSP catted Y pipe and Loudmouth to the PaceSetter ORY and Hooker catback there was a noticeable seat of the pants gain. I dont know how, but it honestly felt faster. That might actually be the difference in the Catted Y versus the ORY, even with a crappy merge and flat spots*
The beauty of this Y pipe is that If I can get this kind of clearance, then you can too. It wont require any "working with it" to get the best fit and clearance. It doesnt go on but one way!
I'll post some pics soon.
Last edited by KurtRardin; 05-01-2007 at 07:31 PM.
#4
I recoomend the Pacesetter Y pipe to all the owners of the cars I work on. It fits like a glove and the flat spots are smooth inside and in no way hurt performance at all. Where the flat spots are the pipe actually is wider there so the overall diameter is probably the same.
The merge isnt that great because of the swag left inside. It can be cleaned up with a die grinder and a 6" long burr.
The merge isnt that great because of the swag left inside. It can be cleaned up with a die grinder and a 6" long burr.
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I'll get some pics up soon. I went out to the parking lot but its like parking in an old mine field. Sure the clearance looks great when you park over a crater.
You know, I noticed that about the pipe being a little wider. I tried pusing my bumpstop on it in the begining and it didnt want to go on it at all.
Over all, I am in disbelief over how much clearance I have.
You know, I noticed that about the pipe being a little wider. I tried pusing my bumpstop on it in the begining and it didnt want to go on it at all.
Over all, I am in disbelief over how much clearance I have.
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That picture should speak for itself. A little over a half an inch to go before it hits the merge... hmmm this should settle the question of which y pipe to get if you're looking for clearance and only want to spend about a hundred bucks.
Last edited by KurtRardin; 05-01-2007 at 06:19 PM.
#11
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I got my first whiff of gas today. It was right after I started it up and the wind was blowing from the back to the front of the car. I must say, its not as bad as I hear people complaining about. I actually enjoyed smelling what a musclecar is suppost to smell like
#12
A 3" Y is actually overkill. Everyone just gets so hung up on it. Those 2 3" pipes dont merge into a 6" pipe so its no big deal. Both sides merge into 1 3" pipe. The flat spots dont huirt anything.
#13
I really like the pacestter y pipe. But after about a month it has started banging just a tad when you really get on it. I did use the crappy clamps though so it probably shifted a bit. I will probably switch to band clamps and readjust it soon. Ground clearance is great. I am at stock ride height and have no worries at all.
#15
I have a Pacesetter Y-pipe "clone" (SS Autochrome) and it hits the floor like a bitch.
The problem is that the drivers side header collector is angled upward, while the Y-pipe is straight with a flat spot on top for clearance. So the Y-pipe is flush against my floorboard, and it still won't slide all the way onto the collector straightly because its hitting the floor.
The only thing I can think of it that the Y-pipe should have a slight downward bend in it coming off the drivers side collector for clearance.
Its pissing me off, I just need to get true duals and be done with this Y-pipe crap
The problem is that the drivers side header collector is angled upward, while the Y-pipe is straight with a flat spot on top for clearance. So the Y-pipe is flush against my floorboard, and it still won't slide all the way onto the collector straightly because its hitting the floor.
The only thing I can think of it that the Y-pipe should have a slight downward bend in it coming off the drivers side collector for clearance.
Its pissing me off, I just need to get true duals and be done with this Y-pipe crap
#16
Originally Posted by SLP Firehawk
i want to buy a pacesetter ORY will it work with QTP headers? or do i need to cut and grind?
#17
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From: Montgomery, AL
Originally Posted by ONEBADASSWS6
The problem is that the drivers side header collector is angled upward, while the Y-pipe is straight with a flat spot on top for clearance. So the Y-pipe is flush against my floorboard, and it still won't slide all the way onto the collector straightly because its hitting the floor.
The only thing I can think of it that the Y-pipe should have a slight downward bend in it coming off the drivers side collector for clearance.
Its pissing me off, I just need to get true duals and be done with this Y-pipe crap
The only thing I can think of it that the Y-pipe should have a slight downward bend in it coming off the drivers side collector for clearance.
Its pissing me off, I just need to get true duals and be done with this Y-pipe crap
#18
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Okay...after the hotcam the gas is definately a lot stronger than I expected, but then again I have no clue how rich I am running. Once I figure out where my fuel mixture stands I will adjust and then comment on the smell again.
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Still no scrapes. I drove around with some large individuals in the car not too long ago and found myself in a parking lot with speedbumps that made rock crawling contests look easy. This Y pipe has been the best $125 I have ever spent on this car. Period!
#20
Originally Posted by Country Boy
A 3" Y is actually overkill. Everyone just gets so hung up on it. Those 2 3" pipes dont merge into a 6" pipe so its no big deal. Both sides merge into 1 3" pipe. The flat spots dont huirt anything.
My PSY was slightly modified so I didn't have to spend 8 hours wrestling with motor mounts. Plus, those flex couplers help it fit like a glove with my QTP headers. Ground clearance is great, sound is great, and it all goes through the CME out back.
Last edited by SSpdDmon; 06-07-2007 at 08:22 AM.