Pacesetter LT Headers + Converter Q's
 

I have a 95 firebird formula with the 5.7 lt1, the car came with pacesetter LT headers and what I assume is the matching ypipe, the car has a "test pipe" in place of the cat.

Where I live I'll need the cat for emissions, does anyone know if the pacesetter ypipe will accept a stock cat?

Thanks
Steve

I would find out if it's a "visual" inspection or just a sniffer test first.....if it's visual, and Canadians are anal like California smog nazis....you cannot modify the location of the cat, so basically longtubes are a no no period, cat or not. If it's just a sniffer or the inspector is cool/willing to let it slide... a stock cat should be fine....(I personally would at least put a high flow cat on it). Good luck

you will have a very hard time passing smog if you put one cat at the end of the y pipe. they need to be as close as possible to the engine for them to work and do there job. a stock cat is a 2.5 or 2.75 and the y pipe is 3. you will need to buy a set of generic magnaflow hiflow 3 in cats to cut and weld into each side of the y. the passenger side can be mounted right on the end of the collector and the drivers side will go in the bend as the hump in the floor will not allow you to put it at the collector.

By the time you buy two expensive cats, and hack up the existing y-pipe; you still might risk failing due to non-stock located cats. You just may be better off selling the longtubes and y pipe and just buy some carb legal Pacesetter mid-tube headers.....they do indeed keep the cat in the stock location and you can re-use the stock cat and not worry about failing any inspection. I would get a feel for how strict your local inspections are exactly before you do anything.

Thanks for the help, I was under the impression 95 cars only had one cat?

They do have one cat (stock)....but if you only put 1 cat on as it is now with longtubes.....and it's 2 feet away from the collector hot exhaust gases it may not ever get the cat hot enough to do it's job properly....causing it to fail the sniffer test; or possibly STILL fail because you modified the location of the cats which is technically illegal. Which is why you need to get it as close to the header as possible.

OR

Just get midtubes like I said and reuse the factory cat and not worry about a thing. ;)

FWIW...I had the exact same problem with my 99 Firehawk; it was bought as a SC car (no inspection whatsoever) with longtubes and ORY already installed but I'm in NC (sniffer test) so to sell me the car the dealership HAD to have two cats welded into the y-pipe.....they are about 8-10 inches from the collectors, mine will still pass emissions though. My mechanic does not give 2 shits about where the cats are located (non-stock) so I'm off the hook for that...you however need to find that out yourself exactly how strict they are up there. Good luck

definitely find out how strict they are. if you dont have a visual just run it through emissions. i dont know if the numbers are different there but down here in the state of washington i just passed emissions with AIR removed, no EGR and no CAT

oh i also have a 95 with pacesetters and their y pipe

If you can get a cheap cat cut it in half clean it out and neaty weld it over your test pipe so it looks like you have a cat. And wear a mask when you get the inside of cat material out and do the cleaning outside as well. the material inside of the cat is nasty stuff dont breath it in.

it all depends how strict they are where your from. in certral ontario we have to have all our emissions equipment intact and working. you can cheap used pair or aftermarket cats on kijiji or craigslist. cut and weld them in an be done with it. cheap and easy!