Do any of you guys know a good place to get a new front y-pipe without the pre-cats for an '88? The prices the big mail order places want for these are pretty absurd considering they don't look like they're mandrel bent. I figured maybe someone knows a smaller shop that makes them to order or something.

Thanks

Chris

 

First....

May I ask why want to remove them? Do they rattle or otherwise need replacing?
If you are under the incorrect assumption that removing them on an otherwise stock '88 will gain you anything besides more noise, possibly a moving violation and dirtier air for all of us, you're wrong. In fact, a stock motor needs some backpressure to make torque. You could end up spending bucks needlessly and not be happy with the results.

If there is nothing wrong with them, leave them in until you can upgrade the whole exhaust system, including some nice long-tube headers.

If they are in need of replacement, just have a muffler shop cut them out and weld a section of tubing in their place.

FWIW,
BIG JIM

 

After 230k miles, I don't think the pre cats could possibly be working the way they're supposed to. The pass side one is rattling pretty badly.

I need to remove the front y-pipe for some other work I'm planning on doing, so now would be a good time to replace it so I don't do the same job twice. As far as the clean air thing, everyone I've spoken to about it said their car still passes the sniffer test.

Will I have any problem getting a muffler shop to do it, being that it's removing emission equipment?

 

Chris, you can try to score a factory LT1/4 exhaust with the front cats and just plug up the passenger side O2 bung. This way you would effectively have a true dual exhaust with functional cats.

 

okinawa86vette, I agree that we realy don't need those pre-cats, except in CA.

Maybe a good custom exhaust shop can custom fab a 2 1/2" mandrel-bent SS front Y. Replace the main cat with a Random Tech. 3-stage hi-flow cat and it will run cleaner than the OEM setup.

With that stock cam you will not run slower with high-flow exhaust, in fact you might want to install an AFPR to add a little fuel at WOT.

 

Chris:

The cheapest mail order front Y minus the cats I've seen is in the Corvette Central catalog: $174.00.

Oh, and 230K miles :eek: Very impressive :cheers:

Bob


[Modified by Bob Hovey, 8:21 PM 8/22/2003]

 

Sorry if I gave the wrong impression here. The car isn't exactly stock. The motor is, but I've done a few things. I ran the car in Pueblo, CO when I first got to CO, and ran a 15.4@88mph. Sounds bad, but the alt is 5000ft, so corrected it's around a 14.3@92mph. All I had done to that point was a flowmaster catback, high flow cat, K&N/cut airlid, t/b airfoil(got it cheap) and an ads superchip.

Next time I went out, I put the chip that came with the car back in(due to rough idle) which was, I assume a stock program cept the fan was set to come on at 200 degrees, adjustable fuel regulator set to 45psi, readjusted the tps sensor to .64volts@idle, and readjusted the tv cable. The car ran a 15.1@89mph this time, corrected again for alt and weather, it comes out to about a 14.0@93mph.

The next time out, the air was bad and everyone rans a few tenths slow, but I had bolted up my Dana 44 w/ 3.45 gears I pulled from my '86 in japan and ran a 15.1 again, but this time at 93mph.

Last time out, I ran a 14.8@93mph, which comes out to a high 13.7@97mph corrected for weather/alt.

The car is mostly stock, but there's a few things here and there done to it. I'd like to get rid of the pre cats since headers are a long way off unless I can find a used set cheap.

I'm going to check with the exhaust shops in town to see what they can do.
Thanks
Chris

 

Oh, and even after 230k miles, I have all the service receipts from the car's life, the original window sticker, the orig owners manual and cover from the car. I spoke to the last 2 owners (of 4, counting me) and the second owner knew the orig owner well. The heads have never been off the car, in fact, cept when I did it to put the regulator in, the intake was only off once to fix a gasket leak. The car was disturbingly original when I got, the only mod being the lower temp on the computer chip. Even the factory exhaust was there (although the mufflers had been replaced with factory units).

Of course till I got ahold of it.

Chris

 

Oh, and even after 230k miles, I have all the service receipts from the car's life, the original window sticker, the orig owners manual and cover from the car. I spoke to the last 2 owners (of 4, counting me) and the second owner knew the orig owner well. The heads have never been off the car, in fact, cept when I did it to put the regulator in, the intake was only off once to fix a gasket leak. The car was disturbingly original when I got, the only mod being the lower temp on the computer chip. Even the factory exhaust was there (although the mufflers had been replaced with factory units).

Of course till I got ahold of it.

THe car runs very strong, in fact, when I was in Pheonix, I got her dyno'ed. At 2700ft and around 90 degrees, it pulled 212hp and 320 ft/lbs with only the mods I had done before my first trip to the strip with her.

Chris