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y pipe

adamforsythe

adamforsythe

1/2 ton status
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Oct 16, 2004
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Hello,
How hard is it to install I new Y pipe? My old one has a big whole in it. In fact I don't have a exhaust right now. What foot pounds should I do on the bolts?
Thanks
Adam
 
piece of cake as long as it was clamped to the cat not welded but even if it was welded borrow a sawzall and get a clamp and your pretty much done...

don't know on the torque specs... i tightened mine till it didn't leak.
 
My front driveshaft was rubbing on my y-pipe. I cut out a section, got a $3 bend from Autozone and welded it in. Very easy with a MIG. You may just try cutting out the bad section and welding in a new piece.
 
the y-pipe is the easy part...

Better hope your manifold studs arent rotted away like mine always are when I go to change exhaust pipes--nearly every time I do one,the studs are toothpick thin,and are gaurenteed to snap off,even if you heat the nuts up cherry red---and if they do break,you have to pull the manifolds off to drill them out and re-tap them..

I've been lazy the last couple of times--after trying stainless steel studs(they suck,they get brittle and snap easier than regular studs-,drilling them out is nearly impossible,I had to take my manifolds to a machine shop to MILL them out!-but they stayed nice and shiny,no rust!)--I tried using grade 8 studs,they last longer,but are still junk by the time the Y-pipe needs to be removed again,they are tough to drill out too--

I ended up using threaded rod or soft carriage head bolts with the heads chopped off a few times--they rust the same as all the other bolts,but drill out much easier..but the last 2 times I just drilled out the broken studs and put 5/16 grade 8 bolts,nuts and washers right thru,and didnt bother to re-tap the manifolds--now its like a dodge,just cut the bolts,no more broken studs,broken taps in off center holes,etc....I never liked the studs in chevy's exhaust manifolds,at least ford used 7/16,that didnt whittle away so fast...:crazy:
 
There is no reason to drill anything to get manifold studs out. No matter how they break off I've always been able to heat the manifold until it was completely red at the back and spin them out with vice grips. If you have to attempt drilling, throw that manifold away.

Disimilar metals like stainless used in cast iron is asking for it to seize.
 
you must be luckier than me...

Every time I snap one off,its flush or below the manifold,without fail...I've probably drilled a hundred of them out,between my own trucks and when I worked in the machine shop at the parts store,I wouldnt junk an otherwise good manifold just because the studs broke off in them(although you CAN get new manifolds cheap now,about 55 bucks,they werent available back then,only from a dealer or junkyard)..but using the bolts instead seems to be a better solution,for my trucks at least,I replaced all the studs on my 74 K20 about 1-1/2 years ago,and I looked at them the other day--there's NO way those things will come off without snapping already!--must be road salt,acid rain,and our crappy new england environment that eats them away so quickly..:frown1: :crazy:
 
can snap off during removel of pipes, it happens, smetimes i torch the studs to remove the pipe flanges, and then heat up manifolds and pull studs later, just to prevent possible flush break off in manifolds

heat is your friend

while manifolds are removed rat tail file all the six mounting bolt holes, do them good

and maybe even do soem port work on them too, remove bumps and open up corners

good luck
 
Hello,
About 2-3 years ago I had a new engine installed so they should not be to bad.
Thanks
Adam



diesel4me said:
Better hope your manifold studs arent rotted away like mine always are when I go to change exhaust pipes--nearly every time I do one,the studs are toothpick thin,and are gaurenteed to snap off,even if you heat the nuts up cherry red---and if they do break,you have to pull the manifolds off to drill them out and re-tap them..

I've been lazy the last couple of times--after trying stainless steel studs(they suck,they get brittle and snap easier than regular studs-,drilling them out is nearly impossible,I had to take my manifolds to a machine shop to MILL them out!-but they stayed nice and shiny,no rust!)--I tried using grade 8 studs,they last longer,but are still junk by the time the Y-pipe needs to be removed again,they are tough to drill out too--

I ended up using threaded rod or soft carriage head bolts with the heads chopped off a few times--they rust the same as all the other bolts,but drill out much easier..but the last 2 times I just drilled out the broken studs and put 5/16 grade 8 bolts,nuts and washers right thru,and didnt bother to re-tap the manifolds--now its like a dodge,just cut the bolts,no more broken studs,broken taps in off center holes,etc....I never liked the studs in chevy's exhaust manifolds,at least ford used 7/16,that didnt whittle away so fast...:crazy:
Click to expand...
 
you must not live in the rust belt!!

A year or two is the average lifespan of the exhaust manifold studs around here!--and yes,I've heard of never seize!--and I use it often!--but it washes away in less than a month,I havent seen any benifits using it on exhaust studs--its fine for brake backing plates,bolts,and anything that screws into a blind hole,or has dissimilar metals,like a steel bolt in an aluminum head or tranny--but on exposed items like the exhaust studs,its a waste of time and money in my opinion..take notice this may not be true in other climates in different parts of the country!--you desert guys dont know how good you have it as far as rot and rust is concerned!~your lucky to have a truck 5-10 years here before its JUNK!....:crazy:
 
Actually I live in Minnesota, I run my DD 20,000+ miles per year and so far I've only had one stud break off and it came out easy with a torch and a vice grip. There is some minimal heat shielding that runs around the manifolds but nothing special that would keep the studs in good shape. Minnesota uses a lot of salt and sand on the roads but maybe it's even worse where you live.
 
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