In the second picture on this topic https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...readid=185873, machinist is having ground clearance issues with his new y-pipe sitting that low compared to the body of the car. My Firebird is also having ground clearance issues in this area, except for the y-pipe here, I believe anyways, is the stock y-pipe. Now, my y-pipe hangs about an inch lower than the one in the other topic, and I had to jack up my car today to fix my brakes, and set the jack in its normal location but was hampered by the pipe, or so I thought, until the pipe started to push up towards the underside of the body. I released the jack when I was done, and instead of staying in that pushed-up position like I hoped, the pipe just returned to its original position. The pipe needs to be pushed up towards the body so that my cat will clear the ground by more than about two and a half inches. I sit possible to bend the y-pipe or something so it will stay closer to the body? I would have no problems with the cat, except for the fact that I have no flange on the cat to hang it with, since there was a pipe welded in place by one of the previous owners who cut the flange joint off to install the pipe, and I had to cut the cat so I could join it with the remnant of the pipe. I will post a pic ASAP so you can see what I mean.

 

Sagging engine mounts, perhaps?

Did you loosen the connection to the manifolds when you moved the pipe? If not, try that - loosen the flanges, push up on the pipe, tighten the flanges.

 

Well, I went out yesterday and bought me a 3/8" universal joint for my socket set. I'll have to try to adjust the pipe when I change the doughnut gaskets the next time I get under there, which will have to be in a couple of days, as I have to let the paint dry first . I hate that huge exhaust leak I'm getting from those doughnuts-I almost pass out each time I'm under the hood !

BTW: Does anyone know the P/N for the cat-to-tranny hanger, or have a pic of it? I recovered my flange from the trash and need the hanger so I don't have to worry as much about speed bumps and those exhaust leaks caused by misaligned parts !

 

Okay, I went under there today to inspect both ends of the y-pipe and the donut gaskets. When the prev owner "rebuilt" the car he must have bought the wrong gaskets because the ones that are on it now are way oversize compared to the ones I bought new, and those were messing up the alignment of the pipe. Now, on the driver's side, the engine-side stud broke when removing the nut and I broke it even more trying to extract it from the manifold and need to know what thred type the studs are so I can get the correct tap and drill bit for it, and I can't even begin to move the nuts on the passenger side. I'll have to try some WD-40 or something like that tomorrow morning, and by the time I'm done changing the oil and filter (again, blast it-third time in three weeks, contaminated) and get the engine going again I might be able to remove those nuts...

PS: I STILL need a pic of the cat hangers so I know what I have to get or make, or a P/N would be nice!