I'm installing a set of headers on my Z. It's almost impossible to remove the stock y pipe from the cat the way it is right now. Is there any procedure I should follow to do this?

 

well, i used a "sawzall" on mine... you need to be able to get well under the car. if you can put it up on 4 stands, that will work. thing is, sawzall's are not small, so you need room for it, plus the stroke of the blade. you'll find yourself in a somewhat uncomfortable position working it (holding the saw) but it's not bad. just a suggestion, and also be aware of where the blade is at the end of it's stroke so that you are not hitting the underside of the car like a woodpecker...

KAM

 

ahhhhh, so you're saying there's no way of being able to pull it out? And if i cut off the old pipe I'm going to have to weld the new one up to the cat, right?

 

well i guess you're saying you have a single cat(?), so your y-pipe is before the cat? i have a dual, so mine is after the cats... but regardless, i suppose it's welded, so anything you do to remove it is going to require rewelding it. not sure if you can even get a sawzall in that area. i removed all mine because i'm replacing the whole exhaust, so i cut mine in strategic places to remove it and make it salvageable for someone else. probably wasn't much help, but i was trying...

KAM

 

Actually, with the single-cat setup, it looks like the the y-pipe just slips right into the cat. This thing is beyond stuck though, so i was hoping someone might have some method for freeing it up, so that i would have to resort to chopping it up.

 

your gonna have to get a friend, and heat it up with a torch. as you are heating it, your friend will be on the back of the cat where it bolts to the I pipe jiggling it loose. this is how i did mine and it worked just fine. be careful not to make to much contact with the floorpan or you might melt you carpet