I've been trying my best to learn about cars... I always feel like a moron when I ask questions I feel are obvious, I'll ask anyways

When I think of a y-pipe, I think of an outlet from the headers and two coming out. I'm quite confused... Why do you need two pipes going out? Or is it vice-versa? Because if it's vice-versa, I can see why an X-pipe would be needed in a dual exhaust car.

Does everyone understand my question/confusion? I don't see how a y-pipe is needed if you run an exhaust pipe straight from the headers to the rest of the exhaust system.

Thanks!

 

The y pipe takes the two pipes coming from the headers and merges them into a single pipe. GM made a path on the passenger side of our cars for one exhaust pipe to travel in and that is why there must be a Y pipe.

 

And an X-pipe is for a dual exhaust setup?

I figured...

 

I think an X pipe just kinda equalizes the pressures between the two pipes on dual setups?

 

Y-pipes are used for convenience, to merge two pipes into one pipe, primarily into one catalytic converter. It also has a similar effect like an X-pipe, but is not as efficient.

X-pipes are used so that exhaust gasses from the right bank will help scavenge cylinders on the left bank, and vice versa. Where the X-pipe in located in the exhasut system will also have an effect on the power band.

I'm not an expert so I won't try to tell anyone where to put an X-pipe or even if they need one. I myself converted my car to dual cats, true dual exhaust.

 

http://www.drgas.com/store/home.php

supposedly if you have the y-pipe built right, it will provide the same sound characteristics and function of an X-pipe...

 

True, a y-pipe built right is just fine. Mufflex makes a great one. Some of the custom muffler shops do well also. An example of an inefficient y-pipe would be y-ing two 3" pipes into one 3" pipe.

 

How do you determine where the x-pipe should be?

 

Well it depends- on our cars it is wherever you can make it fit. One of the popular magazines suggested painting your exhaust piping, wherever the paint burns off is where the crossover needs to go.