yesterday I installed my hooker headers and ypipe. I couldnt finish the job, because I couldnt seperate the cat and the stock y pipe. It looks like its seized. There is a ring indentation from where the exhaust clamp was on there for so long. Anybody have a good way or seperating these two. I banged, and twisted, and have been soaking in pb blaster for a good day now. Im gonna try again after work...How about heating it up with a torch will that help>??

 

i just did the same i recomend getting a partner who is strong and het with the torch then bend the very edge up put some lube in there and let it soak down in and keep re heating and just work that sucker off there. i had to jam mine between things and twist and also beat the y pipe part off with a hammer if possible you basically have to use heat lube and lots of muscle !

 

Cool....thats what I was thinking about doing. Ill try after work. So far Ive been soaking in pb blaster since yesterday afternoon. Ill torch, and twist today, and hopefully it comes off. If not I think Ill have to replace with just a 3" pipe.

 

3" pipe would probably be easier but i used the cat because i already tried to get it off i just had to finish. lol

 

try heating one, and cooling the other. Or heating both, and cooling rapidly. This worked for me when i got a real rusty bolt stuck in a socket. I heated the socket with torch, and dipped just the bolt into water, it slipped right out.

Torch on the pipe going "over" hose of water running on the one going "in" but after you get the first pipe red hot.

 

Mine was indented nearly a quarter inch so I cut a groove out of the y pipe with a die grinder and wrapped it up like a roll of paper towels.

 

You don't say if your reusing the cat. I'll assume you are. Is the y pipe/cat off the car. Fit the cat in a vise and heat the ring left by the clamp RED HOT. Wiggle the y pipe back and forth so you are pushing against the ring indentation. Buy pushing and pulling back and forth (with lots of red hot heat) you will open up the inlet of the convertor. Do this until you can rotate the y pie 360* and then start to wiggle the y pipe out of the neck. Trust me this works....I've done it hundreds of times. If its still on the car I recommend you put the effort into taking in off. It will save you lots of cursing and swearing under the car, and you'll be working in a more comfortable space, standing up.

 

Ok...Its exactly like you guys said!!!! I heated it up really red hot with a torch, and then dunked it in water, and then hit it with a hammer a couple times, and the puppy fell right out.

But now it wont slip over the ypipe....Its the right size, and everything, and I really didnt deform it when I heated it up, but it just wont fit. Any suggestions???...I was thinking taking a round sander fittied to a drill, and slightly enlarge it.

 

Dont understand what you mean. Why are you trying to squeeze the cat over the y-pipe?

 

Well doesnt the cat inlet slide over the y-Pipe?? The diameters are correct, and it should fit. Its just a really tight fit.

 

Mine did.

I had similar problem on a truck. Cut off messed up part and bought a union piece from auto part store. I welded union to cat, but you could clamp both ends.

 

Just take the Cat down to an exhaust shop and hve them open it up just a tad...

 

i had to buy a connector piece sorry i didnt mention i forgot about that

 

Yeah Dillionrager your right. You either have to buy a slightly larger adapter or enlarge the inlet on the cat like kenf729 said. It seems as if its 1/16 too small. Well anyways after banging the inlet trying to make it larger Ive decided to cut the mounting flange off the cat, and weld it to a straight 3 inch pipe that has been made larger on the inlet side to slip over the y-pipe. Ill run a straight pipe until I have to smog somethime in Nov. Thanks guys...Ill let you know how it turns out.

 

I had this problem but it was tough for me besaue I had the Y pipe still installed since I was swapping out the cat bakc them. I just took a screwdriver and banged on it with a hammer until i could bend the connection a little bit then i took tin snips and started to cut it off. I did break a screwdriver in there though lol. Good thing it was a Craftsman

 

aight....i had the flange cut off the cat and a 3 inch stainless tube welded to it. The end that goes over the y pipe was slightly flared so it slips right over. Even though i live in california Ill worry about it come smog time.....

But for now.....these headers are a godsend......Thank you so much so everyone who has contributed on this thread. installing these headers brought huge life to this car, and Im enjoying my camaro more than ever. To anyone that doesnt have headers I suggest to get them before anything else!!!... Thanks once again.

 

Thats why I suggested you wiggle it back and forth before you remove the y from the cat. This wiggling will remove the "ring" from the neck of the cat so it will fit onto your new y pipe. Theres a method to my madness!