Replacing my '95 ATX Y-Pipe or hollowing out catalytic converters?

[BAM614]

Not sure where you're getting $300 for rear struts, but they are like $50 a piece at my local parts stores for the sensatrac's...

And I bought my 95 w/ 65k on it back in July, definitely fun cars. I just rolled 72k this week, 7k miles in 3 months!

 

[triphx]

I meant $280ish for the pair of quick struts w/springs. Yeah, just struts are $50-75, but I don't feel like removing/installing and I don't have a spring compressor.

 

[triphx]

Well, here's what I ended up doing...
This weekend I put 'er up on ramps and dropped the Y-pipe (after breaking off 2 exhaust manifold studs) and then attempted to cut out the cats and replace with flex pipe. 10 hours and $50 later it was perfect - OK, I'm lying... it was a horrible hack job that still leaked and sounded much worse than the bad cats. Since this is now my daily driver, I needed to get it done for Monday. Needless to say it was so loud it was undriveable.
First thing today I dropped it off at a muffler shop to create a new Y-pipe and put a single cat (dual inlet, single outlet) and a new flex-pipe into the resonator.
So, even after wasting all weekend (and sacrificing all my knuckle skin) it's still $500 to fix the exhaust.
Oh well, it would've been the same if I bought an ATX Y-pipe and flex pipe and had 'em installed. I hope the single cat setup works out - why not give it a try? (oh, the aftermarket Y-pipe was going to end up about $500 with shipping and still take a few days. I'll have the car done this afternoon)

Has anyone else broken off their manifold studs? I snapped the lower section but was able to get 'em off with the nut in the middle and found a replacement set at Checker for $5.

 

[triphx]

The muffler guy did a great job; a single hi-flow cat in place of the Y and bending some nice pipes off the manifolds and using the stock collectors w/O2 sensors. The car has a LOT more pep than it did with 2 clogged as **** cats and sounds pretty good. $460 out the door - it wasn't the '$50 bypass the cats' that I wanted, but coulda been worse.

 

[SeanMc]

The muffler guy did a great job; a single hi-flow cat in place of the Y and bending some nice pipes off the manifolds and using the stock collectors w/O2 sensors. The car has a LOT more pep than it did with 2 clogged as **** cats and sounds pretty good. $460 out the door - it wasn't the '$50 bypass the cats' that I wanted, but coulda been worse.

While a y-pipe doesn't help as much on the ATX as it does the MTX, it's still quite a performance jump. Post pics of the guys' handy work .

 

[triphx]

Pics...

While a y-pipe doesn't help as much on the ATX as it does the MTX, it's still quite a performance jump. Post pics of the guys' handy work .

WHAAAT? you want me to get under there again?!

Seriously, I've never spent that much time under a car that wasn't worth a helluva lot more and I wasn't restoring. I did manage to take most of the skin off my knuckles; the ATX rear O2 sensor harness requires some delicate hand placement to clip/unclip.

So - it was a lesson learned; I just don't have the tools needed to get the job done right...

 

[SeanMc]

WHAAAT? you want me to get under there again?!

Seriously, I've never spent that much time under a car that wasn't worth a helluva lot more and I wasn't restoring. I did manage to take most of the skin off my knuckles; the ATX rear O2 sensor harness requires some delicate hand placement to clip/unclip.

So - it was a lesson learned; I just don't have the tools needed to get the job done right...

You're talking to a guy who has basically rebuilt his car from the ground up. I was just under my car this morning . I ran over some plastic the other day, and what I thought was oil dripping, is actually plastic.

 

[triphx]

mmmmmm... plastic

You're talking to a guy who has basically rebuilt his car from the ground up. I was just under my car this morning . I ran over some plastic the other day, and what I thought was oil dripping, is actually plastic.

Ugh, I'm sure that smells fantastic. Probably smells similar to my power steering fluid drip on my (former) rear catalytic converter. I'm still waiting for the stop leak to work... I'm going to try Lucan PS stop leak tomorrow.
And this is the NEW power steering pump!

 

[SeanMc]

Ugh, I'm sure that smells fantastic. Probably smells similar to my power steering fluid drip on my (former) rear catalytic converter. I'm still waiting for the stop leak to work... I'm going to try Lucan PS stop leak tomorrow.
And this is the NEW power steering pump!

It's probably the fitting on the hose. I went to a shop, and they found the last hose in California.

 

[SHO Continental]

Everyone here has already agreed that my 93 SHO w/ 83K miles is the cleanest most pristine SHO in existence!

Psh... I never agreed to that.

 

[triphx]

PS Drip - Hose?

It's probably the fitting on the hose. I went to a shop, and they found the last hose in California.

That would be great if it was the hose - my dad dumped $600 into a new PS pump and pulley (and 2 install/removals) before I drove it cross-country. The leak didn't start until 3700 miles later. I've noticed it only leaks when I park on a hill with the nose elevated and it does drip on the exhaust while I am driving as well.

Back to my new "Y-pipe" w/single cat:
- More power than clogged cats
- Throaty sound at low RPM & takeoff, yet quiet on highway
- I'm interested to see if the gas mileage changes. I averaged 27.5 driving cross-country for 3500 miles and I averaged 21 in my daily commute (50/50 highway and city)