The old 3vz fe y-pipe?

[Silent Runner]

Allright, a big long forum search tells me that replacing the y-pipe is one of the very best mods we can make to these engines and cars, yet it also suggests that it's nearly impossible to find a better one pre-made that will really fit/may be of poor quality..etc. I would like to buy one and take it my local shop to be installed. Has anyone on the forum found a good solution to this challenge, or am I going to have to go the long route and have it custom made? I was thinking of going to the local Pick-and Pull, buying a stock one and having a shop fab one up (without Toyota's, "Much Sake" induced origami design) that would match its clearance points and simply bolt-up to the pre-cat mounting point. Has anyone, more resently found a better way of making this happen?

[BlueFusion6851]

Fabrication will yield the best results for how far you intend to go with your engine. With that said, the oem y-pipe will be a good point of reference like you said. Good Luck!

[camry6]

I am going to cut the rear bank pipe off just pass the turn that comes down from the manifold. Then I'm going to cut the pipe from the front bank just before the "T" intersection for the rear bank. The down pipe from the rear bank can then be turned around at the manifold which will point the opening toward the rear of the car. Join in two lengths of pipe and merge them together right before the cat and "Bob's 'yer uncle"........at least I think it'll be that easy, I have already tested the cut pipes and their configuration, I just haven't put it all together yet .

[bigbird]

another good reference is the "Dat's Style" y-pipe popular on solaraguy. Very simple Collector design and works well.

[Silent Runner]

I think alot of these cars are only just now really being turned over to the next/current generation of enthusiasts and tuners. They were so reliable and well built that alot of families held on to them as second cars, passed them along to family members or delayed replacing them for a long time.(or so the local Toyota Dealers told me) I rarely ever saw them show up at the local Pick-and Pull, until two years ago. This is a good time to offer-up or dig-up simple solutions to a generation of beginner enthusiasts. The cars are pretty cheap, and a couple of simple things can add 30hp to their output and push them into a pretty decent performance zone. I'm going to take mine a little further, but I want to take baby steps and not blow up things like transmissions along the way. Lets fix the y-pipe!

[LynchburgCSI]

Check out EEngineer's for sale thread. He has a custom 3vz y-pipe fabbed, IIRC. You could at least copy the design.

[Silent Runner]

I'm going to have to look at that darn thing (the OE one) again, but even EEngineers y-pipe design seemed to have the rear bank firing right back at/into the front bank. And geez! why did I look... he's got all the stuff for the 5spd. thing, and a frigging supercharger sitting right there taunting me!

I missed why he's doing this, did he get married or something?

[1BADBAJA]

It sounds like Camry6 has the right idea. If it were me I would try to retain a flex pipe before the "Y" is welded together. It will make removing it from the motor easier like factory.

A person could also run true dual exhaust side by side for how ever far back and do a "x" pipe, 2 into 1, or whatever setup you could imagine with 2 pipes.

What size is the pipe coming down off the factory header after the flange?

[Silent Runner]

Originally Posted by 1BADBAJA

It sounds like Camry6 has the right idea. If it were me I would try to retain a flex pipe before the "Y" is welded together. It will make removing it from the motor easier like factory.

A person could also run true dual exhaust side by side for how ever far back and do a "x" pipe, 2 into 1, or whatever setup you could imagine with 2 pipes.

What size is the pipe coming down off the factory header after the flange?

I like Camry6's idea as well. from what I've read it is important to retain a flex pipe section for each cylinder bank. Then would do a simple 2 into one merge just before the cat. or whatever mounting point as he is doing. I don't know how to post the great tuning link I was reading on this, but I don't think doing a dual exhaust system would provide any real benefits. It might look and sound cool, but it will also add cost, weight and complexity.
As I think about it, this silly OE design was probably intended to generate backpressure and heat, to light-off the cat. converter faster for emissions reasons.
I haven't measured the pipe diameter of the exhaust header pipes