pops at the y pipe | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

  • Register Today It's free!

pops at the y pipe

smegun

Well-Known Member
Joined
April 3, 2013
Messages
394
Reaction score
7
City, State
florida
Year, Model & Trim Level
1994 ford explorer xlt
been through most of the tuneups notice improvements but still have exaust noise and occasionally a little smoke comming from where the y-pipe meets the exaust leading to the cats

the truck makes the most noise low on fuel been running some techroline to alleviate the idea of a bad injector and keeping up fuel level

ive heard as well as calculate that headers are a marginal improvement regarding the amount of air passage necessary for this particular motor but it seems that pressure isnt right to be hearing noise coming off the manifold or pipes

is the exhaust building up pressure and causing a problem or is it just fuel inadequacy and burn time

i have done most of the tuneups
new fuel pump new fuel filter new pvc valve maf clean, new plugs upper egr clean air box tight new alternator freshly flushed radiator new synthetic motor oil with new oil filter
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





Might just be the oval gasket between the Y-pipe and catalytic converter has blown or the rust in that area is so bad it has caused a leak.

Solution would probably be to drop the Y-pipe and converter together, then take them apart (probably by drilling out the studs if the nuts are rusted away), clean up the flanges, put on a new gasket, use new studs or new nuts and bolts, and put it all back together.
 






cant get a wrench on the y pipe bolts frame members are keeping me from tightening and they must be close to 14mm heads but I cant seem to get a socket on em at least my deep impact sockets are not finding a flush path to test ........it looks fairly good underneath im hoping its my cat that is backed up Im going to by some regular hex sided sockets and a 1/2 swivel

I was told I can run a gallon of laquer thinner to help clean the cat :)


someone was there .... at least from the cat back been replaced but there are sections that the bolts are fused including one at the y pipe maybe during the exaust job the previous owner didn't change out the cats regarding expense the cases on the 02 sensors are separating from heat exposure ive ordered new ones

Id like to drop the exhaust and purple magic my cat or drill its not even necessary for me to have a cat in this state I can drill it out if I want or just add a section of straight pipe
I want to do this myself but I might be forced to take it to a shop since I cant get room to work on the bolts and need some welding if I want to remove the cats

cats are good for enviorment but a bad mix and cheap gas and faulty o2 wont let the system pumice the residues kind of stuck with a pipe cleaner to balance out the system

id like to use a chemical that is safe on the valve seats but powerful enough to separate the carbon molecule but running it through the the intake is skeptical to get to the cat they should of made a clean out for the cat or bong water we would have to empty a dirty bucket every 500 miles he ha he ha ........
 






It can be tough to get the Y-pipe to manifold bolts out, but use a small wire brush on the exposed part of the threads to clean them up, soak them in PB Blaster or your favorite spray penetrant, and use a little as you loosen them once they start to turn.

Don't use laquer thinner or anything else to try and "clean" the converter.

Federal law requires a converter in all 50 states. They may not do smog tests where you live, but it's still a hefty fine and possible jail time if any cop ever looks under the car and finds the converter missing. Most decent auto repair shops will either refuse to work on a vehicle so modified that's used on public roads or will just report it to the authorities.

If nothing else, the chemicals that would come of the exhaust pipe without a converter are toxic and deadly. You'd be exposing yourself and others in and around the vehicle to that.

If you want a less expensive option than the ~$200 bolt-in replacement converter assembly, you can always get a universal 2.5" 3-way converter for well under $100, and have it put in, using a pipe for either end.
 






Federal law requires a converter in all 50 states. They may not do smog tests where you live, but it's still a hefty fine and possible jail time if any cop ever looks under the car and finds the converter missing. Most decent auto repair shops will either refuse to work on a vehicle so modified that's used on public roads or will just report it to the authorities.
In FL it won't make a difference. You can buy a replacement for under $200. I had a shop do mine & was just under $200 installed. The Y pipe you can get replacements for as well, but getting it out is hard. You could torch it out in pieces.
Mine had a clutch put in from a previous owner & they cheaped out & cut the y pipe to get the trans out. Had to be welded back together.
 






If you want a less expensive option than the ~$200 bolt-in replacement converter assembly, you can always get a universal 2.5" 3-way converter for well under $100, and have it put in, using a pipe for either end.

That's what we did here.. I just had them cut the pipe before the cat and they welded on a short piece of pipe to a universal cat and squished it some to fit in the non round factory y-pipe.

The cost of the new cat, pipe and the install including a flowmaster 40 was about $300.. If we only did the Cat and pipe around it would have been much cheaper (< $200).

Of course, if you were in California it would be a different story as the CAT must be CARB approved.

~Mark
 






cant get a wrench tried a breaker with extentions but the small angle is driving me nuts i only had a deep impact socket a little cumbersome id try again with a standard hex socket and a swivel suggestions ? replaced o2 sensors and found a little hole in the egr pipe leading to the lower manifold i patched it up it least half my noise is gone and there is a chance it may clear up i burned some seafoam before I swapped o2 sensors i know what you mean chemical bros bad stuff he should of paid the other 200 for the cats
 






Don't use laquer thinner or anything else to try and "clean" the converter.

Scotty Kilmer, mechanic for the last 46 years, shows you a life hack, how to fix a bad catalytic converter by using lacquer thinner. Replacing catalytic converters can be expensive, but this hack can fix it cheap and fast. Code P0420.


Alejandro Torres7 months ago Exactly and catalytic converter is a **** ton of money for a good repair job. 700+ , on my car it was two cats so they wanted 1200 minimum everywhere i went. I even mentioned removing the cat and leaving it in the shop to try and just clean it and they wanted 300 just to remove the sucker. Craziness here in my city. I cleaned it and it actually worked. I'm shocked really. I still find it hard to believe but it really worked. My car had so many repairs and after this it still lasted 2 years without incident. wow!

Joe W3 years ago Your Vids are THE most entertaining on you tube. Stellar production quality and you are a showman for sure. Years ago before the EPA banned the stuff, there were several expensive "Catalytic Cleaners" available. Close inspection of the ingredient label....Lacquer Thinner! We sold this stuff every time an emission test came up, and what is surprising they all had an empty bottle money back guarantee,

Scotty Kilmer3 years ago yes, it's odd how things that work are often banned these days. Perhaps obsolesence will be the law for everything in the future.
 






Back
Top