after a quick re-read in here, i'm off to get these bad boys on the truck!

yeah, they go on the end of the collectors & are basically like a fancy o-ring to the header/y-pipe connection

 

Exactly right. GoodLuck guys!

 

Got mine in I was up against a learning curve having never done a stitch of exhaust work before, but it feels really good to have it done.
I also gambled on leaving the spark plugs installed...snapped 3 on the driver side and 1 on the passenger side, and of course one of the driver side was at the very back

 

so this was almost easier than i imagined. stock stuff came off without a problem except the bolts that connect the EGR to the manifold - those just snapped in half. didn't break any of the AutoZone plug wires, which is a feat in & of itself!

got the headers on relatively easily for doing it by myself - both went right in from the bottom. stock gaskets went right back on without a hitch. got them snugged up & went to town underneath.

that's when the real fun began...

apparently i got one of the bastard kids of the bunch because the y-pipe has been the biggest pain!! first time around, i loosely hung the resonators & then tried to put the Y in there... bad idea, so then i pulled it all out, assembled it on the ground (with the clamps still loose), and tried again. much better this time... except now the front left O2 is having clearance issues and makes the crossover pipe a little crooked from having to rotate it around. the pass side can just spin to wherever you want it. once the front was loosely hung again, i went to bolt up the back of the Y & it's an inch too long! i tried for about an hour to wiggle, pry, & muscle the two apart enough to get the flanges on the right sides of each other, but it just ain't having it.

any suggestions?

i decided that i'd just clamp it up as is for now & redo it in a day or two (unless y'all come up with a good idea tonight), so i went to start it to back it off the ramps & wow... i was expecting a little stumbling or something, but it just revved to about 2000-2500ish & then just died!! i don't know what's up?! everything's bolted up, i put a plug in the primary from the EGR delete


HOLY CRAP!!!! be right back!!

 

I had the best luck underneath starting from the exhaust and working up to passenger side, then driver side. Left everything loose until it was all finger tight together, then tightened from driver to passenger to exhaust. Another tip is to send the studs through after the flanges are lined up.

 

DOH!!!

i totally left the EGR port on the intake wide open. that'd sure explain why it wouldn't run.
stuck a 1 3/8 expandable freeze plug in there & it should be good (i didn't try to start it)

so anyway...
anybody else have problems getting the Y to bolt up? there just barely ain't enough play in the system to pry it apart enough to slip past each other.

 

would loosening the headers give enough play to justify it? they're the only things that're tight (when i was still working on it).
and there ain't studs in the y-pipe. just holes, so i had to go to the hardware store & get 2 bolts to fasten them up.

maybe i'll just loosen it all up & almost start over
assuming there's a break in the rain tomorrow

 

No I meant on the underneath/y-pipe. I had both headers tightened before I started underneath...y-pipe was a bit of a PITA for me too.

 

did you have any problems with the O2s hitting? i'm thinking about just moving them back to the middle & rear holes, but then they'll probably read bad won't they?

so are you saying you tightened the headers in then mocked up the y-pipe, followed by the resonators? i might try that

 

I tried to maintain the stock locations of the o2's, and yeah they were tight in some areas.
Yes, loosely fit the Y, then loosely fit the passenger resonator, then fit/tighten the driver side resonator ( I did have to make use of a rubber mallet here), tighten passenger resonator, tighten y to exhaust. Also as I said earlier, when fitting the resonators, line them up then send the studs through from the non-threaded end.