Pacesetter Woes (Last Update: 6-2) FIXED!

[BLLDOGG]

i looked at my email again. it wasnt from the person at the company that sold me my headers.it was the person from pacesetter exhaust

[Clark Griswold]

Originally posted by Nathan:
You Military? I have a 4 day weekend too. BTW I have my Pacesetters installed now with no problems. It was a snugg fit but they are working great.

No, I just took the Friday off just incase I need the extra day. I got the Y pipe off on the passanger side and unbolted from the cat. Heatshields are off. Broke every bolt so far so there is no going back hehe. I was going to spray the header bolts but I can't even reach them with the Y pipe still in there. So hopefully tomorrow I can at least remove the old stuff.

[pontiac nino]

Originally posted by viper98885:
I have a relatively new set of 3.4L V6 headers here...they have a 2-piece y-pipe. My set that I bought about 3 years ago has a one piece y-pipe. It looks like they are making provisions for more than the 3.8 on the y-pipe.

I have the 2 piece y-pipe that I haven't installed. Anyone w/ a 3.4 problems like the 3.8's recently? Or is this just a 3.8 issue?

[Linxs]

Originally posted by pontiac nino:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by viper98885:
I have a relatively new set of 3.4L V6 headers here...they have a 2-piece y-pipe. My set that I bought about 3 years ago has a one piece y-pipe. It looks like they are making provisions for more than the 3.8 on the y-pipe.

I have the 2 piece y-pipe that I haven't installed. Anyone w/ a 3.4 problems like the 3.8's recently? Or is this just a 3.8 issue? </font>[/QUOTE]It seems to have been an issue with the latest batch of headers. I have not heard of any problems before then. Of course just because I have not heard of any problems does not mean much...

[Jason McCallister]

It appears as if I have fallen victim to this POS Y-Pipe problem. I've had my headers on the car for quite a while now but I just spent yesterday trying to resolve the problem with donut gaskets while leaving the headers on the car. My Y-Pipe is not off as bad as Distephano's but it still off just enough to allow a *tick* while the engine is under heavy load.

I think I may have to take it somewhere and have them bend the pipe to make it fit right. I certainly don't feel comfortable getting under the car on ramps or jackstands with a propane torch! :(

Mine were purchased and installed Aug 2003.

[ellik]

mine were purchased from Summit in December, but they could have has them stocked for a while. No problems at all with mine.

[DannyV6Camaro]

has anybody recieved the part from Pacesetter yet, man this is retarded. let me know

[Distephano]

Originally posted by Jason McCallister:
It appears as if I have fallen victim to this POS Y-Pipe problem. I've had my headers on the car for quite a while now but I just spent yesterday trying to resolve the problem with donut gaskets while leaving the headers on the car. My Y-Pipe is not off as bad as Distephano's but it still off just enough to allow a *tick* while the engine is under heavy load.

I think I may have to take it somewhere and have them bend the pipe to make it fit right. I certainly don't feel comfortable getting under the car on ramps or jackstands with a propane torch! :(

Mine were purchased and installed Aug 2003.

Donut Gasket = Ball Joints?

Anyways....

If you are going to take the y pipe off to have it bent, just do it yourself. As I said, I ment by pretty easily. There was no need to heat the pipe either.

Also, did you see the headers before they were installed? Are you sure the ball joint is leaking? If you say it only ticks under heavy load, how are you sure its that ball joint, as I'm sure you are not under the car when it is under heavy load.

[Loochy88]

well, i wish i saw this earlier. i just got mine about a week ago. i assume they will have this same problem too then? i guess its time for me to go crab to pacesetter... :(

[Clark Griswold]

Yeah I got the same problem. I'm going to have to have a shop weld come flanges anyway to match my cat, so I'll just let them muscle around with the Y-Pipe while they're at it. Install wasn't bad at all. Removal took a couple hours due to all the stuff in the way, but putting the headers on was cake. I did everything all by myself so it got a little tricky at times. Like when I had to hold the header in one hand and with the other put the bolts in and tighten them while aligning the gasket. Can't wait to get the car ready to go so I can test it. It sucks they are booked up for another 2 weeks.

[Distephano]

Originally posted by Loochy88:
well, i wish i saw this earlier. i just got mine about a week ago. i assume they will have this same problem too then? i guess its time for me to go crab to pacesetter... :(

Chances are. :( If you can't test fit the headers first, and your just recently bought the headers, your best bet would be to drop pacesetter a line and get yourself one of these new parts.

Although, I urge you, don't just hack up the Y-Pipe right away. If yours isn't off too much, like mine, you can bend it to fit. Note, I didn't say muscle it to fit and bolt it up, I said BEND it to fit. If anyone would like a more detailed how-to, with a few pics let me know, I'll throw something up on how I did mine. That way you don't have to hack up your nice coated pipes.

[Loochy88]

Originally posted by Distephano:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Loochy88:
well, i wish i saw this earlier. i just got mine about a week ago. i assume they will have this same problem too then? i guess its time for me to go crab to pacesetter... :(

Chances are. :( If you can't test fit the headers first, and your just recently bought the headers, your best bet would be to drop pacesetter a line and get yourself one of these new parts.

Although, I urge you, don't just hack up the Y-Pipe right away. If yours isn't off too much, like mine, you can bend it to fit. Note, I didn't say muscle it to fit and bolt it up, I said BEND it to fit. If anyone would like a more detailed how-to, with a few pics let me know, I'll throw something up on how I did mine. That way you don't have to hack up your nice coated pipes. </font>[/QUOTE]see, this is the thing... mine are painted. up until now i was kicking myself for not going with ceramic coating. now, im kinda glad i didnt, because i dont have to worry about hacking them up if it comes to that. do you think it would be easier to just hack and weld since mine are just painted, or should i still try to bend them? i would love to read a walkthrough on your strategy if you had the time to put something together.

[Jason McCallister]

Donut Gasket = Ball Joints?

A.K.A. Crush gaskets.... put them in the female side of the collector and as you tighten the collectors together, the gasket crushes making a seal. You might have noticed them on your stock manifolds when you removed your stock Y-pipe from them... they most likely stuck to the manifolds themselves. They look like a wire mesh.

If you are going to take the y pipe off to have it bent, just do it yourself. As I said, I ment by pretty easily. There was no need to heat the pipe either.

Easier said than done while still on the car. Y-Pipe isn't coming off without cutting and rewelding the Bullet muffler in place of the cat.

Also, did you see the headers before they were installed? Are you sure the ball joint is leaking? If you say it only ticks under heavy load, how are you sure its that ball joint, as I'm sure you are not under the car when it is under heavy load.

I did see the headers before they were installed but without the headers mounted to the engine, there's no way to tell if the Y-Pipe is out of whack or not.

I am 100% sure the ball joint on the driver's side is leaking... you can place your hand almost on the collector and feel the exhaust coming out. The black soot on the collector flange gave away the leaky location. It's also visible with the naked eye that the one collector is not completly sealing... there's a noticeable 1/8" gap if you can get your eye above the collector and look down.

My next step is to disassemble and reassemble with RTV Red. Maybe the RTV will fill in the small gap and hold.

[BLLDOGG]

i got an email from pacesetter, the coated ones are still plaiined on being snt at the end of this week. i tried to get the revised y-pipe but they said that they havent started making those yet and i'll have to get the part that will modify my y-pipe

[Loochy88]

Originally posted by BLLDOGG:
i got an email from pacesetter, the coated ones are still plaiined on being snt at the end of this week. i tried to get the revised y-pipe but they said that they havent started making those yet and i'll have to get the part that will modify my y-pipe

interesting. here was my email to them:

----- Original Message -----
From: Larry Leuchtmann
To: tech@pacesetterexhaust.com
Sent: Tuesday, June 01, 2004 3:55 PM
Subject: problems with header fitment


i purchased some pacesetter headers for my 3.8l 96 camaro recently and i was getting ready to install them. i have postponed thought because i came across many people having a problem getting the y pipe to fit correctly. the problem is described in detail here: http://www.camarov6.com/ubb/ultimate...498;p=3#000069

please let me know what is being done to remedy this problem. these headers were ordered a week ago, and i would very much like to get them on the car soon. if there is a part that is being sent out to people who have purchased these headers i would very much like to know. thanks
larry

and here was the response i got just today

hello , were these droped shipped from us ?? also is the Y-pipe 2 pieces ?? if it 2 pieces then its the newest revision .

also not all the headers had the problem , so with out rying them there is no telling if there will be a problem or not .


Eric Remboldt
Customer Service
602-266-1964
eremboldt@pacesetterexhaust.com

i emailed him back letting him know that i didnt really want to test fit to find out they wouldnt fit on my car, and then have to sit and wait for the other part to arrive.