Help identifying something on y-pipe/cat (1 Viewer)

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Does anyone with an OEM y-pipe/cat recognize what this is metal piece is (or was) on the pipe? It's directly opposite the O2 sensor.

I was about to use the wire wheel on this to clean up spots for welding. I don't know if I should grind this off or what. Looks like two spot welds holding something in place. I don't know what's going with the cat shield and the repair paste. I might be opening a can of worms here.

Appreciate any help figuring this out.

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Don't recall that on any of my stock exhaust pipes. Looks like some sort of part number tag. Something else appears stuck or melted to the end fo the cat??

What/why are you welding, a new O2 bung??
 
Don't recall that on any of my stock exhaust pipes. Looks like some sort of part number tag. Something else appears stuck or melted to the end fo the cat??

What/why are you welding, a new O2 bung??

Yeah, it seems like a metal tag maybe that was welded on for some reason.

Not sure of the O2 bung condition yet. I have a crack in the crotch of the y-pipe and need to figure out if that paste around the edge of the cat is really covering a very long crack. The previous owner has this stuff all around the perimeter of the heat shield. Both cats are like that for some reason.
 
Does anyone with an OEM y-pipe/cat recognize what this is metal piece is (or was) on the pipe? It's directly opposite the O2 sensor.

I was about to use the wire wheel on this to clean up spots for welding. I don't know if I should grind this off or what. Looks like two spot welds holding something in place. I don't know what's going with the cat shield and the repair paste. I might be opening a can of worms here.

Appreciate any help figuring this out.

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Pretty sure that's where the original heat shield was welded to the pipe. After the tacks broke loose, my heat shield hung low like yours and rattled all the time. New aftermarket exhaust doesn't come with that shield.


Grind off the tacks and clean it up if you like.
 
Pretty sure that's where the original heat shield was welded to the pipe. After the tacks broke loose, my heat shield hung low like yours and rattled all the time.
Thanks. I had no idea there was ever a heat shield there.
 
That's a big relief. Didn't want to replace this. Other than the crack, I need to deal with some of the studs that were drilled out too big on the manifold. One of them had a bolt that was too small for the oversized hole and wasn't sealing anything. Bolt spun off by hand. Hopefully I can re-thread it and install a larger stainless stud.
 
That's a big relief. Didn't want to replace this. Other than the crack, I need to deal with some of the studs that were drilled out too big on the manifold. One of them had a bolt that was too small for the oversized hole and wasn't sealing anything. Bolt spun off by hand. Hopefully I can re-thread it and install a larger stainless stud.
I paid a guy $20 to weld the split at the wye on mine and it held for 7 years and was still intact when I removed the down pipe and installed the Magnaflow.

I have to say, the Magnaflow / Bosal / Toytota setup I did was the easiest exhaust system I have EVER done.
 
I paid a guy $20 to weld the split at the wye on mine and it held for 7 years and was still intact when I removed the down pipe and installed the Magnaflow.

I have to say, the Magnaflow / Bosal / Toytota setup I did was the easiest exhaust system I have EVER done.

That's great to hear. I plan to clean it up really good and then try to find a good muffler shop.

I was bracing for having to spend the money on the Magnaflow but there's been a lot of mixed information about one version not fitting correctly, some change after they acquired Bosal, and few people had one of the versions rust out quickly. I couldn't figure it out and assumed the "good" one is the $1K carb version.
 
That's great to hear. I plan to clean it up really good and then try to find a good muffler shop.

I was bracing for having to spend the money on the Magnaflow but there's been a lot of mixed information about one version not fitting correctly, some change after they acquired Bosal, and few people had one of the versions rust out quickly. I couldn't figure it out and assumed the "good" one is the $1K carb version.
I used the aluminized version of carbon steel from Magnaflow. The same for Bosal. I sprayed all parts with 3 coats of 1000°F clear coat and it is holding up very well even after 3 years. Mines a DD so it is less likely to rust from sitting.
 
Anyone have experience having something welded after the original weld failed?

I cleaned things up and it seems worse than I thought but I really don't have experience with exhaust repair to know for sure. I see several repairs on the y-pipe.

Time to suck it up and replace?


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Anyone have experience having something welded after the original weld failed?

I cleaned things up and it seems worse than I thought but I really don't have experience with exhaust repair to know for sure. I see several repairs on the y-pipe.

Time to suck it up and replace?


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They may not be pretty welds, but if they're not leaking or cracked then they're fine.

I deal with welding every day and I see good stuff and bad stuff and bad stuff that still works for the application.

Most exhaust shops are NOT professional welders.
 
They may not be pretty welds, but if they're not leaking or cracked then they're fine.

I deal with welding every day and I see good stuff and bad stuff and bad stuff that still works for the application.

Most exhaust shops are NOT professional welders.
Only the joint of the Y is leaking from what I can tell. Maybe a good welder can grind that part off and patch it up. The unknown is if anything else is leaking too. I used a leaf blower and soapy water to test. I could have missed something. Would be nice if it could be pressure tested somehow.
 
Only the joint of the Y is leaking from what I can tell. Maybe a good welder can grind that part off and patch it up. The unknown is if anything else is leaking too. I used a leaf blower and soapy water to test. I could have missed something. Would be nice if it could be pressure tested somehow.
The leaf blower is good enough.

They won't grind it before they burn it in and they won't use 309 SS wire on it since stock is 409SS tube.

Just pay the $20 and get on with it. I'm normally anal about that stuff and they guy I took it to did a fine job. Or, I should say his 15 YO nephew did fine welding it. I watched them do it, kept my mouth shut (for once) and they did ok. I could not have done any better with the tools and access I have, so it was good. It still outlasted the cats.
 
Just pay the $20 and get on with it.
Good advice, thanks.

After looking carefully, there's no reason to replace this thing. The bung is leaking too and it appears to be more weld than steel. I didn't realize Slee sold a replacement and I have that on order.

That will give me some time to figure out what over-sized stud size will be needed for for the manifold hole someone drilled out and did not thread. Might get lucky and a regular bolt will fit flush.
 
Good advice, thanks.

After looking carefully, there's no reason to replace this thing. The bung is leaking too and it appears to be more weld than steel. I didn't realize Slee sold a replacement and I have that on order.

That will give me some time to figure out what over-sized stud size will be needed for for the manifold hole someone drilled out and did not thread. Might get lucky and a regular bolt will fit flush.
If you need to change a manifold, I think @slow95z may have parts. If not, the @arcteryx will.
 
Thanks. Yeah, that gasket is leaking too so I have to pull them.
If you haven't figured it out already, a couple places to buy parts are these used guys above and for new Toyota parts:
www.partsouq.com
 
I do have the parts but they are also 25 years old and could give up the ghost soon too. I say weld it and run with it. Most people buying exhaust from me have holes rusted out in more than one spot and need entire parts replaced.
 

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