Fitting Decat Y piece on Friday.. advice?
Discussion
Hi all.
I am (delivery dependent) fitting my new ACT decat y piece on Friday.
I have access to a ramp.
So hopefully that will help.
Is there a guide that we can use to roughly follow if we go wrong?
Also are there any bits/pastes that we may need etc?
Any advice as always is appreciated.
R
I am (delivery dependent) fitting my new ACT decat y piece on Friday.
I have access to a ramp.
So hopefully that will help.
Is there a guide that we can use to roughly follow if we go wrong?
Also are there any bits/pastes that we may need etc?
Any advice as always is appreciated.
R
rharris21 said:
Hi all.
I am (delivery dependent) fitting my new ACT decat y piece on Friday.
I have access to a ramp.
So hopefully that will help.
Is there a guide that we can use to roughly follow if we go wrong?
Also are there any bits/pastes that we may need etc?
Any advice as always is appreciated.
R
I am (delivery dependent) fitting my new ACT decat y piece on Friday.
I have access to a ramp.
So hopefully that will help.
Is there a guide that we can use to roughly follow if we go wrong?
Also are there any bits/pastes that we may need etc?
Any advice as always is appreciated.
R
(will be fitting my CliveF decat Y next week)
My Clive one slotted in just like the youtube clip.
I'll list what did if its any use, get it up on axle stands/ramp, drop rear anti roll bar but leave it connected at the ends, undo exhaust U clamp and bolt to engine block, unbolt silencer plate and slide exhaust assembly back a bit until just off Y piece, now undo Y piece clamps, remove Y piece and replace in reverse order, remember to give the stepped faces a good clean on your manifolds, I put a thin smear of exhaust paste on the mating surfaces just to be sure and tap the clamps as you tighten them back up. Some people say they can remove the Y piece without sliding the exhaust back but mine definately wouldn't give enough room. Don't forget to clean all your sticky finger prints off the new Y piece before firing it up!
Mike
I'll list what did if its any use, get it up on axle stands/ramp, drop rear anti roll bar but leave it connected at the ends, undo exhaust U clamp and bolt to engine block, unbolt silencer plate and slide exhaust assembly back a bit until just off Y piece, now undo Y piece clamps, remove Y piece and replace in reverse order, remember to give the stepped faces a good clean on your manifolds, I put a thin smear of exhaust paste on the mating surfaces just to be sure and tap the clamps as you tighten them back up. Some people say they can remove the Y piece without sliding the exhaust back but mine definately wouldn't give enough room. Don't forget to clean all your sticky finger prints off the new Y piece before firing it up!
Mike
go figure 
BIGMIKE1 said:
My Clive one slotted in just like the youtube clip.
I'll list what did if its any use, get it up on axle stands/ramp, drop rear anti roll bar but leave it connected at the ends, undo exhaust U clamp and bolt to engine block, unbolt silencer plate and slide exhaust assembly back a bit until just off Y piece, now undo Y piece clamps, remove Y piece and replace in reverse order, remember to give the stepped faces a good clean on your manifolds, I put a thin smear of exhaust paste on the mating surfaces just to be sure and tap the clamps as you tighten them back up. Some people say they can remove the Y piece without sliding the exhaust back but mine definately wouldn't give enough room. Don't forget to clean all your sticky finger prints off the new Y piece before firing it up!
Mike
Thanks for the list. Exhaust paste - will need to buy some. I'll list what did if its any use, get it up on axle stands/ramp, drop rear anti roll bar but leave it connected at the ends, undo exhaust U clamp and bolt to engine block, unbolt silencer plate and slide exhaust assembly back a bit until just off Y piece, now undo Y piece clamps, remove Y piece and replace in reverse order, remember to give the stepped faces a good clean on your manifolds, I put a thin smear of exhaust paste on the mating surfaces just to be sure and tap the clamps as you tighten them back up. Some people say they can remove the Y piece without sliding the exhaust back but mine definately wouldn't give enough room. Don't forget to clean all your sticky finger prints off the new Y piece before firing it up!
Mike
rharris21 said:
Thanks for the list. Exhaust paste - will need to buy some.
When you fit the clamps, take your time.I used a small smear of paste around the joins at the end of the Y Piece, and slowly tightened the clamp, pausing every few turns when it started to get tight - I then tapped the clamp with a rubber hammer around the clamp, and then continued to tighten.
The thing is, after each tapping session, the clamp seemed easier to tighten again - when the resistance got to "nip-it-up" pressure, out came the rubber hammer and the process was repeated...
When the clamp didn't get any easier to nip up (even after a tapping session), I stopped.
No leaks here....
Hope this helps.
Nosh
rharris21 said:
Do you mean you stopped altogether i.e. the clamps were fully tightened?
I believe so - to 'nip up' strength.I had read horror stories about OPs snapping the bolts on the clamps after overtightening them.
And look - if it leaks a little - a few more taps and another tiny nip.
Small steps and all that...
Nosh
Nosh said:
I believe so - to 'nip up' strength.
I had read horror stories about OPs snapping the bolts on the clamps after overtightening them.
And look - if it leaks a little - a few more taps and another tiny nip.
Small steps and all that...
Nosh
Oh blimey. Starting to wish I had paid my local specialist to do it haha. my bro in law is a very good technician plus the unit we use is owned by a very handy chap too. How do you test for leaks? I guess just fire her up??? As you can tell I am not very mechanically minded.I had read horror stories about OPs snapping the bolts on the clamps after overtightening them.
And look - if it leaks a little - a few more taps and another tiny nip.
Small steps and all that...
Nosh
Nosh said:
rharris21 said:
Do you mean you stopped altogether i.e. the clamps were fully tightened?
I believe so - to 'nip up' strength.I had read horror stories about OPs snapping the bolts on the clamps after overtightening them.
And look - if it leaks a little - a few more taps and another tiny nip.
Small steps and all that...
Nosh
rharris21 said:
Oh blimey. Starting to wish I had paid my local specialist to do it haha. my bro in law is a very good technician plus the unit we use is owned by a very handy chap too. How do you test for leaks? I guess just fire her up??? As you can tell I am not very mechanically minded.
Fear not, it's actually a really simple job.Just remove the "U" clamp down below & the two band clamps on the manlyfolds
Depending on if it's still connected you may also need to unbolt the little triangle bracket that bolts the exhaust to the engine block.
At this point & when you first look at it, the big fat original catted "Y" Piece seems like it wont slide out.
But trust me, it will
I found there is a certain angle where the old "Y" Piece pulls free from the main exhaust no problem, you just need to do some gentle pulling & twisting.
Once you've found the correct angle the "Y" Piece will slide off relatively easily, no removing of ARBs or other stuff, just the two band clamps &, the "U" clamp & possibly the bolt on the rather pointless little triangle bracket welded to the main exhaust.
It's the angle that's key here, & you'll probably only find it by trial & error during your pulling & twisting session, keep the faith I assure you it will come off.
Re-fitting is straightforward too, but you will need a ratchet strap with the ACT "Y" Piece as others have indicated.
Get your ACT "Y" Piece on the main exhaust system then align it to the manlyfolds as best you can.
Loop your ratchet strap over both manlyfolds & gently winch the horns together, use a decent ratchet strap as the little ghay ones don't give you nearly enough leverage.
When you've done your band clamps up, release the ratchet strap gently & follow the rubber mallet tap & re-tighten process covered by Nosh.
Finally do up your "U" clamp down below, I wouldn't bother with the little triangle bracket that bolts the exhaust to the block, just leave it, it's another bad fit & more trouble than it's worth in my opinion.
Others may disagree about leaving the triangle bracket disconnected, but it's never been connected on my car since I've had it & I've never had any exhaust rattles or annoying vibes.
At this point it's also worth going over your manlyfold bolts to ensure they are tight to the heads, winching on the two horns can unsettle things in this area causing leaks & a tapping/chuffing sound.
Everyone on here seems to say the Clive Ford "Y" piece slips straight in with no need for a ratchet strap, but with the ACT one you definitely need to pull those manlyfolds together, it the same with the original.
My guess is TVR got their original measurements slightly out, so the problem was repeated because their jig was always wrong.
I bet the ACT "Y" piece supplier used an original "Y" piece to construct their jig, so they simply repeated the TVR error.
Clive Ford almost certainly ignored the ill fitting TVR original and made the thing fit properly in the first place.
But don't let all this put you off the ACT one, it made a big difference on my car, I instantly got way better V8 sound effects and what felt like another 10hp.
I for one will never go back to that big fat restrictive main cat, you just need a tame MoT tester and you never have to either
Edited by ChimpOnGas on Wednesday 20th March 14:38
When fitted find the nearest tunnel.... warm car up and.........
BOOM!!!!!!!!
should sound like mine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32gcniDkZiY
BOOM!!!!!!!!
should sound like mine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32gcniDkZiY
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