I installed the Cattman JetHot y-pipe on my 93SE a few months ago and I'm not impressed at all. Here is the crap I've had to deal with since installing this y-pipe:

1. Y-pipe hangs too low and hits the ground. Now the front has a big dent in it, thus restricting airflow. I don't understand why anyone would design a y-pipe that hangs lower then the crossmember. Everyone I talk to has this prolem.

2. Back of y-pipe has no lip (like stock y-pipe) so it is difficult to get the y-pipe flange lined up properly with with the converter during installation. I had to unbolt my y-pipe several times during installation because of exhaust leaks that were caused by the y-pipe and converter not being aligned just right.

3. Y-pipe hits front sway bar during heavy acceleration. Bryan Cattman told me to put a ding in my brand new y-pipe to allow more clearance between the pipe and the sway bar. Did this and it didn't help. What a joke! Then replaced my motor mounts and it seemed to fix the problem but now that the new mounts have softened up, the problem is back.

I've decided to junk this POS y-pipe in favor of something else. So far, the only other y-pipe I know of is the Warp Speed Performance pipe but I'm not sure if their pipe has the same problems as the Cattman. Does anyone in here have the WSP y-pipe? If so, please post your impressions of this product. Also, let me know if you experience any of the symptoms listed above. I don't want to waste another $300 on a junk y-pipe.

thanks,
Jeremy

 

Go custom. That's what I did. I'm just waiting for someone to hit a bump and rip the whole front of the pipe open. That would be a sight to see..

 

...and I'm very happy with it. My install went smooth expect for when I had to saw the optional hanger off, which was no biggy. I know that they no longer put the optional hanger on, so you don't need to worry about it. The WSP pipe has that lip your talking about allowing the pipe to connect flush with the gasket and cat. Dallas and Dan really put a lot of thought into their pipe. Thats the difference between Cattman and WSP. I think Cattman built a simple pipe, yet he didn't think about the simple things. I think he saw $$ signs, especially when you look at him prices. Anyway if you get the wsp pipe you will be happy!! The front pipes are joined so smoothly going back that you can look right through the pipe. It's like if you were to get two pencils and tie them together with a rubberband and then layed a bigger pipe at the end.

I must tell you that my pipe does hit the crossmember under extreme aceleration, BUT it's due to my weak motor mounts. You can't blame the pipe for hitting it. Kaleb says his sits a good 2" from the crossmember as where mine sits like 3/4" away. I plan on filling the mounts with urethane soon.

Anything else, ask. Take care,
ICE

 

Hey Ice - thanks for the info! I do have a couple of questions for you. First, does your WSP y-pipe hit the ground when you bottom out? Secondly, do you have the SS pipe or the aluminum one? Is there any difference between the two other than the type of metal used? I wouldn't be so sure your motor mounts are the problem. I replaced mine but the Cattman pipe still hits the sway bar. I'm going to switch to the WSP y-pipe just for the better flange and a ground clearance benefits. It would be great if someone could post a picture of the WSP pipe installed in their 3rd gen Max.

-Jeremy


[Edited by jdonavich on 12-17-2000 at 02:46 PM]

 

Answers: No, my pipe doesn't hit the ground when I bottom out, but then again I never bottom out. Trust me, the pipe isn't gonna hit the ground. I have the aluminized pipe and so does Kaleb. I'm sure it's the motor mounts because I got under there and checked them, and I also rev'd the engine from under the hood and it moved a good 1/4-1/2". My main concern is the rear mount. I did take pics which I haven't developed yet, but will soon. My windows '98 is fuked up so I can't use my scanner anymore. If the pics came out good then I plan on sending them to WSP so they can post them on their site.

Take care,
ICE

 

No need to badmouth Cattman. He'll work with you with your pipe, just drop him a line. He's a busy guy, so don't freak if he doesn't contact you right away.

 

...which Cattman shouldn't take days to respond to. No matter how busy a person is there should still be a courtesy call or something. It's bad business to keep the customer waiting. I have heard a lot about Cattman putting people on hold, which is a problem in my eyes. I personally would be pissed if I had spent $350+ and got "****". I'm not knocking Cattman, but just repeating what others have said.

Later,
ICE

 

I agree. One more thing about the JetHot pipes, they have been discontinued b/c of problems listed above. Cattman is in the process of redesigning the pipes. The problem is a biggie for the VE engines I believe, they're oddly shapped or something.

 

I already spoke with Bryan Cattman in person several times to try and get this resolved with no luck. I've had similar experiences with other exhaust suppliers before such as Hooker and Mid-America. Cattman is not the only one selling exhaust products with poor fit/finish. Hopefully, the WSP pipe lives up to it's claims.

-Jeremy

 

...and he didn't do anything. WOW, that is shocking!! This should be a lesson to everyone on this board that actions speak louder than words. Didn't Cattman post on here like 2 months ago saying that he would fix the jet hot pipes? It was funny how he posted within the week that WSP started their project pipes and how we haven't heard from him since. I don't think any jet hot pipes have been fixed or replaced.

What did Cattman tell you when you went to see him? What did he say on each seperate occation? I think the other board members should know to avoid anymore unhappy customers.

You won't have any of these problems with Dallas or Dan. I'm not very mechanically inclined sometimes. When I first installed my wsp pipe I connected the pipe to the cat wrong. My car was vibrating a lot at idle. I emailed Dallas and I called him too. I explained to him what was going on and he went through it step by step with me. I told him that I would be going under the car tomorrow afternoon. Dallas told me to call him so he could go through it with me. The next day I got under the car and connected it correctly. I didn't have to call Dallas because I knew what I had done wrong(simple connection error) the first time. Well like around 4:30p I get a call and it's Dallas asking about the install and how it went. That makes all the difference in the world.

Take care,
ICE

 

Yes, I did speak with him over the phone and he recommended that I either replace my motor mounts or put a controlled dent in the y-pipe just over the sway bar to stop the clunking noise. He also mentioned that this was a common problem and it was due to tolerance variances between 3rd gen Maximas. I tried both of his recommendations and the @!#$^& y-pipe still hits the sway bar. I could live with this annoying problem but the pipe is hitting the ground just about every other day. I only have Eibach springs so I can imagine this problem is much worse for those who have ST or Intrax springs. It's only a matter of time before the pipe wears through completely from hitting the ground. Anyway, I'm not going to pursue this any further but I would not recommend the JetHot y-pipe to other 3rd gen owners.

-Jeremy

 

did u actually have any experience w/ dealing w/ cattman or his products? i want to know what item(s) u bought from him and if u had any warranty/return problems w/ him?? i don't see a Y-pipe ANYWHERE in your long sig..so before you defend the guy why don't u check the facts yourself.
thanks
Dan
P.S. i hate when people jump on the bandwagon when they have NO IDEA what they are talking about...also i don't want to hear about how nice he is and etc..that has nothing to do w/ business.