Battered, bruised, & beaten... (WS YPipe Saga)
04-24-2004, 01:14 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 115
Battered, bruised, & beaten... (WS YPipe Saga)
Well, the title basically explains it. I installed my Warpspeed Y-pipe on my 2000 CA Maxima over the course of the last two days and it took me around 7 hrs total to do it. In turn, the Maxima took the liberty of installing cuts and bruises all over my arms. Thanks, Max. Anyways, I just wish I had some better instructions than the one posted on Warpspeed's webpage because in my opinion it really sucked. Pictures would have also helped since instructions like, "Be sure to remove bolts on manifold FIRST!" didn't mean anything to me since I didn't know what the hell a manifold looked like. The entire ordeal was an adventure to say the least. Hopefully my story will offer some insight to the future DIYers and entertain others (might take 6hrs to read it 
).
Basically first day I was kind of slow because the entire time I was afraid the car was going to come crashing down on my face, even though the front tires were on ramps and each side of the rears were supported by a jack and a jack stand. I only managed to get the bolts in the rear off that day and, boy were they a b*tch to get off. It's like someone cast level 9 curse of Satan on those bolts because they wouldn't budge. Even with WD40 on it, I had to prop my body up against a wall and use my legs to press down on the wrench to pop them loose. Ungodly, I tell you.
After I popped them loose, I realized I took off the wrong bolts. I don't know what the part is called, but it's basically the "part" that connects to the end of the ypipe. Instead of loosening the bolts where the ypipe connects to that "part", I found out I loosened the bolts on the other end of that "part". After giving God his fair share of blasphemy and fist waving to the sky, I took off the correct bolts using my legs again since using my arms just made me roll around on my roller. Would have been fun some other time, but not today. I then attempted to proceed unto the next set of bolts (midsection of ypipe) after taking the stone guard off, but ran into a little problem. I bought a universal joint earlier, but noticed I bought a 1/4in. instead of the 3/8in. I needed. After a little more blasphemy and fist waving, I went to almost every Autozone in my neighboorhood and found no one had it. Their computers showed that they were in stock, but I figure people are jacking them since they're so small. Great...why can't they jack the 1/4 instead? God is so funny. I decided to retire my project for the day.
Day two, with the expensive *** 3/8in u-joint in hand ($8.49 @ Home Depot and now I know why they jack them), I got the bolts in the midsection off and also those holding the front end of the ypipe. The midsection bolts weren't any easier since the 10in. extension and u-joint made it less stable, but I did get them off with some cuts and bruises to show for it. The bolts wouldn't budge while I was pulling with every ounce of life in me and all of a sudden they'd get loose on me and my hand would go smashing into some part of the car. I guess the bolts on the front part of the car wasn't too bad in comparison.
Now I was lying on my roller underneath my car and scratching my head. According to the directions, it said something like the "ypipe should slide right on out" or "watch out, it's heavy". What the hell? And yes, I did take those two other screws "supposedly keeping the ypipe up". That thing wasn't coming off and I started frantically looking for other screws that I might have missed and spent a good chunk of time on it. I got ****ed off and decided to use brute force and rip it out. I started sticking screwdrivers into the front end of the ypipe and that seemed to do the trick. It would have been nice if the directions didn't lie to me about the ypipe "gently coming out like a snowdrop from heaven". Finally ypipe was off.
Again, instructions say "it should slide right in" and some other instruction (used WS, Stillen's, and someone's writeup) just ended right there with a "just put the new pipe in and you're done". Really? Thanks. The new ypipe didn't just go right in. First I thought it might have been made wrong or something, but once again, I went to rage and smashing. This time it didn't work. I even tried bench pressing the front end of the ypipe so it would go in. The midsection and rear of the new ypipe fit okay, but the front end was stubborn as hell. The best thing I found out was to stick the shaft of a screw driver into the holes of where the bolts go and match it up to the other holes. I was surprised my screwdrivers didn't bend and it worked perfectly. After I got it on I noticed one of my gaskets fell out so I had to take it off and do it again. The rest was getting the screws back on which wasn't too bad and I hope I never have to go underneath the car again.
I went out of a test drive and the stupid ypipe is hitting the crossmember during acceleration, so I guess I have to go underneath my car again and take the crossmember off. Will the madness ever end? Anyways, this was just a segway to my question...
Where does that "hanger looking thing" Warpspeed sent me go? It looks like it's suppose to support the ypipe, but couldn't figure out where it goes. I thought WS didn't send out hangers. Any help is appreciated.
). Basically first day I was kind of slow because the entire time I was afraid the car was going to come crashing down on my face, even though the front tires were on ramps and each side of the rears were supported by a jack and a jack stand. I only managed to get the bolts in the rear off that day and, boy were they a b*tch to get off. It's like someone cast level 9 curse of Satan on those bolts because they wouldn't budge. Even with WD40 on it, I had to prop my body up against a wall and use my legs to press down on the wrench to pop them loose. Ungodly, I tell you.
After I popped them loose, I realized I took off the wrong bolts. I don't know what the part is called, but it's basically the "part" that connects to the end of the ypipe. Instead of loosening the bolts where the ypipe connects to that "part", I found out I loosened the bolts on the other end of that "part". After giving God his fair share of blasphemy and fist waving to the sky, I took off the correct bolts using my legs again since using my arms just made me roll around on my roller. Would have been fun some other time, but not today. I then attempted to proceed unto the next set of bolts (midsection of ypipe) after taking the stone guard off, but ran into a little problem. I bought a universal joint earlier, but noticed I bought a 1/4in. instead of the 3/8in. I needed. After a little more blasphemy and fist waving, I went to almost every Autozone in my neighboorhood and found no one had it. Their computers showed that they were in stock, but I figure people are jacking them since they're so small. Great...why can't they jack the 1/4 instead? God is so funny. I decided to retire my project for the day.
Day two, with the expensive *** 3/8in u-joint in hand ($8.49 @ Home Depot and now I know why they jack them), I got the bolts in the midsection off and also those holding the front end of the ypipe. The midsection bolts weren't any easier since the 10in. extension and u-joint made it less stable, but I did get them off with some cuts and bruises to show for it. The bolts wouldn't budge while I was pulling with every ounce of life in me and all of a sudden they'd get loose on me and my hand would go smashing into some part of the car. I guess the bolts on the front part of the car wasn't too bad in comparison.
Now I was lying on my roller underneath my car and scratching my head. According to the directions, it said something like the "ypipe should slide right on out" or "watch out, it's heavy". What the hell? And yes, I did take those two other screws "supposedly keeping the ypipe up". That thing wasn't coming off and I started frantically looking for other screws that I might have missed and spent a good chunk of time on it. I got ****ed off and decided to use brute force and rip it out. I started sticking screwdrivers into the front end of the ypipe and that seemed to do the trick. It would have been nice if the directions didn't lie to me about the ypipe "gently coming out like a snowdrop from heaven". Finally ypipe was off.
Again, instructions say "it should slide right in" and some other instruction (used WS, Stillen's, and someone's writeup) just ended right there with a "just put the new pipe in and you're done". Really? Thanks. The new ypipe didn't just go right in. First I thought it might have been made wrong or something, but once again, I went to rage and smashing. This time it didn't work. I even tried bench pressing the front end of the ypipe so it would go in. The midsection and rear of the new ypipe fit okay, but the front end was stubborn as hell. The best thing I found out was to stick the shaft of a screw driver into the holes of where the bolts go and match it up to the other holes. I was surprised my screwdrivers didn't bend and it worked perfectly. After I got it on I noticed one of my gaskets fell out so I had to take it off and do it again. The rest was getting the screws back on which wasn't too bad and I hope I never have to go underneath the car again.
I went out of a test drive and the stupid ypipe is hitting the crossmember during acceleration, so I guess I have to go underneath my car again and take the crossmember off. Will the madness ever end? Anyways, this was just a segway to my question...
Where does that "hanger looking thing" Warpspeed sent me go? It looks like it's suppose to support the ypipe, but couldn't figure out where it goes. I thought WS didn't send out hangers. Any help is appreciated.
04-24-2004, 05:04 AM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 219
You could take the cross member off I have had mine off for 3 weeks no ill effects or you could buy a lot of washers and put them between the cross member and the floor so it sit lower. BTW i paid $60 to have mine installed and it was well worth it even thow I did have to take off the cross member my self 2 days later because it was hitting.I do most of my own work on cars but being under the car for 3 hours + trying to get those rusty exhaust bolts off seemed to be worth 60 bucks.
04-24-2004, 12:17 PM
#3
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 115
Originally Posted by pfactor172
You could take the cross member off I have had mine off for 3 weeks no ill effects or you could buy a lot of washers and put them between the cross member and the floor so it sit lower. BTW i paid $60 to have mine installed and it was well worth it even thow I did have to take off the cross member my self 2 days later because it was hitting.I do most of my own work on cars but being under the car for 3 hours + trying to get those rusty exhaust bolts off seemed to be worth 60 bucks.
04-24-2004, 12:54 PM
#4
Donating Maxima.org Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 977
i just got done installing my y-pipe today. it was not bad at all and the bolts didnt give us any problems.
as far as the hanger. didnt really see how it was going to help. i will probably have to end up bending the bracket a bit so it doesnt hit the flex part of the y-pipe once its in place.
it goes into the rubber support piece right above the flex and the other piece supports the pipe right behind the flex.
as far as the hanger. didnt really see how it was going to help. i will probably have to end up bending the bracket a bit so it doesnt hit the flex part of the y-pipe once its in place.
it goes into the rubber support piece right above the flex and the other piece supports the pipe right behind the flex.
04-24-2004, 01:08 PM
#5
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 115
Originally Posted by redstradic
i just got done installing my y-pipe today. it was not bad at all and the bolts didnt give us any problems.
as far as the hanger. didnt really see how it was going to help. i will probably have to end up bending the bracket a bit so it doesnt hit the flex part of the y-pipe once its in place.
it goes into the rubber support piece right above the flex and the other piece supports the pipe right behind the flex.
as far as the hanger. didnt really see how it was going to help. i will probably have to end up bending the bracket a bit so it doesnt hit the flex part of the y-pipe once its in place.
it goes into the rubber support piece right above the flex and the other piece supports the pipe right behind the flex.
04-24-2004, 07:13 PM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 630
Congratulations, you have officially been baptized. Modifications are never as easy as you thought it was going to be!
And.....if the instructions ever say "factory like fitment" its going to be hell trying to mate that product to your vehicle.
Oh btw, you say you'll never get under that car again, but wait until you get used to the extra hp. You'll want more and you'll be back!
And.....if the instructions ever say "factory like fitment" its going to be hell trying to mate that product to your vehicle.
Oh btw, you say you'll never get under that car again, but wait until you get used to the extra hp. You'll want more and you'll be back!
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