Roca Fella Bryan

I know you guys hate noobs that ask questions that seem to get asked all the time, but sometimes the search function digs up threads where you have to hunt for hours just to find a straight answer to an important question that you have.

I'm a pretty serious guy that's serious about my car, so hopefully this doesn't get locked. So here's my question:

4th gen OBX downpipe or AKA y-pipe. Looks like a good deal and all of the OBX stuff I've gotten in the past was pretty decent.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/OBX-D...item3359777b6e



Question is, will this fit on my unmodified 5.5 gen 6-speed on the stock headers with no modification? If modification is needed, what kind so I can get an idea of what I'm working with here. I wanted to get an entire header set, but again finding headers for the 5.5 gen is a pain on ebay and using the search function here turned up a header thread thats about 200 pages long.



So if you guys would be nice, I appreciate it! LMK!

--Bryan

tookrzy4u192

iTrader: (19)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/OBX-E...Q5fAccessories

problem solved, seems like they're selling them again for 5.5 gens

HotshotVQ35

iTrader: (5)

a ypipe on a 5.5 gen is a waste of money since it doesnt get rid of the precats. lets see how long this one lasts....

lol

Roca Fella Bryan

Hey, I'm used to little old Honda's where you pulled the one cat out and threw in some fancy JDM engine. This is like my first (well second) "big boy" car and I haven't really gotten underneath it aside from a cat-back exhaust install. I'm not used to all of these pre-cats and what have you lol.


I just read something on here about those things clogging and blowing up the engine. My car has 128,000 miles on it and I'm not sure if they've been changed. Does that mean I should just go ahead and buy the headers? And if so, 4th gen headers do fit the VQ35DE but you need a o2 sensor welded in?

Correct me if I'm wrong. Thank you!

Sweet! I will make sure to buy them!

tookrzy4u192

iTrader: (19)

why not get the vq35 headers? they're available now

HotshotVQ35

iTrader: (5)

get the headers, thats the reason i did with the precat failures. then you run an o2 sim for the rear o2s and no check engine light. i bought a cattman y years ago, and while the piece was awesome quality, i maybe got 5hp for the 400 is spent get the headers someone posted in this thread

Grand_hustle17

iTrader: (22)

Why is this the first time I've actually seen a OBX y-pipe???... anyways like hotshot said... y-pipes are useless on 5.5's

Rhyno02

iTrader: (12)

Useless? Hm. I thought there was a thread on here somewhere that said they yield approx. 1/3rd the gains of headers....like 6-9 whp? I realize that's not amazing but every lil bit counts. Unless I'm wrong that is...

Grand_hustle17

iTrader: (22)

Lemme re phrase... y-pipes do make abour 6-9whp... Y-pips are useless for 5.5's......... never said they don't make power every little does count but don't u think these are foolish investments as you still have very restrictive cats that when they go bad you have to buy headers or pay $600 to the stealership

Rhyno02

iTrader: (12)

I dunno if I'd say foolish but, I do see your point to an extent. I know when I saw the OBX headers back on eBay for like $380/shipped...I was like damn, that's almost what I paid for my Cattman Y-pipe However I searched I found that someone did a write-up w/ pics about the install with them. I know it's gonna be a major PITA but it's worth the power gains....but, then I saw that you have to modify the crossmember and engine mount bracket too. I dunno how I feel about that to be honest with ya....now the y-pipe, that's alot more straight forward. My cats are fine right now and if they go, you're right...Ill be getting headers. That does bring up an interesting question, I wonder what the most whp I can get with stock cats in place? w/o nitrous of course.

Grand_hustle17

iTrader: (22)

Well u can gut em too.. but still... how its shaving probebly a 1/4 inch off ur crossmember a concern, that doesn't even mess with integrity.... I have the 3.0 headers and I did absolutely no modifications yet I still make just as much power... if a little modification trips u out so much then o.k I guess.... its been done more than u think, what do u thing would happen??? The modifications wouldn't even depreciate the value of the car... to each his own, maybe ur thinking a tad to hard on it... the shavings are minor

Rhyno02

iTrader: (12)

Only 1/4"? ****, it looked like more than that in the pic. Damn. Now I don't know what to do...lol.

Grand_hustle17

iTrader: (22)

Somebody probebly cut more than they had to... still doesn't hurt the integrity or resell value... I don't know how much of the mounts is shaved... haave u ever seen one of those houses that has a steal beam going through it? If you could shave an 1" off it do u think that messes with the structural integrity of the house???.... not the samething but same concept, u dang near gotta shave at least a quarrter of that beam for it to have any integrity issue... I'm sure you would've heard of some off the chain story by now...

perkman87

iTrader: (6)

OMG 9th header thread this past week....


I posted the link to the OBX 5.5 batch that just came out on 2 or the recent header threads in the past two days and you say you searched.

denny_1986

iTrader: (1)

noobs
a y pipe would get rid of the rear precat. The front one would stay in place.
Correct me if im wrong but all 01 and later maximas are cali spec i.e 2 precats and one main cat

Grand_hustle17

iTrader: (22)

And that would make for a very uneven flow of exhaust gas, not necessairly saying its a bad thing but at that point why not take both em out???... I don't know how it is for a 5th gen, never changed, looked, or even thought about gettn headers for it

Roca Fella Bryan

I'm sorry but I thought that's what a model specific automotive forum was for? Maybe if a person has more direct questions such as the ones that I became curious about regarding these "pre cats" and all, its a slot simpler to just ask the question and let the experts give me a straight answer.

Shoving away a person trying to learn about their car and telling them to search through threads with endless amounts of back and forth talk is just kind of against the point of a forum like this. I don't know as much about this car as you guys do and I had perhaps 5 minutes of free time before I had to so something else, hence why I asked.

Also, why not make an updated sticky thread with the most common modifications done to these cars including a link to a site that is currently selling the products along with a "frequently asked questions" section so noobs can learn key facts what a pre cat is, what can happen when it fails and so forth. The current "5th gen modification" thread has a bunch of old links and the 5.5 gen OBX header link goes back to 2008 with people talking about the 4th gen setup. I guess you have to read through 200-something posts just to figure out what you're asking. Update it.

Maybe this will cut down on the apparently annoying threads that people trying to learn keep making.

Grand_hustle17

iTrader: (22)

^^^^ I don't disagree with you 99.99999999% but the reason why people "shove" so much on a topic like this is because header threads here always leads no nowhere and no matter how much info is given somebody always seem to make another thread that all questions were answered before (its moreso the history of this forum and I understand that you wouldn't know)... if you were to make a thread asking if an injen intake was any good you may not have gotten so many "shoving" respond granted there is info here on that too, you just happen to start the most touchy thread ever on the whole entire forum and I'm the kind of guy who doesn't mind answering a question more than once but in a case where twice a week there is a new header thread and the questions are similar, its getting a tad annoying so because this Y-pipe is a tad different I won't bash u for that.... anyways here it is... don't get a Y-pipe for your 5.5 (period... I don't care if u bring up minor increases) just go and get some OBX or cattman headers for your car if you are looking to increase performance, cattman's fit best but cost twice as much, OBX is half the price and will have you yelling every last cuss word there is but has the same performance output, that's info for a starter (you can search the rest as this is my cellphone and my hands is tired ).... go aftermarket headers or just gut ur stock pre cats... (gutting precats probebly offer the same gains as a Y-pipe, maybe more)

perkman87

iTrader: (6)

It just gets annoying. I think you should limit the advanced search to 5th gen. then do a basic header search, and limit it to a certain time period.

Or hell just pm me and ill find it lol..

no hard feelings.

STEP YOOOO GAME UP.

Grand_hustle17

iTrader: (22)

Lemme be rochester for a minute .... here is a peeve of mine on this forum, I believe the OP slightly touched on it, I hate when ppl come on here talking about they don't come here muuch cause don't have "free time" or they "got better things to do" as if everybody on here are sore losers yet they in the midst of asking us questions and don't expect to get bashed... your not on here yet you post with no intention of coming back and when u do comeback a week later you see nothing but negative and then you get defensive.............
When I joined this forum I didn't know crap about maxima's, shyt I barely knew what an intake was (feel free to laugh) and IIRC the search wasn't available to everyone at the time and I had to go through threads and even re make some, I got into it a few with the older heads and even got banned a couple of times but I damn sure made the time to learn because it was something that caught my interest so when ppl come hear saying they don't have the time and all the BS, that's just being illiterate and ignorant as you clearly just said you don't have the time to learn about something you are interested in...

spock

iTrader: (5)

Good point, Rochester,().
I spend a lot of time researching and learning about things that interest me. Like my car. I like to do as much of my own work as I can, and this site has been invaluable in assisting me to do so.
With that said, (and I mean it), if my ypipe was starting to fail, it would be wise to purchase a performance brand rather than OEM, would it not?

Rhyno02

iTrader: (12)

That's what I did and I'm installing tomorrow. Once I hit 100k (warranty expires) headers here I come

Grand_hustle17

iTrader: (22)

If your not in it for maximum performance then yes buy the y-pipe but in most cases ur going to have the same problem as the Y-pipe isn't what failed but the precat in the headers... so if u wanted to upgrade the header exhaust system then why not take advantage of the extra power and be pro active to future problems that can arrive???... I wouldn't change the Y, id change the entire header setup... to each his own though, I'm sure if u want to buy either then u can make a case for both so its like beating a dead horse but yea if ur "y-pipe" fail, buy headers....

McSteve

iTrader: (3)

Someone did a huge write up with like 6 dynocharts of a y-pipe with the cali headers and he later converted to the fed headers, eliminating the remaining front pre-cat and was 0000000000 power gain... just saying.... The headers benefit also because of the larger diameter, not ONLY because of getting rid of the cats.

Rhyno02

iTrader: (12)

I can only speak for myself but I'm only replacing my oem y-pipe bc the braided portion of it is trashed...when I was changing my exhaust and pulled the cat off the y-pipe couldn't even support itself and just flopped down which is also leading to my exhaust to hang a lil lower than i'd like even after installing new, stiffer exhaust hangers.

Grand_hustle17

iTrader: (22)

That's a tad confusing as there is no such "cali" spec headers unless you meant cali spec y-pipe on oem headers and removed or gut the cats...

Grand_hustle17

iTrader: (22)

The "braided portion"?... your flex section??? That's not even a good reason to repllace it as you can easily replace your flex section buy I understand, ur not really in it for the performance and that's cool, that would be an o.k reason to get it... if u are into performance and wanna put excessive bolt ons on ur car then headers it should be... depending on how low you are, the braided area its gonna come loose again after a while... (not meaning its bad)

drex1x

iTrader: (2)

So im going to get these obx headers/y-pipe in the next few days.. i'll end up getting a mechanic who is also my friend to install these for me for a reasonable price.. so.. will i need O2 Sims for these? if so how many? cause i know that these don't support all the O2's that come with the car.. right?

Rhyno02

iTrader: (12)

Yeah lol, I meant the flex section. If I just replaced that section, I'd have take the y-pipe off and weld that new section in. It's easier just to replace the whole thing and get a lil performance out of it. I mean I know it's negligable but it's something. I'm not trying to make my car a performance monster, if I were gonna do that'd I'd either A: got a 6spd and/or B: went with a different platform altogether. I'm not bashing maximas or anything, just saying there are faster cars out there for similar coin. I'm lowered 2" f/r and only need this ypipe to last another 20k miles, which I don't think is unreasonable.

fpromax02

custom enterprise...has good deals on header y-pipe for yr car...as far as the original question....the 4th gen y-pipe will not b a bolt on project with yr car...

Grand_hustle17

iTrader: (22)

Seems like ur mind was already made up.... iif u make a case for why u should get it then I can't disagree with u... I say just buy it

McSteve

iTrader: (3)

That is not completely true. What I am talking about is the Exhaust manifold (header). The one pointing towards the front of the car has a different connector where the pre-cat mounts to.

When I bought my stillen y-pipe, it came with an additional part for fed spec cars. It was an elbow that connected straight to the header. I thought I could just take of that header and mount it, but nada, because the header has a 5 point connection to the pre-cat.



http://desertpearlmax2.homestead.com/fed_ypipe.html is the link to the write up

denny_1986

iTrader: (1)

i dont think that makes a difference cuz nissan themselves roll out cars with a precat in one manifold and not the other aka a fed spec car...

denny_1986

iTrader: (1)

from what i've read you have 2 options
1- sim the o2s
2- relocate the secondaries before the main cat
The latter would require extending the secondary o2s and welding a couple of o2 bungs on the b-pipe.

Rhyno02

iTrader: (12)

I already have it. I actually attempted the install today but Im freaking shot and just said eff it. lol. My friend has a lift so one of these wkends ill get him to give me a hand. I am tired of laying on the ground. I can only imagine how much fun the header install is...now all I gotta do is wait for this warranty to expire.

spock

iTrader: (5)

My issue is the same. The braided portion is starting to let go. If you have to get in there to replace that section, wouldn't it be worthwhile to replace the whole y-pipe?
Oh, and by the way, I'm not coming for you.