Hi Everyone!

I am proud to announce after working with Brian Catts for a long time there finally is a Cattman Y-Pipe for the California Nissan Maximas. I know i have been waiting for this pipe for a long time and was fortunate enough to test the prototype before it was ok for production.

The sound is amazing and widens the power band the most out of all the bolt-on modifications i have put on -- a great compliment to my Greddy exhaust. The real shocker was how all of a sudden my car was using less gas than before. Its amazing how much drag a stock exhaust system places on these cars.

so i put together some pictures of how the exhaust looks side by side with the original. Enjoy!

Please comment if you have any questions at all

 

sweet
im calling him up tomorrow to place my order!

 

I like the stamped flange...even though no one will ever see it, lol. It doesnt look drastically different than his "regular" y-pipe. All that I can see it the section that goes to the rear bank is longer and the 02 bungs are in different spots.

Didnt waste anytime to start a thread either....


BTW, the poll is pretty lame. No offense but I just don't see the point.

 

Yeah there are some obvious differences.....
1. The Merger
2. The rear bank flange is higher
3 The hangar support is different
4. The O2 sensors are located differently

 

How much is this and when can I get it?

 

^That, lol

 

question
the o2 bung on the longer pipe seems perpendicular to the car body. Was is it a PITA to install the o2 at that location?
i'm up for some installed pics

 

Oh hell yes. Buuttt, I need to stop spending money...

 

Is that an earlier designed Y-pipe? I have one and there are some difference between mine and the one in the pics you posted. My o2 sensor bungs is on the outside of the bend for the rear bank and my hanger isnt that flat-style, its like the OP's.

 

The pipe isnt too difficult to install once all of the crap is removed from the old one. But once i had the y-pipe off i was able to removes the sensors from the old one and transfer them to the new one.

In response to...
The pipe sells for $350

 

same here lol

 

Adding this to my wish list, already doing the 6th gen bbk this month.

Do you know if it has any clearance issues with a LTB?

 

damn cattmans products are works of art, too bad you cant see them once installed..

 

i guess i have to poll since you put one up there, but my favorite bolton would be headers... that Y-pipe looks beautiful and ive always like the type of material cattman uses but i must say i'd have to get the headers... given that ur a 5th gen im more partial

 

That looks sic but would want the headers even though in Cali!!

 

Please help me understand this. Since the Y-pipe eliminates one of the pre-cats, won't you get a code after the install??

 

What makes you think that the pipe eliminates one of the cat's?

 

I purchased the ypipe in 2003 so some things have changed since then......Cattman sure loves that merge assembly.....I do too!!!!!

 

Doesn't it eliminate the pre-cat thats part of the stock y pipe? Leaving you with only the pre-cat that's near the radiator??

 

Yes the y-pipe does remove the pre-cats after the one by the radiator. However the way cattman uniquely placed the O2 sensor locations tricks the ECU into thinking the oxygen mixture is correct. The nice thing is that the air fuel mixture is pretty good to begin with, tricking the sensors into thinking everything is ok!

 

piping diameter is to small for my taste......

 

thanks! Good to know!!

 

You sure about that? Looking @ the pics, it doesn't appear so. If the front cat were eliminated, it would have to bolt up to the stock header. I could be totally wrong here, and would really like to know for sure.

 

I am referring to one of the pre-cats.. the one for the front of the engine that still remains in place. And yes you are right, if all the pre-cats were eliminated it would have to bolt up directly to the header just like you say. However in the California models the front pre-cat is almost 5 inches wide and reduces to about 2 3/4 in. From what i have seen on my old front pre-cat there really isnt much restriction from the pre-cat to begin with. so in my opinion it doesnt really interfere with performance.

 

Thanks for starting this, Francisco, much appreciated. I've made a list of questions that have come up, and will try to cover most here.

1. The introductory price for the first batch or two will be $349.99 (same price they were when they went out of production 3 years ago). After that the retail price will probably be $389.99 ($369.99 w/ max.org discount). We take orders (and answer ?s) by phone at 800.759.9920 (US except AZ), 888.296.5153 (Canada and AZ) or 520.575.6195, open 9-5 MST/PDT, Monday-Thursday. I'm not sure exactly which day they'll be done, but they should be finished next week (11-16 July).

2. The newest generation (I've lost count since 2000) of our YG5CA y-pipe has a number of small design changes intended to both improve performance and increase manufacturing efficiencies. One result is that the retail price will remain below $400, despite the huge steel price increases since these were last made in 2007.

3. As Francisco noted, the y-pipe eliminates the rear precat that is part of the stock y-pipe, and does not affect the front pre-cat. The secondary O2 sensor for the rear precat is moved the front downpipe, but this solution of course requires a working front precat (or you'll get two CELs).

4. Most people would overlook it, but that merge collector is both a key performance component (because it flows so well and creates little turbulance) and a nightmare to manufacture (because welding the crotch of the merge tends to cause warpage that throws off the two downpipes). Its very effective, but also very expensive (to do right).

5. We tested these tubing diameters very thoroughly 10 years ago, and although they may seem small, they gave the best results for VQ30DE motors with light bolt-on mods. I figure if a car's built internally, blown, or juiced there's going to be a set of better-flowing headers on it anyway.

Thank you, everyone, for your interest in our new Y-pipe production. The Cattman y-pipe for the 1995-1998 + 1999/2000 Fed-spec Maximas will be following shortly after the YG5CA.

Brian C Catts
Cattman Performance

 

You're right, starting in 2000, quite a few guys have tried switching out the CA/NLEV front manifold/precat/y-pipe and replacing it with a Federal-style manifold and y-pipe, but they've been disappointed. Logic suggests that this front/rear assymetry costs a lot of HP, but the performance increase is almost too small to measure. Most of the performance increase from a Cattman y-pipe is from improved flow through the tubing, not just the elimination of the precats.

 

brain, i never got the paypal request!

 

Received and returned, thanks!

Brian

 

sorry if this sounds like a noob question...
but when ppl say the cats become clogged in our 5th gens. 5.5 to be exact, is it more common for the rear cat to clog or the front radiator one?
are there cali spec legal headers??

 

When people usually say a cat gets clogged it mostly comes from using cheap gas which causes a huge amount of carbon buildup. and that accumulates allot more in the front cat since it has more traps than the rear cat. as far as cali spec headers i myself haven't seen any. some people would just blank out the O2 sensor but if you were to use headers you might just end up using a whole different y-pipe anyways.

 

Depends on what you mean by "clogging". If you mean the cat has simply failed, it might be a matter of clogging but usually its a matter of running out of the catalyzing elements (cats are like batteries, eventually they run out of the elements that are slowly consumed by the catalyzing process). Anyway, whatever the cause, the front pre-cat definitely fails sooner (or more often) than the rear one.

There are no headers that are technically street legal for any Maxima. The Cattman header/y-pipe system we make for the 95-03 Maximas fits and works with all years, all types, but since it requires removal of Federally mandated emissions components (as all headers do) there is no potential for the part to be street legal.

Yet, there are hundreds of cars on the streets with these systems every day, and they pass emission inspections without a problem, so most performance enthusiasts don't get too caught up in the technical details of compliance.

Brian

 

Guys this isn't for the 02-03.

 

Cattman y-pipes for the 00-01 Maxima are now in stock, ready to ship! Give us a call at 800.759.9920 (or 520.575.6195) to order, we're open 9-5 MST/PDT, M-F.

Brian

 

When is one coming for the 02-03?

 

No wires need to be extended for the 99-01 CA/NLEV y-pipe installation. We have these in stock, give us a call at 800.759.9920 (open 9-5 MST, M-F) to order.

Brian

 

I always thought people in california drove Priuses, El Caminos and 64 Impalas- I guess you learn something new everyday

 

I just put mine in today and yes it does include the gaskets, you will need 3 bolts with nuts to bolt up the y pipe to the pre cat. Other than that it went in smooth.