Ok, the flange that meets the header on the drivers side busted off. It broke on the pipe right before where it dishes out and looking at the break it looks like it had been partially cracked for some time before it finally gave way. After much tinkering I've come to the conclusion I have to take off my Y-pipe and either have it welded (temporary fix), or replace the whole thing. Has anyone else had this problem? Where can I find a replacement so I can do the project myself?

It's an '01 V-10 with headers. The The Y-pipe has the funny U configuration on the passenger side before the Y.

 

Any competent muffler shop can bend and weld up a new "Y" in less then 30 min for about $50~$75

 

Thanks for your reply, I know the restricted Y-pipe has been discussed here before, I was just wondering if anyone had any keen ideas on a broken flange.

That's part of the problem around here. (DC) "Competent" and "$50~$75" are hard to find together. Just finding one of these criterea is hard. Usually it's "Incomptetent" and "Take out a 2nd mortage".

I'm kind of ignorant on this subject. Are you talking about having the whole y-pipe remade or just the side that's broken? Can a muffler shop create a new flange to connect to the header? Will there be an issue with the oxygen sensor which is about 5" from the flange?

I know a lot of people have had new y-pipes made to increase performance, I think I was Gibson was selling the Y and you could have the pipes made from there.
I guess, short of buying a whole new y-pipe from Ford, I'm going to have to rely on someone else to fix it.

 

IMHO...just replace the y-pipe and do not attempt to repair the OEM. You will notice an improvement over the OEM when you go with an aftermarket one. There is a person on eBay making nice y-pipes and so does Flowmaster.

Depending on where the crack and now break is, will depend on what the exhaust shop will have to do. The flange that connects to the header is usually a pre-fab part. So...you might get lucky there (in a sense).

Good luck...

biz

 

I am a retired Army guy who lived all over the world and in dozens of states..

every town I know of has at least one "no name brand" muffler guy with a tubing bender and welder...

Just drive on in with a spare hundred $ in cash and get him to lift the truck and see what you want

go to the "Y" pipe threads here in this forum and print out the pictures of the V10 "Y" pipes... he will know the best, easiest, out of the way and fairly simple two to one plumbing that will work just as good as any $75~$129.99 bolt on unit... the last one I had fabed up was $45 and I drank one of his beers while he was making sparks!

This day in age a muffler shop competency is rated by if or if NOT they will do exhaust modifications...not if they have the ability...there are a number of parts changers only that think they can loose their business license if they modify any exhaust component...there are other shops who are knowledgeable in these things and will do the mod to make it look like it was what the factory intended....he is out there and I bet within 20 miles of your house...waiting for your business

 

Thanks for your help. I'll just start asking around and see what I get. I found Purerockracing some great pictures in his gallery of his y-pipe, maybe I'll just go ahead and have it all redone right. Peace to all...

 

I have a 2002 with the Y pipe mod. Check my gallery, maybe it will help you.

 

mdpopo59, FWIW you don't have the restrictive Y pipe. You have (had) the Ram's horn design.

What brand headers do you have?

 

Skipper, thanks for the help. I think I'm going to try what Fredvon4 suggested first and just get the flange end replaced. I've gotten a couple of quotes, none below $100, but I have my doubts about their abilities. Having one of these guys build me a whole new Y-pipe would cost me a fortune and I'm not sure what I'd end up with. I found a factory y-pipe on the internet for about $250. I'll keep checking out different shops.

Monsta, thanks, I thought I had the non-restricted Y-pipe but I wasn't sure, I've seen pictures of the restricted version, it's not like mine. In that case, I'm not too worried about replacing the whole thing yet.

BTW, I have the e-bay headers. They have been fine except the drivers side warped and I had to have them machined down so they would seal. They are noisy but since I installed them they seem to keep the engine cooler when I tow. I towed up through northern PA and upper NY last summer and no matter how hard I pushed it the temp. guage never moved. It's not so loud that you can't hear the radio or talk to each other. I have a FM70 on the back side and at certain rpm's it's actually louder than the engine/headers.

 

mdpopo59
"just get the flange end replaced. I've gotten a couple of quotes, none below $100, "

WOW!!!! They sure are proud of a 5 min job with $9 parts out there...$100 bucks to repair or weld on a new flange is outrageous... around here it is no more then $25

 

I agree, being from a farm in Oklahoma and working on my own vehicles all my life, I know what's involved. I had a gut put a custom bent and welded dual exhaust on an old Cheby I had and it cost me $80 bucks back there. I think around here people in general have more money than sense and will pay these outrageous rates with no questions. That's why I always try and do the work myself, if I can. Unfortunately, I live in a small townhouse now and I don't have a welder and the tools to cut pipe with. A lot of times I just buy replacement parts on the web and install them myself.

I have a deep appreciation for you guys at FTE, you all are always a great resource and always willing to help out.

 

Cheap political commentary...

Just noticed your "location"

I was born it that state and over my 51 years have lived there twice.. never again! Beautiful as Maryland is, I hate the tax you to death attitude of the politicians, their extreme lack of trust in humans to decide their own fate, and the massive "sheeple" syndrome most of the citizens exhibit...

You are probably close enough to get west into Rural Virgina or Rural West Virginia small towns and find a reasonable muffler shop that is not in pure rip off mode