bassani high flow Y pipe
 

I am in the market for a high flow Y pipe, and I hear bassani makes a good one. I was reading their warranty info http://www.bassani.com/warranty.cfm . It says their products arent street legal. Dont a few of you fellas have these?? I live in mass. and our inspections SUCK, flat out. Also, it appears that there are holes for the 02 sensors, yet i thought it said in the warranty that i may get a check engine light. Am I reading this wrong? I hope so, id love to throw one on 8D . thanks

bassani high flow Y pipe
 

Bassani makes several different models...... they make the Y-pipe, by itself, which for some reason is listed as not being street legal (maybe they didn't choose to apply for a CARB exemption, or it may be because it does not contain the pre-cat). Alternatively, they sell a "High Flow Catalytic Converter", which contains the cat as a part of the Y-pipe (still no pre-cat). For whatever reason, this is billed as being smog legal. I purchased one, which came with the "smog legal" certificate, which I showed to the exhaust shop that installed it. They had no problems, not even with the fact that it only had the one main converter and no pre-cat, stating that I was not required to have it based on my year / make / model. ('85 Bronco 302 EFI).

bassani high flow Y pipe
 

http://www.bassani.com/details.cfm?FrameID=EFCE0829-39C6-4C7E-B818-84ED10996652 I believe this is the one that I had been looking at. It looks like there is an o2 bung where the Y meets, and the cat. Why cant the government make it easy on me? MA recently put in new emmission testing. I had a buddy who ran a local garage. He inspected up until the new machines were introduced. He was our local 'blind eye' mechanic. Its all about the greenbacks now...

bassani high flow Y pipe
 

You're right...... the O2 sensor bung mounts right in the insection of the primary pipes in the "Y". Your hangup may come from your truck being a '96 (I'm assuming from the link)...... with OBDII, it might be a sacred cow to the emissions powers that be. Does your truck have dual O2 sensors? If it does, maybe the Bassani's provision for only one disqualifies it for smog legality. Just a thought. If not, I really don't have the answer. It's interesting to note, though, that an application for a '95 Bronco 351W (smog legal), but not a '96. I would say that it may be that '96 was only a partial production year? Or, again, maybe with OBDII there was something more to the equation..... Perhaps the smog legal (supposedly) '95 pipe could work for you? Details clipped from the ad follow:

High-Flow Catalytic Converters

YOUR VEHICLE:

FORD 1995 BRONCO 351/5.8L DIRECT FIT APPLICATIONS


You have found 2 products that match your search.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BASSANI Manufacturer of High Performance Exhaust Components & Systems.


click to enlarge
Catalytic Converter/Y-Pipe Combination


This Catalytic Converter/Y-Pipe combination is designed to give you the benefits of both a High-Flow Catalytic Converter and a larger mandrel bent Y-Pipe. Most OEM pipes utilize a Y-shaped design with press bent tubing. Press bending creates wrinkles in the tubing which adversely affects air flow. All Bassani crossover pipes are mandrel bent using stainless steel tubing, and in some cases the diameter is altered to optimize exhaust system performance. Don't forget, it is technically not legal to replace a catalytic converter that is working properly. All Bassani products are covered by a Lifetime Warranty.

Stainless Steel Construction!

Mandrel Bent Large Diameter Tubing!

Replaces Y-Pipe And Catalytic Converter!

Gasketless Ball & Socket Connection To Headers/Exhaust Manifolds!

Includes All Emissions Fittings!

HP & Torque: 12 HP/ 15 ft lbs Torque

Installation: This bolt-on replacement catalytic converter/Y-Pipe is designed to directly replace the factory components. No welding or cutting is required. All hardware required to complete the installation is included. Install times range from 1 to 2 hours, depending on experience and available resources.


Tech Notes: 49 States Street Legal. Legal in California only for racing vehicles which may never be used upon a highway.


Hope this helps!

:-X22

bassani high flow Y pipe
 

Bassani makes two of each Y-pipe for each engine configuration as far as I can tell. The Y-pipe with the CAT is a seperate part number from the one without. Missouri emmission laws are just as stringent as MA and I pass with no problems. There was never any sort of "pre cat" on mine. I know people say that the larger diameter bulge in the stock Y-pipe is some sort of "cat-type" device but when I cut the old stock Y-pipe down I cut right through the middle of that part....there was NOTHING in there. Besides, without the air injection from the smog pump any catalytic converter mounted further forward than the air injection barb would overheat and melt itslef into oblivion! Say what you will but the idea of two cats (one behind the other) is a redundancy. Two cats on true duals well, yeah, that makes sense. The Bassani Y-pipe that ISN'T emmission legal has no CAT at all. Its made for racing juts as they claim on the site.

bassani high flow Y pipe
 

bassani high flow Y pipe
 

I got a response from Bassani today:

"P/N 58156B3 is for the '96 Bronco, 351. It will replace the factory and
does have three bungs for the O2 sensors.

To be street legal they need to have an EO number from the government and
they do not. They are not guaranteed to pass a smog test. The pipes are
not sold as replacement parts for factory stock."


So what I get out of this is that it will work, but they didnt pay the money for the certification. Greystreak, you pass with no problems?? Sounds to me like I should too. My truck has 3 o2 sensors?? Ive never really looked for them. Maybe a typo? I thought they had two. Well its decision time, should i get it and hopefully pass (i have over 11 months to figure out how to lie to the inspection attendant if it doesnt work ;) ), or deal with stock?

bassani high flow Y pipe
 

Yes, I pass here in MO with no problems. We have no visual inspection but everything that was on the truck before I put the Bassani Y-pipe in went right back together in the same locations including 02 sensor and air injection tube. My 92 has only one 02 sensor fitted into a small cross pipe where the left and right exhaust pipes merge in the Y-pipe. This is the same location as the stock Y-pipe from Ford. What year is yours? I have never seen a Bronco with more than one 02 sensor but then never run across one with factory duals either.

bassani high flow Y pipe
 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 03-Jan-03 AT 06:38 AM (EST)]If you have visual inspections in your area forget about it cause they will fail you. I would check out the law in your area. In my city (Anchorage) we have both the tail pipe sniff test and a visual check. All the emission testing stations here have a book that covers every vehicle made that has to pass emissions with diagrams of the number of cats, location, etc. I would check about the testing in your area and make you decision based on that because it would be costly if you fail.

"To be street legal they need to have an EO number from the government and
they do not. They are not guaranteed to pass a smog test. The pipes are
not sold as replacement parts for factory stock."

The reason why they do not have a "EO" number is because technically it is not legal. Federal law states that it is illegal to remove a catalytic converter, and that is what this Bassani system is doing.

bassani high flow Y pipe
 

what size are the pipes on the bassani Y pipe? Does anyone know if NJ has a visual inspection? thanks guys

bassani high flow Y pipe
 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 03-Jan-03 AT 03:15 PM (EST)]The Bassani stainless Y-pipe with the CAT in it does NOT remove the cat thats why there is one in there! Along with this, when the Bassani Y-pipe with a cat in it (PN - 50150B3) is installed there are no sensors removed, no hoses or emmissions connections left open. Everything goes back where you found it. 02 sensor, air injection tube and thats all there is. Mine is a 92 w/ a 302. Now if I've missed something its because my truck was never equipped with it and must not need it to pass emmissions.

The Y-pipe is 1.5" up to the cat and 3" out. The entire "ST" or Street Thunder package is 3" from that point back until you get to the tip which is 3.5"

bassani high flow Y pipe
 

>The Bassani stainless Y-pipe with the CAT in it does NOT
>remove the cat thats why there is one in there! Along with
>this, when the Bassani Y-pipe with a cat in it (PN -
>50150B3) is installed there are no sensors removed, no hoses
>or emmissions connections left open. Everything goes back
>where you found it. 02 sensor, air injection tube and thats
>all there is. Mine is a 92 w/ a 302. Now if I've missed
>something its because my truck was never equipped with it
>and must not need it to pass emmissions.

There should be two cats under there, unless the bassani y-pipe bolts up to the second cat. All I am saying is that 87-96 Broncos had two cats, if this system is deleting a cat then it is illegal.

bassani high flow Y pipe
 

Then someone needs to expalin why my factory equipped 92 XLT had ONE cat under it with a FACTORY y-pipe setup. A second cat is redundant. Unless there is documentation that shows that a second cat was employed that reached a different op. temp. all cats perform alike...they superheat to burn off additional pollutants that don't burn in the normal combustion process. A second cat in line with the first would acheive little to nothing unless it reached a different op. temp. to burn off something not caught in the first one. Argue this one to death but the new stock Y-pipe that Ford was gonna sell me made no mention of a second cat when I had them price it. Now I will admit that the stock pipe had a wider section in front of the cat but nothing that even came close to resembling a cat. And why is this second cat not fed with air injection? To burn anything else off it would need at least some oxygen to acheive this. Ok, I'll get down from my soapbox now. I just don't quite understand what all the hubub is over a cat. You can't remove a working one unless you replace it with another working one. Now, if Bassani didn't get their federal registration for this product, ok. But they never made the claim to 50 state legal.

bassani high flow Y pipe
 

I have no clue, that is a first for me. All the 87-96 trucks I have seen have had 2 cats. Do you have the inline 6 in your bronco?

bassani high flow Y pipe
 

As far as I've been told by my mechanic friends the 2 cats are really one unit one will not work without the other. Aftermarket cats are made to work as one unit so it is OK to replace the (2)factory cats with one aftermarket cat.