Summit racing exhaust separator comments

<http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-900654/>

Needed to pull the y-pipe to get the oil pan off (1997 ZJ 5.2). A year
or so back I replaced the cat and everything behind it, the y-pipe was
slip-jointed into the cat with a U-bolt exhaust clamp and had had a year
of CT winter to get well rusted.

Hammering didn't move it, pipe wrench didn't turn it, heating red hot
didn't loosen it up, I was about ready to just cut it and get a new Y-
pipe (the old one has nothing wrong with it) when I noticed that Summit
Racing had an "exhaust separator" for just a hair less than Amazon got
for a Walker Y-pipe. So I decided to give it a try.

My first impression, before I even opened the UPS box, was that it was a
heavy so and so. And it is. This isn't some flimsy toy, it's made from
heavy steel--can't tell for sure if it's forged or cast, but it's a
formidable hunk of metal regardless. Comes with two sets of adapters,
for 2-1/2" and 3" pipe and fits 4" without an adapter (they have a
different model for 2-1/4" and smaller).

It's basically a split ring that bolts together with the pipe in the
middle, and two big bolts to drive the pipes apart. I clamped one piece
onto the pipe (socked it down with a breaker bar) and the other loosely
onto the cat, per instructions, and in about five minutes they were
nicely separated.

This turned one of the most miserable automotive jobs their is (IMO)
into something quick and simple and I consider the money well spent. I
dunno if I'll ever have an excuse to use it again, but it's damned nice
to know that it's there.

Only thing I'd change about it is to ship it in some kind of storage
box--the box it comes in is cardboard and not very sturdy. It's got
enough pieces that keeping it together over the long term could be a
hassle, and it's heavy enough that it's likely to tear a hole in a
ziploc.

Anyway, the Y-pipe is now separated, no fuss, no bother.

Anybody in the Hartford-Springfield area who needs to get their exhaust
separated let me know. Be nice to get some more use out of it.

On 5/26/2011 3:30 PM, J. Clarke wrote:
> <http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-900654/>
>
> Needed to pull the y-pipe to get the oil pan off (1997 ZJ 5.2). A year
> or so back I replaced the cat and everything behind it, the y-pipe was
> slip-jointed into the cat with a U-bolt exhaust clamp and had had a year
> of CT winter to get well rusted.
>
> Hammering didn't move it, pipe wrench didn't turn it, heating red hot
> didn't loosen it up, I was about ready to just cut it and get a new Y-
> pipe (the old one has nothing wrong with it) when I noticed that Summit
> Racing had an "exhaust separator" for just a hair less than Amazon got
> for a Walker Y-pipe. So I decided to give it a try.
>
> My first impression, before I even opened the UPS box, was that it was a
> heavy so and so. And it is. This isn't some flimsy toy, it's made from
> heavy steel--can't tell for sure if it's forged or cast, but it's a
> formidable hunk of metal regardless. Comes with two sets of adapters,
> for 2-1/2" and 3" pipe and fits 4" without an adapter (they have a
> different model for 2-1/4" and smaller).
>
> It's basically a split ring that bolts together with the pipe in the
> middle, and two big bolts to drive the pipes apart. I clamped one piece
> onto the pipe (socked it down with a breaker bar) and the other loosely
> onto the cat, per instructions, and in about five minutes they were
> nicely separated.
>
> This turned one of the most miserable automotive jobs their is (IMO)
> into something quick and simple and I consider the money well spent. I
> dunno if I'll ever have an excuse to use it again, but it's damned nice
> to know that it's there.
>
> Only thing I'd change about it is to ship it in some kind of storage
> box--the box it comes in is cardboard and not very sturdy. It's got
> enough pieces that keeping it together over the long term could be a
> hassle, and it's heavy enough that it's likely to tear a hole in a
> ziploc.
>
> Anyway, the Y-pipe is now separated, no fuss, no bother.
>
> Anybody in the Hartford-Springfield area who needs to get their exhaust
> separated let me know. Be nice to get some more use out of it.
>

Interesting, and a problem we've all faced a bunch of times I'm sure.
I'll keep my eyes open for this tool.

--
I'm never going to grow up.