93 V6 Y Pipe

[PES300]

Need help to decide on

should I buy OEM from toyota cost CAD 360 + 3 gaskets of $ 10 each

or an after market one for CAD $ 210 + 3 gasket 4 each

Also the driveline seem vibrating when the car is at stop and with transmission in drive.

Is this cause by the leaking Y pipe also?

How much and where should I take the car to get the Y pipe replaced?

Thanks

[Toysrme]

No don't buy an OEM one from Toyota/Lexus.

Go to a reputable performance / exhaust shop, and have them make you a new one. It'll not only be many times cheaper, but you oughta get 10-15hp from a good y-pipe, and 5hp if you ditch the cat convertor.

Custom Y-pipe oughta cost 250-300usd to build, I wouldn't pay over 250CAD.

The driveline vibrating is not caused by the y-pipe. The top engine mount (dog bone) is more than likely worn out. That's the black mount on top that goes between the passanger wheel well & the engine. Unbolt it & inspect the rubber, it'll likely be split.

You can either rebuild the mount with 3M window Poly (bust the rubber out friday & put the mount back on sunday evening after the poly has dried), or buy a new one.

[tckcumming]

Need help to decide on

should I buy OEM from toyota cost CAD 360 + 3 gaskets of $ 10 each

or an after market one for CAD $ 210 + 3 gasket 4 each

Also the  driveline seem vibrating when the car is at stop and with transmission in drive.

Is this cause by the leaking Y pipe also?

How much and where should I take the car to get the Y pipe replaced?

Thanks

←

Just wrote a long detailed reply to your post - clicked "Add Reply" - got an error msg., my reply is gone!

Anyway...

I've done this job twice, on a '92 (aftermarket) and my current '93 (dealer installed OEM).

Bottom line:

** OEM or aftermarket parts - makes no difference. Both do the job.

** WHERE it's done is the more important thing.

** Find a GOOD muffler shop - they can do this work just fine. Get recommendations from friends, family, etc.

** Last time I had this job done - cost $565 total at Lexus dealer.

** YES - the vibration at idle can be caused by the bad exhaust pipe. My '93 did this too; new pipe = no vibration. Mention it at whatever shop you take the car to - they'll check exhaust & motor mounts while it's on the rack. But replacing only the pipe will probably cure it. If not - next step is to get a new "dog bone".

My advice? - go aftermarket, as long as you trust the shop that will do the work. Speedy Muffler did mine on my '92. Good work, no complaints. Lexus dealer did my '93, also good. Speedy was around $200 cheaper.

Good luck!

tck...

ps. Toysrme is correct - the y-pipe in the Lexus is a horrible design as far as flow and restriction is concerned. Whoever designed that piece must have been having a bad day. I would have considered getting a new one made last time, but my original one blew out just as I was leaving town for a business trip - I needed it changed NOW, so I went to Lexus dealer since they had it in stock.

BTW - lucky that you have an "early" ES300. If I remember correctly, later ones (don't remember the changeover date - '94??) have the cat converter(s) in unit with this pipe. Cost to replace is horrendous!

[Toysrme]

ya, tck summed it up well.

Toyota hasn't used pre-cats on a v6 yet AFAIK (through the 2mz, snot seen a new 3mz). The MZ y-pipes reach farther up into the bay to get to the exhaust manifold.

[PES300]

Thanks to everyone for such great recommendation.

Oh by the way TCKCUMMING is there any sound difference between the OEM and the after market Y pipe. Isearch some camry forum and noted someone claims the after market Y pipe is noisy?

I live in markham or GTA Ontario . Is there any good and resonable mechanic shops around my area? any shop that will custom made a Y pipe ( mandral bent?)

[SKperformance]

Yes the stock pipe is restrictive but compared to aftermarket ones it is built much better in the flex joints.

So i prefer a oem over aftermarket especially considering it has sheilding which is not present on aftermarket ones to kep noise and heat down.

[tckcumming]

Oh by the way TCKCUMMING is there any sound difference between the OEM  and the after market Y pipe.  Isearch some camry forum and noted someone  claims the after market Y pipe is noisy?

I haven't noticed any difference at all. Can't hear the engine running inside the car at idle. Very quiet on the road - just like the factory OEM.

A custom made one would definitely be noisier. If serene quiet is what you're after - stick with the stock (OEM or aftermarket). Some people like a little "growl" from the exhaust. I could put up with a little increase in noise, but wouldn't be happy if it was at all intrusive. Just doesn't suit the Lexus "character".

I get all the exhaust noise I need from my '69 MGB. Straight stainless steel pipe right from the header to a shorty "full flow" muffler at the back. The muffler is a real joke. It's a round stainless steel can about 6" in diameter and a foot and a half long. You can look in one end and see right through it out the other end. Only there to make it legal.

It sounds awesome, tho!

tck...

[Toysrme]

I've never found noise to be different. That's why they use two mufflers.