great point Matt. Ok, i'll see what I can adjust. Most of the lines in the trans tunnel are tucked up quite high now, but the ones near the driveshaft tunnel can be adjusted. You are right on that being a safety issue. also, good suggestion about the RTV copper. I picked some of that up as a "just in case" thing. I like these evil-energy v-bands as they have a male/female grove built into the flanges, but it's probably a good extra leak-proofing to use the copper if I think there is a misalignment.
Adam, yea, I am much happier with the location of the oxygen sensors. The other plan was going to be a concern for me. I welded in the o2 bungs today real quick and they are 6 5/8" from the v-band flange. I put a cheapo o2 bung extender and a bolt into the bung while welding to give the heat a place to travel to and avoid warping the bung. I had to put them on an angle because of the curvature of the trans tunnel. I won't be able to unscrew them when this y-pipe is mounted to the headers, but all I have to do is let it hang by the flex pipes, screw the o2 sensors in tight, and then lift the whole assembly up to the headers and tighten the v-bands.
-also yes, I am super hopeful that the mig gun's liner isn't fubar or anything. As far as I was expecting, the mig gun liners is probably as old as the welder itself, which is mid 1980's. I am going to try to fiddle with it this weekend because I will need the mig welder to weld in the actual exhaust hangers which will locate the mufflex pipes and magnaflow muffler. I don't think the tig will be up to that.
--sidenote, while welding up those pie-cuts yesterday using the tig torch, I adjusted the flexible head like I usually do in tight spots, and heard/felt a crack from the torch gun. So, the torch is no longer an adjustable head, but now it also isn't fixed...it just kind of bobbles around...which is super difficult to get a crisp weld line. DAMN! another tool busted up.
so, yea, now that the pipes are welded in and the bungs, the last thing I have to do is weld up the joint between the flowmaster 4"to3" merge and the silver mufflex slip-collar.
-After thats done, I am going to scuff the whole thing, prime the whole piece (not the flex pipes) with VHT primer and then some VHT paint. Then it will be time to put on the header pipe-wrap. I know that like Brian said above it will hold oils and debris, and its a pain to work with the fiberglass , but I am fully interested in keeping the heat in the pipes and less radiating to the nearby trans, fluid lines, fuel lines, floorboards, and whatnot. My biggest question is, should I wrap those flex pipes too? Did some research and some people in-fact do wrap flex pipes. They suggest wrapping the flex pipe as a separate section, in case I gotta take that part off... I wouldn't have to unspool the whole y-pipe assembly. I am not going to wrap the mufflex main pipe or anything past the drivers seat area, so basically JUST this y-pipe. Thoughts?
