Pacesetters don't fit right (94' LT1)

I just finished installing my new pacesetter longtubes (I was replacing AS&M headers). They went it very nice, I also installed Poly motor/tranny mounts...but the driver side collector sits so high it doesn't even clear the frame all the way. It can be forced, but it sits very tight against the frame...has anyone ran into this?

mine looked that way too it was realllly close the exhaust shop guy stuck a pipe inside the collector and and both him and I pulled down on it.....lol it worked though.

yikes, well I guess I will have to try that. There is no way I'm cutting into the frame for this.

Just words of advice, trying to pry your header down like that may work, but what are you pulling against?

your problem will go from bad to worse if you pull hard enough and pull out the threads out of the alluminum heads.

I honestly don't mind if the collector rests against the frame, it may even be so taught that it won't smack around....I was thinking about pulling the threads out of the heads, and I don't like that at all.

Any Headers that i have ever installed on a lt1 have ran into the same issue with the gasket style collector on the drivers side, the pace setter setup i have on now is a slip tube style y-pipe more clearence then i could ever need as i dont have a collector causing problems on it, only downside is not so easy to get the slip tube off the headers or reinstall it for that matter.

maybe theres just that much extra material on that poly mount that the motor sits a little high

mine smacks around, i bring it to shops and all i get is my exhaust is illegal, to loud, wrong, and i should of went shorties to a full cat back.

right now its longtubes, offroad y, to a single dumped bullet, loud and a ton of power, but it does hit the frame.

Does your driver side header hit the frame? Or does it just sit slightly below it?

I honestly don't mind if the collector rests against the frame, it may even be so taught that it won't smack around....I was thinking about pulling the threads out of the heads, and I don't like that at all.


trust me you don't want this its going to vibrate your car like bitch, but if you installed new motor mounts you should not have a problem with the headers moving much so you just need a little space between your collector/ypipe and frame on drivers side.

I didn't even change the motor mounts on my car and they have 106k miles on them and my y-pipe rarely hit the frame, and there is not much space between the frame and the y-pipe. So I don't think you will have a problem.

Do you have the pacesetter Y-pipe? That's why their pipe is bent on the driver's side, to clear the frame. Mine didn't look like it would fit either, but I wedged a prybar in between the header and the frame and moved it just enough to slip the Y on. I didn't have to put that much force into it, so you should be fine as long as you're somewhat careful.

Do you have the pacesetter Y-pipe? That's why their pipe is bent on the driver's side, to clear the frame. Mine didn't look like it would fit either, but I wedged a prybar in between the header and the frame and moved it just enough to slip the Y on. I didn't have to put that much force into it, so you should be fine as long as you're somewhat careful.

He's right. The driverside collector actually tucks up above the frame. The Y-pipe has a dimple in it to clear. It's a little tough slipping the two together, but once it's all assembled it should be fine.

no, I'm running true duals, so no luck there.

no, I'm running true duals, so no luck there.

Well that would be your issue, you're going to have to dimple the pipe on the driver's side most likely...

cut the frame :)

my passenger side header hits my k member, i didnt have an issue when installing hte headers since my motor was hanging from a hoist and my k member was out, but when i bolted in the k member and lowered the engine back into the mounts, the passenger side is definitely hitting the k member. i didnt notice much of a vibration, a little bit tho. what i did notice is since its resting on the passenger side, when i rev it the motor doesnt rotate and twist the car like it used to stock. ive heard if your headers are hitting your frame you can get a false knock. a friend of mine said to stick a 2x4 in there and pry the headers out a little, but dont use metal cuz you can dent the pipes.

i know every batch comes out slightly different, and yours seems to be the opposite of mine cuz my driver side collector sits pretty damn low, and scrapes sometimes on the ground. did they hit with the stock mounts? or just with the new ones?

no idea, I installed the new motor mounts and headers at the same time.

I had this problem so bad I had summit give me a new pair, even then I had to cut into the frame, pound it up and reweld

I was not impressed with pacesetter and will not buy from them again

i have read this post like 3 times and still didnt kno what u were talking about... but now i remember... mine barely hit actually they only hit when i slipped the exhaust over the collector... so i took an air hammer to the frame and banged it up just enough to clear.... i havent expirenced any bangs or issues yet.... i didnt cut any of the frame off just put an air hammer to it

hope that helps

There are alot of cases, like my own, where the headers fit perfect. Then I have heard of others where people have had to notch the frames just to provide a little more clearance despite having new motor mounts.