Im a new owner of a 98 GT sport package edition. Bought the car completely stock (with exception of cold air intake). I want to first get an off road xpipe to help the car breathe a little better, as there are 6 cats on the car from the factory. Anyway, I was look at the 2.5 inch BBK xpipe that should be a direct bolt on. I want to keep the factory cat back and mufflers on for now which are 2.25in i believe. Will the 2.5in x pipe still work with factory 2.25 catback? Or will the 2.5in x pipe "slide" over the 2.25in pipe and not fit? Please help. Thanks.

 

It should bolt up just fine. I have upr's x pipe that has the similar ball ends that attach to the catback. Just make sure you get a new passenger side gasket the goes between the manifold and x pipe. I had a leak from the old worn out gasket that was still on there.

 

And you can only get that piece at a stealership

 

I got mine from ebay for $7.72 shipped. Rock auto also sells them for $4.09 + shipping. Search Fel-Pro 61203 Exhaust Pipe Flange Gasket and a few other places carry them as well..summit, cjpony, jegs, etc.
Screw the stealership lol

 

+1 on Ebay. I would rather spend $10 on a gasket through ebay with $2 shipping then spend $30 at a dealership.

 

I was told these x pipes come with ball sockets on the end and the gaskets aren't necessary. Is this true?

 

When I was looking for an x pipe I was under the understanding of them having ball ends also. Even after I had the x pipe I didn't notice the passenger side because it wasn't even a thought. But after reading on another forum about the passenger side needing a gasket, it explained where my leak was coming from.
Then after looking at pics of various brands of pipes, it seems that the passenger side is not a ball end but all others are.

 

Just for clarification.. The gasket goes between the passenger side exhaust manifold and the x pipe. Make sure to spend the money on the OEM gasket as it has a metal crush ring where the felpro does not. Also, torque the bolts to 30 ft/lbs on the passenger side as to not overcrush the gasket. Other than that get two 10 inch extensions and a u joint, you'll need them to reach those passenger side bolts. I just did the install yesterday so feel free to ask any install questions you may have. One thing I encountered was that a 15mm deep socket did not work for me on the passenger side. I used a regular 15mm socket (1/2" drive) and it fit much better on the nut. Reconnecting the driver side front 02 sensor was a PIA with my fat hands.