Y-pipe year

[GTRS Fiero]

Can you tell be looking, which year Fiero this Y-pipe was made for?

Then there is this one.

The views are different, and I'm not familiar enough with the differences between the years, but I have trouble with spacial visualization, anyway.

[Raydar]

The major difference is the vertical placement of the joint, where the Y-pipe connects to the downpipe (J-pipe?) that goes to the cat.
I believe the 88 crossover is "shorter", and the 88 downpipe is longer (placing the joint higher in the system.)
 
I'm thinking that both pics are the earlier Y-pipe. The second one just appears to be thermal coated.

Either one will work in either application, as long as the appropriate downpipe is used.
If you use the coated one, you can likely ditch your tin heat shields, or the foil wrap. (I forget yours was an 88.)

[GTRS Fiero]

I suspected they were both the earlier version.  I thought the orientation of the ports for the EGR and oxygen sensors was different.

[Raydar]

.. I thought the orientation of the ports for the EGR and oxygen sensors was different.

I forgot about those.
The 88 EGR valve is indeed "tilted" away from the engine a bit more than the earlier years.
Hard call on the O2 sensor. I forget which way mine were pointed.

[Fierofool]

I'm not sure about the O-2 sensor, but the Y pipe on the 88 is moved away from the distributor a little more and the EGR valve base is tilted further to the driver's side.  It's hard to tell if there's a difference in the photos, due to size and angle.

The pipes will fit all year V6's, but there should be a caveat to that claim.  You might have to change the lower exhaust system due to the things Steve outlined.  The 88 Y won't bolt to the 85-87 lower exhaust and the 85-87 Y won't bolt to the 88 lower exhaust.  Without some mods, anyway. 

[GTRS Fiero]

Away from the distributor would seem to be better.

Can the Y-pipe be replaced without dropping the cradle?

[Fierofool]

Yes, it can.  From what I read, the only problem area is that the downpipe flange bolts often don't want to come loose or they break.  I think the donut gasket for that flange is also difficult to obtain. 

[Raydar]

...I think the donut gasket for that flange is also difficult to obtain.

Last time I bough the donut gaskets, I just took my old one up to Advance. The guy knew what it was without looking in the computer, and brought out several. They had the regular "soft" ones, and one that was made of aluminum. They seem to be a fairly generic part. Or at least they were, back then. 

[Fierofool]

That's good.  I wonder if you can also get them from places like Midas or Meineke.

[GTRS Fiero]

Well, my Y-pipe was just out and had new gaskets, so it shouldn't be difficult to replace, if I decide to do so.  I guess I should've bought the earlier Y-pipe, but I want my Fiero to look stock.