yes, the "y" pipe is braced to the tranny. originally he didn't want anything, i had to talk him into adding something. there is also a brace on the downpipe in the factory spot after the oilpan before the flex. will post more pics, just about to pull it out now.
as for the torch, the one in the pic is a #8 cup, i use that for the head flange and other joints like that. for butt joints, i use a #12. for tight spots though, i have a smaller gas lense and use a long #8 cup. i'll have to get pics up.