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Gutted the CAT!

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Old Jan 1, 2008 | 11:06 AM
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Default Gutted the CAT!

Not too bad of a job. I've sure done worse jobs!

Anyway, I'm impressed with how much better the car runs. Better throttle response, better power, MUCH better sound. (Deeper, "throatier", louder!)

Definitely feels like I have much more power.

The back bolts were the first ones off. Came off very easily.

Front bolts had to come off with an impact wrench.

I did pre-soak the bolts with PB Blaster for about 30 minutes prior to removing them.

Once I got it off, I took a long pry-bar and busted out the internals.

Looked like partially burned charcoal.

Very easy to break out.

Cleaned it up, painted silver with Dupli-color 1200* Hi-Temp paint.

Re-installed.

P.S. It's a lot easier to remove the bolts if you loosen the heat shield and remove the connection to the air tube.

Any questions, feel free to ask....

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Old Jan 1, 2008 | 04:06 PM
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Go true duals and it will make an even bigger difference...
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Old Jan 1, 2008 | 05:13 PM
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I'll probably go with true duals at some point in the future. This was my best fix for the money (zero dollars!)
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Old Jan 1, 2008 | 06:28 PM
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Last time I did that, I made strings for my fiddle.
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Old Jan 1, 2008 | 07:21 PM
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I just took my gutted cat, threw it in the trash, and got a nice, new functional stock cat and installed it. How sweet it is to pass emissions with no problem and have a car that runs right... You guys in the farming States with no emissions testing don't have much longer of that freedom... you're going to be looking for "emissions restoration parts" within just a few years...
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Old Jan 1, 2008 | 07:32 PM
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Originally Posted by lars
I just took my gutted cat, threw it in the trash, and got a nice, new functional stock cat and installed it. How sweet it is to pass emissions with no problem and have a car that runs right... You guys in the farming States with no emissions testing don't have much longer of that freedom... you're going to be looking for "emissions restoration parts" within just a few years...
Leave the converters alone. If you want to hot rod your stuff buy a pre catalytic car or run the high flow stuff, it works!
Removing this type of emissions is what has the Feds panties in a knot and will force stricter enforcement on all of us
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Old Jan 1, 2008 | 09:14 PM
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Originally Posted by wombvette
Last time I did that, I made strings for my fiddle.
it took me a second to get that
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Old Jan 1, 2008 | 10:15 PM
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Originally Posted by yellow 72
Leave the converters alone. If you want to hot rod your stuff buy a pre catalytic car or run the high flow stuff, it works!
Removing this type of emissions is what has the Feds panties in a knot and will force stricter enforcement on all of us
Magnaflow makes some high flow stuff.
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Old Jan 1, 2008 | 11:34 PM
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here in Az, they realized finally that classic automobiles provide such an insignificant amount of contibution to the emissions problems that if you register as a collector vehicle, emissions isn't required.

Just can't be your DD or work vehicle...my junk's coming off soon.
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Old Jan 2, 2008 | 12:53 AM
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I just added a new 3 inch Magnaflow. No significant restriction on flow and I gotta pass smog in California. Car Craft did some dyno testing recently on a 400 hp engine and found a modern cat lost only about 5-10 hp at very high rpms. Good reason to go green and forget about the old pellet style cats that were corks in the system.
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Old Jan 2, 2008 | 09:36 AM
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buy a pre catalytic car
What year did this mess start?
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Old Jan 2, 2008 | 09:38 AM
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1975.
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Old Jan 2, 2008 | 11:22 AM
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Originally Posted by lars
I just took my gutted cat, threw it in the trash, and got a nice, new functional stock cat and installed it. How sweet it is to pass emissions with no problem and have a car that runs right...


Breaking a Federal law was never my idea of fun.

A free flowing CAT is the way to go IMO.
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Old Jan 2, 2008 | 05:28 PM
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And getting rid of EGR valve gives you nothing either.
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Old Jan 2, 2008 | 08:29 PM
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Originally Posted by yellow 72
Leave the converters alone. If you want to hot rod your stuff buy a pre catalytic car or run the high flow stuff, it works!
Removing this type of emissions is what has the Feds panties in a knot and will force stricter enforcement on all of us
The irony is I'm looking at your avatar that is bleeching flames and smoke into the atmosphere...sort of hard to take your advice

I know you're pre 75 but you clearly throw out more emissions with the rocket ship you've built
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Old Jan 2, 2008 | 09:16 PM
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Originally Posted by Zixxer
The irony is I'm looking at your avatar that is bleeching flames and smoke into the atmosphere...sort of hard to take your advice

I know you're pre 75 but you clearly throw out more emissions with the rocket ship you've built
Maybe, but if I were to run an under car exhaust I would run a couple of high flo cats even tho I don't legally have to...
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