C4 Tech/Performance L98 Corvette and LT1 Corvette Technical Info, Internal Engine, External Engine

Should I remove my cats?

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Old Aug 14, 2003 | 03:10 PM
  #1  
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From: troy mi
Default Should I remove my cats?

I have a '95 Triple Black convertible LT1.
I have a power programmer, air foil, k&n filter and lid,3:73 ring & pinion.
My question is this:
Should I remove the cats?
Will there be any added performance or gas mileage?
What about the bypass throttle body coolant?
Any info would be greatly appreciated...
Jeff in Michigan at the Woodward Dream Cruise
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Old Aug 14, 2003 | 03:35 PM
  #2  
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Default Re: Should I remove my cats? (puckhog)

Oh man.....this comes up 3 times a week I swear.

Both sides will jump in.....the permanent adolescents will say "Hell Yeah...the government ain't takin my right away to polute!" and the tree-huggers will tell you how "damaging" it is to the environment...

The truth is:

It is 3 horsepower....3 frickin horsepower.....the posers will jump on and tell you how they can feel a SOTP (seat of ther pants) difference but they are full of crap...these are the same guys that swear their Greenwood wings give them much needed downforce on their trips to the grocery store....it is 3 hp and it is a $10,000 fine if you get caught.

You decide :crazy:
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Old Aug 14, 2003 | 03:48 PM
  #3  
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Default Re: Should I remove my cats? (Bodhi)

it is 3 hp and it is a $10,000 fine if you get caught.

You decide :crazy:
Depending on where you live......

go for it.
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Old Aug 14, 2003 | 03:58 PM
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Default Re: Should I remove my cats? (Jeffvette)

I would go with a catback exhaust system first and go from there
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Old Aug 14, 2003 | 04:00 PM
  #5  
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Default Re: Should I remove my cats? (Bodhi)

I tried this on my car after I had put on the new motor, just to see how the car would run. one thing i can say is that it was very loud (combined with the flowmaster w/o the resonator) and you can definitely smell the unburnt gas. I have a 92, so i think the batch fire vs sequential might make a difference.

I've put the original cats since then, and the only thing i noticed, was that i can hear my stereo again, and no gas smell. I also replaced the flowmasters with borlas and i'm very happy w/ the results.

from my experience and from what i've heard, unless you're going to run full length headers it would make sense, otherwise i would keep the cats.

good luck,
joel


[Modified by qkvette, 4:02 PM 8/14/2003]
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Old Aug 14, 2003 | 10:52 PM
  #6  
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Default Re: Should I remove my cats? (Bodhi)

The truth is:

It is 3 horsepower....3 frickin horsepower.....the posers will jump on and tell you how they can feel a SOTP (seat of ther pants) difference but they are full of crap...these are the same guys that swear their Greenwood wings give them much needed downforce on their trips to the grocery store....it is 3 hp and it is a $10,000 fine if you get caught.
On average my car was about .15 seconds quicker in the quarter after hollowing out the main cat so I would say that would be far better than a 3hp gain. I then had another gain when I installed a font y-pipe w/out precats. I guess my experience on my car might not be the same for all others, but it seems from most of the posts I've read on the forum that there looks to be a better gain on L98 cars then on LT1 cars for whatever reason.

Oh, by the way, I don't have a wing on the car and my wife normally does the grocery shopping :D
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Old Aug 14, 2003 | 11:47 PM
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Default Re: Should I remove my cats? (puckhog)

well in ky there are no smog checks or nothing, so i got the main cat and pre cats cut off. i wasn't going for power gains tho, i was doing it all for the sound. with no cats, and only KBD tips, it sounds very :reddevil
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Old Aug 14, 2003 | 11:52 PM
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Default Re: Should I remove my cats? (corvettemaster)

Man I should back to KY......
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Old Aug 15, 2003 | 12:04 AM
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Default Re: Should I remove my cats? (Bruthish)

:lol: yeah especially since your right across the bridge from louisville :crazy:
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Old Aug 15, 2003 | 12:05 AM
  #10  
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Default Re: Should I remove my cats? (Bruthish)

I pulled my precats with 3" y pipe replaced maincat with a high flow unit .My main was plugged and pre cats were also .So I did feel a SOTP differance
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Old Aug 15, 2003 | 08:12 AM
  #11  
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Default Re: Should I remove my cats? (puckhog)

Leave the cats, questionable HP gains are not worth the expense of the cost to delete and potentail fines.


[Modified by Beautiful Beast, 7:13 AM 8/15/2003]
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Old Aug 15, 2003 | 09:06 AM
  #12  
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Default Re: Should I remove my cats? (TA)

The truth is:

It is 3 horsepower....3 frickin horsepower.....

....On average my car was about .15 seconds quicker in the quarter after hollowing out the main cat so I would say that would be far better than a 3hp gain....
Don't make the mistake of confusing an single cat L98 with a dual cat LT1. There is no HP to be had on a less than 400HP LT1 by removing the cats. There are several sub 12 second LT1/4 Vettes on the forum that have dual cats. In fact, hollowing out the LT1/4 cats may reduce HP by false tripping the knock sensor protection.

Don't waste your time, eliminate the cats when you install long tube headers.

Eric


[Modified by silver & red CE, 8:07 AM 8/15/2003]
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Old Aug 15, 2003 | 09:14 AM
  #13  
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Default Re: Should I remove my cats? (puckhog)

I wouldnt take them off.. I gutted mine because they plugged and it was the cheapest temporary solution. I noticed no difference in performance.. the car got a tad louder.. but not what I would call a good loud.


[Modified by BluByU, 8:19 PM 8/15/2003]
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Old Aug 15, 2003 | 10:58 AM
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Default Re: Should I remove my cats? (BluByU)

I am not sure if it is the same way on the lt1/4s, perhaps not since it was mentioned yo GAINED three hp. but i was told on the LS1 Ybody that if you REMOVE the cats you lose about 5 hp but if you put in high flow cats you actually gain power. makes me wonder if you gain three hp with removing the cats on an lt if you would gain even more then three hp if you put in high flow cats. personally i would like the look of just clean pipe running all the way back from my exhaust manifolds with the exception of my resonator with a stock H pipe. but putting highflow cats on an lt1 might be worth looking into
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