Cat or no Cat
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
From: Bloomington IL.
Cat or no Cat
I have an 86 with quite a few engine mods, don't know all the exact specs, I bought the car this way.
It has long tube headers, no pre heater, stock cat and stock '92 era stock mufflers.
How bad is my stock choking my engine?
I was thinking of either cutting out the mufflers or removing the cat and then get a cat back system. It sounds like magnaflow is the way to go on that.
Suggestions?
Thanks for everyones time.
It has long tube headers, no pre heater, stock cat and stock '92 era stock mufflers.
How bad is my stock choking my engine?
I was thinking of either cutting out the mufflers or removing the cat and then get a cat back system. It sounds like magnaflow is the way to go on that.
Suggestions?
Thanks for everyones time.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 40,156
Likes: 45
From: San Pedro CA
I would keep the cat.
If for no other reason than they are not very expensive, and clean air should be important to all of us.
Is this a track car? If so, then ditch the cat, get the most performance you can.
Is it a daily car? Then keep the cat.
Check with both Carsound (part of Magnaflow) and Random Tech for a high flow 3.5" or 4" cat.
If your area ever requires emissions testing, those cats will pass. EASILY, without any performance loss.
Thats the other side of this... without any cat, the noise will be huge.
Remember, these cars are designed for a cat... in more ways than one. The engine expects a small amt of backpressure, and the interior was insulated for a certain amount of exhaust quieting.
Finally, the center cat works much like a cross over. This is a good thing - it will smooth out the power pulses and make the exhaust work properly, and keep the boom down inside the cabin.
The stock L98 exhaust, precats, y-pipes, center cat, mufflers, is woefully ineffecient. With headers, no precats, better y-pipes, larger center cat, and low flow mufflers, 50+ hp will be found.
If for no other reason than they are not very expensive, and clean air should be important to all of us.
Is this a track car? If so, then ditch the cat, get the most performance you can.
Is it a daily car? Then keep the cat.
Check with both Carsound (part of Magnaflow) and Random Tech for a high flow 3.5" or 4" cat.
If your area ever requires emissions testing, those cats will pass. EASILY, without any performance loss.
Thats the other side of this... without any cat, the noise will be huge.
Remember, these cars are designed for a cat... in more ways than one. The engine expects a small amt of backpressure, and the interior was insulated for a certain amount of exhaust quieting.
Finally, the center cat works much like a cross over. This is a good thing - it will smooth out the power pulses and make the exhaust work properly, and keep the boom down inside the cabin.
The stock L98 exhaust, precats, y-pipes, center cat, mufflers, is woefully ineffecient. With headers, no precats, better y-pipes, larger center cat, and low flow mufflers, 50+ hp will be found.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 62,141
Likes: 1,729
From: Athens AL
C7 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist 2021
C4 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
The stock one is really poor at flow ability, just gutting it on the L98 gets close to 10hp, so I would either replace it with a Random Tech or run a straight pipe through it. Random Tech's are about $250-260.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 810
Likes: 1
From: Las Vegas NV
Originally Posted by bogus
I would keep the cat.
If for no other reason than they are not very expensive, and clean air should be important to all of us.
Is this a track car? If so, then ditch the cat, get the most performance you can.
Is it a daily car? Then keep the cat.
Check with both Carsound (part of Magnaflow) and Random Tech for a high flow 3.5" or 4" cat.
If your area ever requires emissions testing, those cats will pass. EASILY, without any performance loss.
Thats the other side of this... without any cat, the noise will be huge.
Remember, these cars are designed for a cat... in more ways than one. The engine expects a small amt of backpressure, and the interior was insulated for a certain amount of exhaust quieting.
Finally, the center cat works much like a cross over. This is a good thing - it will smooth out the power pulses and make the exhaust work properly, and keep the boom down inside the cabin.
The stock L98 exhaust, precats, y-pipes, center cat, mufflers, is woefully ineffecient. With headers, no precats, better y-pipes, larger center cat, and low flow mufflers, 50+ hp will be found.
If for no other reason than they are not very expensive, and clean air should be important to all of us.
Is this a track car? If so, then ditch the cat, get the most performance you can.
Is it a daily car? Then keep the cat.
Check with both Carsound (part of Magnaflow) and Random Tech for a high flow 3.5" or 4" cat.
If your area ever requires emissions testing, those cats will pass. EASILY, without any performance loss.
Thats the other side of this... without any cat, the noise will be huge.
Remember, these cars are designed for a cat... in more ways than one. The engine expects a small amt of backpressure, and the interior was insulated for a certain amount of exhaust quieting.
Finally, the center cat works much like a cross over. This is a good thing - it will smooth out the power pulses and make the exhaust work properly, and keep the boom down inside the cabin.
The stock L98 exhaust, precats, y-pipes, center cat, mufflers, is woefully ineffecient. With headers, no precats, better y-pipes, larger center cat, and low flow mufflers, 50+ hp will be found.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 13,793
Likes: 0
From: St. Peters MO Sometimes you have to prove yourself by doing alot of killing or alot of dying...
What he said...
Originally Posted by bogus
I would keep the cat.
If for no other reason than they are not very expensive, and clean air should be important to all of us.
Is this a track car? If so, then ditch the cat, get the most performance you can.
Is it a daily car? Then keep the cat.
Check with both Carsound (part of Magnaflow) and Random Tech for a high flow 3.5" or 4" cat.
If your area ever requires emissions testing, those cats will pass. EASILY, without any performance loss.
Thats the other side of this... without any cat, the noise will be huge.
Remember, these cars are designed for a cat... in more ways than one. The engine expects a small amt of backpressure, and the interior was insulated for a certain amount of exhaust quieting.
Finally, the center cat works much like a cross over. This is a good thing - it will smooth out the power pulses and make the exhaust work properly, and keep the boom down inside the cabin.
The stock L98 exhaust, precats, y-pipes, center cat, mufflers, is woefully ineffecient. With headers, no precats, better y-pipes, larger center cat, and low flow mufflers, 50+ hp will be found.
If for no other reason than they are not very expensive, and clean air should be important to all of us.
Is this a track car? If so, then ditch the cat, get the most performance you can.
Is it a daily car? Then keep the cat.
Check with both Carsound (part of Magnaflow) and Random Tech for a high flow 3.5" or 4" cat.
If your area ever requires emissions testing, those cats will pass. EASILY, without any performance loss.
Thats the other side of this... without any cat, the noise will be huge.
Remember, these cars are designed for a cat... in more ways than one. The engine expects a small amt of backpressure, and the interior was insulated for a certain amount of exhaust quieting.
Finally, the center cat works much like a cross over. This is a good thing - it will smooth out the power pulses and make the exhaust work properly, and keep the boom down inside the cabin.
The stock L98 exhaust, precats, y-pipes, center cat, mufflers, is woefully ineffecient. With headers, no precats, better y-pipes, larger center cat, and low flow mufflers, 50+ hp will be found.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 407
Likes: 0
From: Alma AR
Originally Posted by bogus
I would keep the cat.
If for no other reason than they are not very expensive, and clean air should be important to all of us.
Is this a track car? If so, then ditch the cat, get the most performance you can.
Is it a daily car? Then keep the cat.
Check with both Carsound (part of Magnaflow) and Random Tech for a high flow 3.5" or 4" cat.
If your area ever requires emissions testing, those cats will pass. EASILY, without any performance loss.
Thats the other side of this... without any cat, the noise will be huge.
Remember, these cars are designed for a cat... in more ways than one. The engine expects a small amt of backpressure, and the interior was insulated for a certain amount of exhaust quieting.
Finally, the center cat works much like a cross over. This is a good thing - it will smooth out the power pulses and make the exhaust work properly, and keep the boom down inside the cabin.
The stock L98 exhaust, precats, y-pipes, center cat, mufflers, is woefully ineffecient. With headers, no precats, better y-pipes, larger center cat, and low flow mufflers, 50+ hp will be found.
If for no other reason than they are not very expensive, and clean air should be important to all of us.
Is this a track car? If so, then ditch the cat, get the most performance you can.
Is it a daily car? Then keep the cat.
Check with both Carsound (part of Magnaflow) and Random Tech for a high flow 3.5" or 4" cat.
If your area ever requires emissions testing, those cats will pass. EASILY, without any performance loss.
Thats the other side of this... without any cat, the noise will be huge.
Remember, these cars are designed for a cat... in more ways than one. The engine expects a small amt of backpressure, and the interior was insulated for a certain amount of exhaust quieting.
Finally, the center cat works much like a cross over. This is a good thing - it will smooth out the power pulses and make the exhaust work properly, and keep the boom down inside the cabin.
The stock L98 exhaust, precats, y-pipes, center cat, mufflers, is woefully ineffecient. With headers, no precats, better y-pipes, larger center cat, and low flow mufflers, 50+ hp will be found.
It's nice to see someone concerned with the enviorment as well as their Corvette. I have a son with Asthma, and air quality is an important matter. Just my two cents.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 6,470
Likes: 2
From: levittown pa. usa Even a bad day with my `Vette, is better than a good day at work
St. Jude Donor '10
Originally Posted by PBnf
It's nice to see someone concerned with the enviorment as well as their Corvette. I have a son with Asthma, and air quality is an important matter. Just my two cents.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 22,209
Likes: 12
From: OBAMA IS HITLER
what a "pre-heater"? with long tube headers, i believe you meant to say no "pre-cats". what the other said above is excellent. since you have stock LT1 mufflers, they really aren't that restricitive, the whole LT1 exhaust flows much better than the L98. For your situation, if you like your mufflers then keep them on. Otherwise, yes, a real nice catback - especially considering the price - is the Magnaflow....I can attest to that since I've had mine for about 1 1/2 years now. As for your main cat, I would replace it with a high-flow one such as Carsound, you can get one on Ebay for about $80-$100 which is a nice price for a "performance" cat.
By the way, a big fat congratulations on getting a nicely modded vette.......no doubt you saved yourself a TON of money! Next time I ever buy one, I'm specifically looking for one thats been jacked with all the go-fast goodies already
Lets see some pics asap!
By the way, a big fat congratulations on getting a nicely modded vette.......no doubt you saved yourself a TON of money! Next time I ever buy one, I'm specifically looking for one thats been jacked with all the go-fast goodies already
Lets see some pics asap!
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