Im about to install my headers, then get 2.5 exhaust all the way back, I am already taking of my pre-cats for sure. But I am not totally decided on whether to take my cat off also. I live in Oklahoma, so trust me when I say I won't get in any trouble or caught for no cats. We have no inspections. So performance wise, taking of my cat is going to help mabey a tad bit, right? I mean its surely not going to decrease any performance, right??? Plz educate me on this. thanks....

 

do you have car inspections ?????if NO can them

 

Don't let Andy see this thread

 

too late.

I don't understand why people want to get rid of the cat. It does a good job of cleaning the air, has a very minimal effect on performance, and new hipo versions, have zero effect and are very affordable.

Modern factory cats will only cost you about 5hp. hiflow cats are even more effecient.

Add in the noise factor, they become a nice addition.

think about it... the next time you take a breath of reasonably clean air, thank the fleet of cars with cats on them.

 

Install cats

 

I understand your sense of "wanting to keep the air healthier". I in fact have a nice little back up car which is very effecient for that reason. This car is my toy, I only drive it at the track or when its very nice outside (usually). And to be honest my knowledge on cars is good but way far away from that of a professional. I think for now I am just going to can the cat. My main reason for asking about it was that a couple people I know made claims that throwing the can out will decrease performance due to lack of back pressure, i didn't think that was true for my car and just wanted to make sure. I can see this MABEY if my car was like say for ex: a civic with 3.5 exhaust straights duals, I am sure that would make that car slower due to lack of back pressure, but on my car i presume i should be good with 2.5 straights w/ headers...

I mean come on, I could save like a 100 bucks by just leaving it straight instead of purchasing an aftermarket cat.

 

you may live to regret removing the center cat... with LTs and no cats, that sucker will be loud...

even for a weekend car.

 

You can get real cheap cats here:
http://pypesexhaust.com/mufflers.html

And your car will smell so much better

 

I just received a set from the company that TJ posted about. Ordered on the 10th and received on the 13th. Got 2 for a grand total of $133.xx which included shipping. They look like good cats as far as I can tell.

 

Says you. A properly tuned, NON emission car smells better than an emission car IMHO. NO systems is perfect eitiher. The EPA released a study that says that catalytic converters dramatically increased the amount of emissions that are harmful to the o-zone. So really it's a catch 22. You can either have smog, lung cancer and acid rain. OR you can have clean air and skin cancer.

If we are going to continue to burn hydrocarbons for fuel the only real emissions solution would be to make the combustion process 100% efficient. If there is an excess of oxygen the ONLY byproduct of combustion is H20 and CO2, both of which are completely harmess, no catalytic converter needed. However, since this is impossible we'll all just kill ourselfs a little each day when we get in our cars.

 

Lets put it this way, a car with cats smells much better to my nose I recently tuned customers non-catted truck that has a very small cam, and TBI. When I got done with it the engine emitted no more emissions than the same truck if it had cats and would pass specs for a car much newer. But the smell still permeated my clothes like a car that ran excessively rich. And this truck passed the state sniffer with flying colors.

 

I think of it as just doing my part. Same reason even though it's easier and I'm temped admittedly, I'll never throw my glass bottles away at the beach, or out of the car window. Or any bottles or garbage for that matter. I think of it as the place I live, and i'd get upset if I saw someone chucking their **** out. So I don't.

Same goes for this sort of thing I believe. I'd leave the cat. Like bogus said, it doesn't make a huge difference performance wise, but it does turn your car into a 5.7 liter lawn mower as far as smell is concerned. We all live on this planet, i think it only makes sense to take care of it. it took me a while to think this way too, I used to have 2 exhausts on my old car - one for testing, one for everyday driving. I live in CA, and i used to swap the legal one on every 2 years for just one day. After a while I realized that not only am I ****ing everything up for the rest of us, but it's a major PITA for what's almost un-noticeable gain (well, except the way it smelled with the straigh pipes..)

 

can you direct me to this study? I am curious.

 

Well I can tell you why I would leave them off if I could, Automatic transmission, conv. x brace, and long tube headers. Need I say more? I am going to have them put on and its going to have to be in the tunnel, I have been told they generate to much heat to locate beside the automatic transmission. It is a tight fit to say the least.

 

this is absolutely 100% true. i know if for a fact. highway speeds at 75mph in 5th REQUIRES that i turn up the music almost full blast just to hear it and thats why i'm having a new hi performance main cat put back in

 

The people who complain on how loud it is in the interior, why dont they just dynamat or brownbread the interior panels? its way cheaper and you can do it yourself.

I took off my cats on my 92 LT1 Vert, and put a Supertrapp on them. that was the best decision I ever made. I could just tune the supertrapp to whatever sound and backpressure I wanted. Best of both worlds, dont you think? I would of never bought them really, but a friend of mine GAVE me his supertrapp off his cavalier, and I put it on a old Nova I had. Made it sound great! So as soon as I could, I put a pair of them on my C4 Vert. Got lots of compliments on it. If anyone as looking at replacing there exhaust in any way , PLEASE consider Supertrapps. They sell some bling bling exhaust for the ricers, but they make nice stuff for the corvette crowd... The 89 callaway L98 uses these boys. www.supertrapp.com Here is a pic with the suppertrapps on a callaway :








My 86 C4 Coupe has ANSA exhaust on it now, with gutted cats, of which I would like to hack off and throw in the trash, and replace with Supertrapps. Allthough, I will probably just leave the hollow cats on there if I ever get inspected. But anyone knows that if you slip the guy at the car inspection, you'll get passed. Hell, ive even had stickers delivered to my house.


snoopdan

 

Check other current postings on CATs

 

I also have a supertrap on my 12sec sandrail, and I would like to say that it is awesome. Very easy to tune, and a great sound from it.

 

My CATs are in the tunnel and have been there for one year without any problems.



My exhaust is a B&B system with a custom X pipe from DR Gas. The CATs are random Tech metallic cats which runs alot cooler than the standard ceramic cored CATs. These CATs I have are very expensive. My advice is if you want to use this type of CAT, use the Dynatech Headers three inch bullet CATs. They are called MetalCats, and they are being sold in JEGs and Summit for around $149 each.