Catless and smell
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,898
Likes: 9
From: Morrisville PA
Catless and smell
So I was going to pass on headers for a while, but I found the OBX headers...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/OBX-E...item2c5cc663ff
I don't want to get into a debate about the quality or price! I really just want to know if these are going to stink up the cabin...I am running the stock cam. They appear to be the bolted/donut type connection from the header primary to the x-pipe, so the seal looks like it should be good. My old pacesetters stunk because it was a crappy slip fit connection.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/OBX-E...item2c5cc663ff
I don't want to get into a debate about the quality or price! I really just want to know if these are going to stink up the cabin...I am running the stock cam. They appear to be the bolted/donut type connection from the header primary to the x-pipe, so the seal looks like it should be good. My old pacesetters stunk because it was a crappy slip fit connection.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
Contact SUPERMAN 09 and talk to him about XS Power headers. They work excellent and have an excellent ball and socket fit:
I had them on my 06 and installed them on a friends 04 Vert.
The ball and socket collector fit works fantastic!
Why do you want to go catless????
You only gain 4-5 Hp and the smell will be more than you want to deal with. trust me.!
BC
I had them on my 06 and installed them on a friends 04 Vert.
The ball and socket collector fit works fantastic!Why do you want to go catless????
You only gain 4-5 Hp and the smell will be more than you want to deal with. trust me.!BC
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,719
Likes: 37
From: Colorado
well, you gain more than 4-5, but yea the smell is VERY noticeable on catless cars. if you've never driven a muscle car, its barely any better than that. unless you're doing real racing or if this is not your daily driver, its not worth it imho.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,170
Likes: 6
From: Oilerville Edmonton
St. Jude Donor '08
I was very worried about the catless smell. I bought my headers used and the cats had been gutted so I just installed what I got. I had my pcm bench tuned by ECS. Suprisingly, the smell is almost the same as with the factory cats. at start up, you can smell the gas but you can smell the gas when I start my truck and wife's equinox too. after a few minutes, the smell is fine. I have only had the targa off once but I could not smell the exhaust in stop and go traffic. I read a bunch of threads on here before I went catless and I saw mixed replies. some guys said the smell was horrible, some said it was fine. A few guys said that with a good tune, there should be no smell so I've credited ECS with the lack of a bad smell from my car.
I will monitor the smell all summer and may add cats over the winter if I find the smell is bad.
I won't even touch the enviromental side...sorry mother nature.
I will monitor the smell all summer and may add cats over the winter if I find the smell is bad.
I won't even touch the enviromental side...sorry mother nature.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,719
Likes: 37
From: Colorado
I was very worried about the catless smell. I bought my headers used and the cats had been gutted so I just installed what I got. I had my pcm bench tuned by ECS. Suprisingly, the smell is almost the same as with the factory cats. at start up, you can smell the gas but you can smell the gas when I start my truck and wife's equinox too. after a few minutes, the smell is fine. I have only had the targa off once but I could not smell the exhaust in stop and go traffic. I read a bunch of threads on here before I went catless and I saw mixed replies. some guys said the smell was horrible, some said it was fine. A few guys said that with a good tune, there should be no smell so I've credited ECS with the lack of a bad smell from my car.
I will monitor the smell all summer and may add cats over the winter if I find the smell is bad.
I won't even touch the enviromental side...sorry mother nature.
I will monitor the smell all summer and may add cats over the winter if I find the smell is bad.
I won't even touch the enviromental side...sorry mother nature.
in the warmed-up regard its not as bad as a muscle car, as that just KEEPS on crankin on the fumes.
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careful tuning can minimize the stink, but there will still be some.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 5,284
Likes: 235
From: Rockledge FL
to be fair, my c3 454 with sidepipes doesnt smell like fuel either. if you exhaust is smelling like fuel, the it needs to be tuned.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,719
Likes: 37
From: Colorado
ok, it smells no different than it did with the stock exhaust. before it was tuned it was rich and you could smell the fuel but after tuning it just smelled like a normal exhaust.
to be fair, my c3 454 with sidepipes doesnt smell like fuel either. if you exhaust is smelling like fuel, the it needs to be tuned.
to be fair, my c3 454 with sidepipes doesnt smell like fuel either. if you exhaust is smelling like fuel, the it needs to be tuned.
ive smelled 434 (bored/stroked 400 sbc's) motors run so lean we were glowing the headers like a candle and it still makes my eyes burn! maybe im being a picky princess, but i think anything w/o cats no matter the setup smells like fuel 
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,170
Likes: 6
From: Oilerville Edmonton
St. Jude Donor '08
to clarify, when I start it cold, it smells. but as I mentioned above, it is no worse than any other vehicle I own. and after a couple of minutes, the smell goes away.
It's obnoxious sometimes but overall i don't mind it so much
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 11,060
Likes: 291
From: Pasco WA
Installed HF cats to a previously catless system; no difference in stink; modest reduction in noise. Much more difference when switching from a cam with +8 deg. overlap, to a cam that's -2 deg.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 5,284
Likes: 235
From: Rockledge FL
before i got mine tuned in the garage idling it would make my eyes burn like a poorly tuned carb but after tuning it was not a problem. even my wife noticed the difference.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 384
Likes: 0
From: Suffolk Virginia
Had kooks 1 7/8" with a 3 inch catted kooks pipe and z Ti catback. Recently switched to a non catted kooks pipe and can barely tell a difference. Inside the car...i cant even smell exhaust. Outside...there may be a slight difference but not much.
