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Does removing the cats provide decent power?

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Old Apr 11, 2003 | 11:45 PM
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Default Does removing the cats provide decent power?

Can I remove the cats on the car without doing other exhaust mods and get decent power gains, is there a complete bolt on way to do it?

Thanks

Rob
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Old Apr 12, 2003 | 12:14 AM
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Default Re: Does removing the cats provide decent power? (robl45)

Make a new section of straight exhuast to bolt in. On a stock motor it not that great. I wouldn't bother.
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Old Apr 12, 2003 | 12:50 AM
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Default Re: Does removing the cats provide decent power? (John Shiels)

:iagree: Even on a heads/cam motor it's not worth it for the street. On mine, with open headers it made 12 more HP. With a stock motor and full exhaust you wouldn't get half that. What you would get is NOISE and nasty smelling exhaust. And of course, no chance of passing smog. :cheers:
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Old Apr 12, 2003 | 11:31 AM
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Default Re: Does removing the cats provide decent power? (robl45)

Well I live in Florida with no emissions testing so I figured now that I can actually do it, maybe it would be worth it, guess not.
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Old Apr 12, 2003 | 11:46 AM
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Default Re: Does removing the cats provide decent power? (robl45)

Well you may not get much of an improvement in H.P..maybe a little Torque..But it certainly sounds alot better!! I pulled all 4 cats just after I bought the car over 2 years agao..Dead weight and very restrictive IMO..I had Robert Of Florida Perormance 954-491-1012 in Fort Lauderdale buid the remaining exhaust with an x-pipe...sounds ...NASTY!

Stop by the house next weekend and you can hear for yourself.. I should have my car back by then..I'm in Heron Bay :yesnod:


[Modified by vstella, 11:48 AM 4/12/2003]
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Old Apr 18, 2003 | 11:46 PM
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Default Re: Does removing the cats provide decent power? (vstella)

Stopping by sounds good, email me at rob@robworld.com and I'll try and stop by, the poor car sounds anemic.

Rob
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Old Apr 19, 2003 | 12:40 AM
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Default Re: Does removing the cats provide decent power? (robl45)

I hate to sound like a liberal (because I am far from it), but mabey there are some good reasons not to remove your cats. I am sure you could find other ways to improve HP without turning what is a reasonably fuel efficient vehicle into a emmisions issue. How about saving up for high flow cats? Just IMHO.
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Old Apr 19, 2003 | 03:33 AM
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Default Re: Does removing the cats provide decent power? (oneillp)

You remove the cats then the back pressure changes and the computer doesn't read it correctly and performance actually suffers. I went through this on a BMW M6; ain't worth it. JWH
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Old Apr 19, 2003 | 07:25 AM
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Default Re: Does removing the cats provide decent power? (Houtslaw)

I dropped the cats on my car last weekend. (I have the FLP system, so it's simple and quick to do). For a stock system, the cats are welded in, all you'd need to do is cut them out, and weld in 2 pieces of straight pipe. You'll also need 02 sims to keep the car from throwing codes.

I haven't put many miles on the car since I took my cats off, so the pcm may still be learning, but right now the car is noticibly more sluggish. As others have said too, it is MUCH louder. As for the stink, It smells like an old 60's musclecar, I kind of prefer it over the rotten nasty smell cats give the exhaust.

Even though I like the sound, I probably will be putting the cats back on soon, as it is a little too loud and I don't want to get pulled over for modified exhaust.

:cheers:


[Modified by Y2Kvert4me, 12:26 PM 4/19/2003]
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Old Apr 19, 2003 | 08:34 AM
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Default Re: Does removing the cats provide decent power? (oneillp)

I hate to sound like a liberal (because I am far from it), but mabey there are some good reasons not to remove your cats. I am sure you could find other ways to improve HP without turning what is a reasonably fuel efficient vehicle into a emmisions issue. How about saving up for high flow cats? Just IMHO.
I agree :thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs:
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Old Apr 19, 2003 | 09:13 AM
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Default Re: Does removing the cats provide decent power? (robl45)

Doesnt the stock cats flow good? I heard they did.
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Old Apr 19, 2003 | 10:18 AM
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Default Re: Does removing the cats provide decent power? (BrightRed C5 SWFL)

Doesnt the stock cats flow good? I heard they did.
Yes, they flow fine, certainly enough for a mild heads/cam car. Big cubes, bigger cam, high rpms, then consider high flow cats.
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Old Apr 19, 2003 | 12:15 PM
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Default Re: Does removing the cats provide decent power? (6Speeder)

Bottom line: Taking off cats (with tuning for it) = 5-10rwhp and a nasty smell of gas.....don't do it if you drive it everyday - unless you like breathing nasty fumes...
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Old Apr 19, 2003 | 12:30 PM
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Default Re: Does removing the cats provide decent power? (OliverM5)

Last week end one of the major tuners was at our track event and he said that removing the cats would add 10 rwhp.

Of course that wasn't in the context of just removing them and doing nothing else.

If you dyno with open headers you will see a loss of rwhp because of the eliminated back pressure the LS1/6 needs.

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Old Apr 19, 2003 | 01:58 PM
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Default Re: Does removing the cats provide decent power? (robl45)

I have experienced in my dealing's with vehicles with "cats", that unless you are racing or just want a obnoxious sound, or have a motor that eats alot of air/ fuel mixture, its not really worth it. The originals should flow good for street use. Do the Catback System. Your neighbors will like you better. :chevy
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Old Apr 19, 2003 | 06:35 PM
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Default Re: Does removing the cats provide decent power? (robl45)

I removed mine on both of my C5s and ended up both times going back to highflow cats and made the same power..

:D
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