Headers vs. no cats
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,383
Likes: 10
From: Kentucky
Headers vs. no cats
This is an area that I am having trouble understanding the basic concepts of air flow.
I look at it as restriction (aka Drag) from having air blow through your motor. Instead of bringing you into my warped thinking let me just ask a basic question.
I want more torque. You can see the mods I have in my signature. l am currently running the stock header system with a flowmaster exhuast. I just took the last VET test I ever have to take and am considering removing the cats to get more flow.
Will this give me more power? How does it differ from a flow perspective from using headers?
[Modified by Red5, 9:02 AM 5/29/2003]
I look at it as restriction (aka Drag) from having air blow through your motor. Instead of bringing you into my warped thinking let me just ask a basic question.
I want more torque. You can see the mods I have in my signature. l am currently running the stock header system with a flowmaster exhuast. I just took the last VET test I ever have to take and am considering removing the cats to get more flow.
Will this give me more power? How does it differ from a flow perspective from using headers?
[Modified by Red5, 9:02 AM 5/29/2003]
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 7,820
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From: Burlington ON
Cruise-In I, II, III, IV & V Veteran
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Re: Headers vs. no cats (Red5)
Removing cats will get you some low end torque, but will make your car qutie a bit louder and not having them can produce a pretty strong exhaust smell as well.
If I was to choose between Long Tube Headers or removing the cats on a car with your mods, I would DEFINITELY go with the Long Tube Headers as you are holding back a large amount of power with only running stock exhaust manifolds with your heads/cam package.
[Modified by MattG, 11:37 AM 5/29/2003]
If I was to choose between Long Tube Headers or removing the cats on a car with your mods, I would DEFINITELY go with the Long Tube Headers as you are holding back a large amount of power with only running stock exhaust manifolds with your heads/cam package.
[Modified by MattG, 11:37 AM 5/29/2003]
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,383
Likes: 10
From: Kentucky
Re: Headers vs. no cats (MattG)
Thanks Matt. And thanks for the CCWs, they are going to good use.
I noticed you switched headers on your ride? What made you switch?
Are you selling the old headers?
I noticed you switched headers on your ride? What made you switch?
Are you selling the old headers?
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 219
Likes: 0
From: Plano TX
Re: Headers vs. no cats (Red5)
you are limiting the power a lot by having stock headers. If you switch to some long tube headers, you will gain some hp and a lot of low end tq. You could go with some mid lengths, but the LT's are better for low-end numbers. With high flow cats you would be able to quiet down the car a little with headers, but you would lose more tq than hp with any cats in place.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 274
Likes: 0
From: BayArea CA
Re: Headers vs. no cats (DS)
another problem is the flowmasters. those are the worst flowing hi performance muffler you can buy. they sound great but they dont flow crap. thats why they will never give you cfm numbers for thier mufflers they will try giving some crap about power pulses cant be measured in cfm.
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Instructor
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 219
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From: Plano TX
Re: Headers vs. no cats (Red5)
if you want the most performance, yes get rid of the cats, but if you want to be "legal" get some high flow cats and with a good set you should only loose ~6 rwhp and 8 tq. which is not much. But you will gain a lot with the longtubes.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 6,269
Likes: 1
From: Richmond Ca
Re: Headers vs. no cats (DS)
if you want the most performance, yes get rid of the cats, but if you want to be "legal" get some high flow cats and with a good set you should only loose ~6 rwhp and 8 tq. which is not much. But you will gain a lot with the longtubes.
And, your car won't stick or give you lung cancer! :cheers:
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2000
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From: Memphis, TN.
Re: Headers vs. no cats (c5 devil)
No smell here..had the cats removed 6 months ago....good luck
Drifting
Joined: Aug 1999
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From: Decorah Iowa
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Re: Headers vs. no cats (Big Casino)
I've not noticed any odor either with gutted cats. I'm going to try getting rid of the cat boxes completely and replace with larger straight pipes to see if some of the resonance and volume is reduced. Someone else posted a significant reduction in resonance by doing this.
Pro
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 524
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From: Draper Ut
Re: Headers vs. no cats (Red5)
I removed my cats going with 3 inch piping in its place, for my coupe it actually smoothed out the exhaust tone and decreased the resonance. I am running the Borla XR-1 system which IMO flows extremely well, to me though it seemed like there was still a lot of backpressure, so I removed the cats. I may be lucky, but I haven't experienced any exhaust smell and now the exhaust sound is incredible.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 2,909
Likes: 1
From: Highland Village TX
Re: Headers vs. no cats (Red5)
I just got a TC/gears, and a CAM, see sig. I don't have LT Headers, but my friend tells me to cut off the cats and put an off road X-Pipe in their place and forget teh Headers for now. he says they are a waste of $$. He said If I cut the cats off and tune it (which I will be able to tune it with LS! Edit) I should pick up 10-20 RW TQ and my car will feel so much faster. I could use the $1,200-$1600 I was going to spend on LT headers toward Heads and that would be a wiser choice in terms of HP per Dollar$$$.
I know it will be loud, but some have said it made their car sound better and actually reduced ressonance. I could always swap out my Corsa Indies with someone who has Touring to tame down my sound.
The Bandit..................
I know it will be loud, but some have said it made their car sound better and actually reduced ressonance. I could always swap out my Corsa Indies with someone who has Touring to tame down my sound.
The Bandit..................
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 168
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From: Memphis, TN.
Re: Headers vs. no cats (Red5)
Will I need similators if i remove the cats?
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 3,030
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From: CFOT
Re: Headers vs. no cats (Red5)
Well this is FAR, FAR, FAR, out of Vette territory but it may help some. I have a 92 350 Silverado with Pacesetter shorty headers, no cat, and a Flowmaster 40 series. I had the cat removed about 6 weeks ago and I put the headers on about a week ago. I couldn't really feel much "seat of the pants" wise with the cat removed. I'm sure it allowed a little more power travel to the wheels though. After I installed the headers I could really feel some new torque.
If you are debating between cat removal and headers, go with the headers FOR SURE! That cam will appreciate a pair of LT's in my opinion.
If you are debating between cat removal and headers, go with the headers FOR SURE! That cam will appreciate a pair of LT's in my opinion.