Cat's or Not?????
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 3,745
Likes: 5
From: Lakewood WA
Two points:
1. I've had two cars that were highly modified and no cats. Never had a gas smell problem. Both cars had a multi-spark ignition system, and I believe that makes a difference.
2. HP gains depend on how much air the engine is pumping. A supercharged/turbo car will gain more HP without cats than a NA car.
1. I've had two cars that were highly modified and no cats. Never had a gas smell problem. Both cars had a multi-spark ignition system, and I believe that makes a difference.
2. HP gains depend on how much air the engine is pumping. A supercharged/turbo car will gain more HP without cats than a NA car.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 415
Likes: 0
From: Florence Kentucky
Ok get caught for what??? Hello
1. Not registering your car where you live.
2. Not giving your insurance company your correct address.
3. Removing your cats is a federal crime.
Trivial? Maybe for you, not for me.
It's the air I breathe you'd be polluting.
The less you pay in insurance the more I pay.
1. Not registering your car where you live.
2. Not giving your insurance company your correct address.
3. Removing your cats is a federal crime.
Trivial? Maybe for you, not for me.
It's the air I breathe you'd be polluting.
The less you pay in insurance the more I pay.
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 4,537
Likes: 1,403
From: Bethesda MD
If you have to ask, you're not running fast enough to matter if you loose 2 HP to good hi-flow cats. 
I have the LG pros with cats. I can see light right through the cats; it's not like trying to look through the old ceramic bricks. I've gone catless in the past and a good tune does get you most of the way there in terms of avoiding the smell. It's still a little better with cats.
I agree with Walt. You're driving in the NE where the air quality frequently sucks during the summer. Running high flow cats is a reasonable thing to do. If you do get stopped, relocated cats might get a ticket, but not always. I've read at least one instance where a catless car was impounded on the spot. Not worth the risk to me.
I have the LG pros with cats. I can see light right through the cats; it's not like trying to look through the old ceramic bricks. I've gone catless in the past and a good tune does get you most of the way there in terms of avoiding the smell. It's still a little better with cats.
I agree with Walt. You're driving in the NE where the air quality frequently sucks during the summer. Running high flow cats is a reasonable thing to do. If you do get stopped, relocated cats might get a ticket, but not always. I've read at least one instance where a catless car was impounded on the spot. Not worth the risk to me.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,656
Likes: 112
From: ocean springs mississippi
I had kooks and borla stingers on mine. First, I was running no cats. Even after the tune, the gas smell was pretty bad and my exhaust tips were impossible to keep clean. I went ahead and switched out the x-pipe for the one with high-flow cats....no more smell, no more black tips and I couldn't notice any difference in power AT ALL.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 2,314
Likes: 4
From: Cape May, NJ; Guntersville, AL; Orange Beach, AL
Ok get caught for what??? Hello
1. Not registering your car where you live.
2. Not giving your insurance company your correct address.
3. Removing your cats is a federal crime.
Trivial? Maybe for you, not for me.
It's the air I breathe you'd be polluting.
The less you pay in insurance the more I pay.
1. Not registering your car where you live.
2. Not giving your insurance company your correct address.
3. Removing your cats is a federal crime.
Trivial? Maybe for you, not for me.
It's the air I breathe you'd be polluting.
The less you pay in insurance the more I pay.
Last edited by gunterwalker; Feb 6, 2011 at 08:01 PM.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 377
Likes: 0
From: Lyndhurst Ohio
I guess that depends what you call quiet. I'm running cats & in the video below.
http://www.facebook.com/v/1241591563724
http://www.facebook.com/v/1241591563724
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Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 2,314
Likes: 4
From: Cape May, NJ; Guntersville, AL; Orange Beach, AL
I guess that depends what you call quiet. I'm running cats & in the video below.
http://www.facebook.com/v/1241591563724
http://www.facebook.com/v/1241591563724
Racer
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 377
Likes: 0
From: Lyndhurst Ohio
AFR 225cc heads, ported Fast intake, ported throttle body, LG G5x3 cam, 114 Comp 7.4 push rods, Comp R roller lifters, Halltech Stinger CAI, LG 1 7/8" long tube headers, hi-flow metal matrix catalytic converters supplied by LG, GHL cat back exhaust.
Last edited by Joe_Knesek; Feb 6, 2011 at 11:18 PM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 875
Likes: 0
From: Providence RI
Ok get caught for what??? Hello
1. Not registering your car where you live.
2. Not giving your insurance company your correct address.
3. Removing your cats is a federal crime.
Trivial? Maybe for you, not for me.
It's the air I breathe you'd be polluting.
The less you pay in insurance the more I pay.
1. Not registering your car where you live.
2. Not giving your insurance company your correct address.
3. Removing your cats is a federal crime.
Trivial? Maybe for you, not for me.
It's the air I breathe you'd be polluting.
The less you pay in insurance the more I pay.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 807
Likes: 1
From: Miami Lakes FL
Ok get caught for what??? Hello
1. Not registering your car where you live.
2. Not giving your insurance company your correct address.
3. Removing your cats is a federal crime.
Trivial? Maybe for you, not for me.
It's the air I breathe you'd be polluting.
The less you pay in insurance the more I pay.
1. Not registering your car where you live.
2. Not giving your insurance company your correct address.
3. Removing your cats is a federal crime.
Trivial? Maybe for you, not for me.
It's the air I breathe you'd be polluting.
The less you pay in insurance the more I pay.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 20,933
Likes: 905
From: salem OR
Don't run cats...your car will be more powerful.
Also, after your car is tuned up you will hardly smell anything at all. I've never had anyone complain about a smell (or even notice one) and have talked with my tuner on more than one occassion about the catless situation and how neither of us understand what everyone complains about.
Once the car is properly leaned out they seem to smell just fine.
Also, after your car is tuned up you will hardly smell anything at all. I've never had anyone complain about a smell (or even notice one) and have talked with my tuner on more than one occassion about the catless situation and how neither of us understand what everyone complains about.
Once the car is properly leaned out they seem to smell just fine.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 12,094
Likes: 197
From: Colorado Springs, CO
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11
Not running cats is a federal offense even if your state doesnt require a sniffer or safety inspection. If your car is in a serious accident, they check equipment when law suits are in the works. The fine is $10,000. Its a gamble.
It doesnt cost you any real power to run cats and it smells better. Being envirnmentally responsible isnt going to cost power.
I run cats and dont have a sniffer or safety inspection where I live.
It doesnt cost you any real power to run cats and it smells better. Being envirnmentally responsible isnt going to cost power.
I run cats and dont have a sniffer or safety inspection where I live.
Last edited by SpinMonster; Feb 7, 2011 at 06:11 AM.
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 10,909
Likes: 2,701
From: Phila Suburbs 2023 C8 & 2013 650ix
Sounds like there really is no upside to not having cats. But if the OP decides to leave them out anyway and gets caught, sounds like from what he's posted that a $10,000 fine would be no problem for him.
Excuse me, I didn't hug my tree yet.
Excuse me, I didn't hug my tree yet.
Racer
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 499
Likes: 5
From: Bensalem PA
On all my peformance cars I have run no cats and in PA if you drive under 5000 miles a year you are emissions exempt. On my turbo cars I have lost 15whp by running high flow cats and they only seem to last a max of 6 months before they are blown to itty bitty pieces out the exhaust. Now I just choose not to run them since I only drive the vette 3000 miles a year and didnt have to pay the extra money for them. I'm not saying you'll blow out the cats in the vette as that will most likely never happen. My turbo car was running 30 psi of boost and the car was on a 2 step at the track and I was tired of spending $200 everytime I blew it out. I think its just personal opinion if you want them get them if not I have noticed no ill side effects from not having them.
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 4,537
Likes: 1,403
From: Bethesda MD
On my turbo cars I have lost 15whp by running high flow cats and they only seem to last a max of 6 months before they are blown to itty bitty pieces out the exhaust... I'm not saying you'll blow out the cats in the vette as that will most likely never happen. My turbo car was running 30 psi of boost and the car was on a 2 step at the track and I was tired of spending $200 everytime I blew it out.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 14,555
Likes: 1,255
From: Saint Albans, WV
I guess that depends what you call quiet. I'm running cats & in the video below.
http://www.facebook.com/v/1241591563724
http://www.facebook.com/v/1241591563724
My statement is based on my experience. With the offroad x-pipe and Corsa Sport vs cats was as not even close. I had massive drone in the 16-1700 range and you could hear me coming from 1/2 mile away. I went back to high flow cats and the sound was immediately to quiet so I switched to Corsa Xtreme. There's no way the sound cannot drastically change between the two. BTW...to me that clip is docile compared to my previous and present setup but audio clips are not always accurate.
Last edited by saplumr; Feb 7, 2011 at 09:53 AM.