real experience : gutted cats
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 173
Likes: 49
From: Apex, NC
My experience is with a supercharged Pontiac G8 that melted the cats so the cores were removed. I didn't like the smell but converted to E85 fuel and the smell is fine now. No downsides regarding rear O2 sensors. Sound level picked up some...not objectionable for me.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,139
Likes: 81
From: Springboro OH
To those of you that cannot resist giving your judgements, opinions, and personal playbooks :KEEP IT TO YOURSELF !
The request clearly stated: personal experience only.
Nowhere did I state or imply doing a cat delete is on my agenda.
This request is for factual experiences to support a discussion myself and some local owners talked about last weekend.
TO REPEAT ! ! ! Please keep anything other than actual experience to youself.
The request clearly stated: personal experience only.
Nowhere did I state or imply doing a cat delete is on my agenda.
This request is for factual experiences to support a discussion myself and some local owners talked about last weekend.
TO REPEAT ! ! ! Please keep anything other than actual experience to youself.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 14,555
Likes: 1,255
From: Saint Albans, WV
I haven’t gutted my cats but I have had the off road X which is cat delete and the odor was horrendous along with a sound that was off the charts which I was ok with. I dealt with it as long as I could and put high flow cats back on.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 7,373
Likes: 1,128
From: cold & windy
really?? a good tune will keep the smell from being that bad, and cats don't make that much difference in the sound. i drive 2 cammed, catless v8s.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 14,555
Likes: 1,255
From: Saint Albans, WV
My car has been tuned by some of the best in the business through all the mods process over the years. To say the off road vs catted mid section doesn’t make much of a sound difference pretty much questions the validity of your statement.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 7,373
Likes: 1,128
From: cold & windy
sure, going from stock cats would be slightly more drastic than that, but i'd argue not that much different.
and that was before the cam, heads, retune, etc. - just a stock long block LS1 with the blower & long tubes; a direct A:B comparison.
Last edited by _zebra; Apr 14, 2020 at 12:37 AM.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 14,555
Likes: 1,255
From: Saint Albans, WV
yes, without cats is a little louder... but it's not some earth-shattering difference. in fact, it didn't seem to be much difference at all the night i punched my car's cats out, put the exhaust back together, and drove around just to see - it was a little raspier & marginally louder.
sure, going from stock cats would be slightly more drastic than that, but i'd argue not that much different.
and that was before the cam, heads, retune, etc. - just a stock long block LS1 with the blower & long tubes; a direct A:B comparison.
sure, going from stock cats would be slightly more drastic than that, but i'd argue not that much different.
and that was before the cam, heads, retune, etc. - just a stock long block LS1 with the blower & long tubes; a direct A:B comparison.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 2,257
Likes: 433
From: Bossier City Louisiana
I was fine with my off road x pipe until I added my upgraded cam. After the install, the gas smell was pretty bad and the exhaust note was more raspy than nice. Adding the high flow catted x pipe knocked out most of the smell and made the exhaust note a bit deeper.