Bye Bye cats?
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,194
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From: Southeast Missouri
Bye Bye cats? Straight forward- Pros for getting rid of cats. Cons for getting rid of cats.
Right now- Stock engine with a SLP lid and cutout, flowmaster exhaust.
Would I lose torque or not? How much horse would I gain?
Sound is the main reason I would do it but not if I lose any low end torque. Thats my favorite
My uncle has a cobra with nothing on it but flowmaster exhaust and no cats and it sounds mean. Will the cutout and no cats be to big of a loss of back pressure?
Right now- Stock engine with a SLP lid and cutout, flowmaster exhaust.
Would I lose torque or not? How much horse would I gain?
Sound is the main reason I would do it but not if I lose any low end torque. Thats my favorite
My uncle has a cobra with nothing on it but flowmaster exhaust and no cats and it sounds mean. Will the cutout and no cats be to big of a loss of back pressure?
10 Second Club
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 2,317
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From: Hurley, VA
If all your going to try to do is cut the cats off and weld a piece of pipe back I wouldn't even bother with it plus I think its gonna be pretty difficult to do considering how our cats are up next to the manifold. When I went with longtubes and ory the main thing I noticed was more low end torque and more in the mid range and the sound was 10 times better.
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10 Second Club
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 2,317
Likes: 20
From: Hurley, VA
To be honest its been about 4 years since I've been under one with stock exhaust lol. I just remembered them being really close the manifold. I think I had a cat clogged on my car when I bought it. Our 95 felt 10 times faster. It wouldn't spin without dropping it. I was shocked at the difference the headers made but it was probably the cats being clogged.
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TECH Fanatic
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,313
Likes: 10
From: Maryland
Your car is definitely going to be a good bit louder without cats. I have an O/R Y, stock muffler, stock manifolds, and it's tons louder than stock. You have an aftermarket muffler with the addition of a cutout... you do the math.
I think it's safe to say you would gain some power as well, especially if you get the car tuned.
I think it's safe to say you would gain some power as well, especially if you get the car tuned.
I have no cats. took em back off. stock manifolds, stock y pipe, slp lm1 dumped.
When I had Rolled 3 inch tips out back. Gotta do a new vid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-ZkQek73do
When I had Rolled 3 inch tips out back. Gotta do a new vid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-ZkQek73do
Last edited by Mr.z/28; Oct 13, 2011 at 10:31 PM.
if youre going to go through all that, just get a set of used LTs and Y, dump the Y.. by the time you cut, gut and reinstall, It will damn near be the same. plus you can sell your cats for a bill by themselves... You want one to sound mean, LTs and a dumped ORY.... NASTY
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 522
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From: West Chester, PA
I haven't run cats on any of my cars over the past 3 years. It's really just a preference and whether you can get away with it. I personally think LS1's sound better without cats, it gives it more of an aggressive sound in opinion where cats often give it a mellowed tone. In terms of horsepower figures, there is hardly a difference; nothing worth writing home about.
I personally would be more worried about ditching the Flowmaster catback over whether I should run cats or not.
Here is my LT, ORY, through a Magnaflow catback, and a rev at like 1:05ish.
P.S- Ignore my phone vibrating and my Austin Powers ringtone...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcJ-qiQU9PQ
I personally would be more worried about ditching the Flowmaster catback over whether I should run cats or not.
Here is my LT, ORY, through a Magnaflow catback, and a rev at like 1:05ish.
P.S- Ignore my phone vibrating and my Austin Powers ringtone...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcJ-qiQU9PQ
this has been asked 1000 times...imo, if your not going longtubes dont mess your stock exhaust its just not worth it, the gain IF any is next to nothing. get long tubes ory and call it a day. also, back pressure is a lie, you wont lose a thing by removing mufflers and going pipes only or even open headers...
If I remember correctly the drivers side converter bolts right to the manifold.No you are not going to lose power from removing the cats or going LT's. What you will lose power from is running the 80 series crossflow muffler. Or maybe gain 1hp over stock. Here is what I would do since you seem to be on a very small budget.
1. If you do not have a cat-back exhaust "kit" pipe all the way from I-pipe back. I would get that first. Maybe even a summitracing brand. You are mainly wanting the pipe that doesn't have crazy shitty bends and kinks in it. Or maybe check ebay and classifieds and get a used one using paypal for some buyer protection
2. Do you plan on ever getting LT's? If you do don't waste money on trying to gut the cats or cut them off. Just wait it out til you can get LT's and OR-Y.
SLP sells a cat eliminator pipe of your dead set on it.
3. I know what it feels like to want something and you can't afford it. I think everybody does, but you do not want to spend twice as much money in the long run. Trust me I am glad I waited. Get everything all together. I did BBK LT's and OR-Y. $355 shipped. Next, while you have all the exhaust parts removed go ahead and do poly MM's.$50 give or take. I used black prothanes because they were $10 cheaper than the red colored ones. Color does not matter.
Working with exhaust parts that are old and rusted with bolts that are heat welded damn near is a bitch. Just do it once and be done.
Oh yeah, another cheap option is to go with the ebay stainless headers. I can't comment on fitment of them because I have never used them. Some have great luck and some have **** luck with them. Buyer beware.
1. If you do not have a cat-back exhaust "kit" pipe all the way from I-pipe back. I would get that first. Maybe even a summitracing brand. You are mainly wanting the pipe that doesn't have crazy shitty bends and kinks in it. Or maybe check ebay and classifieds and get a used one using paypal for some buyer protection
2. Do you plan on ever getting LT's? If you do don't waste money on trying to gut the cats or cut them off. Just wait it out til you can get LT's and OR-Y.
SLP sells a cat eliminator pipe of your dead set on it.
3. I know what it feels like to want something and you can't afford it. I think everybody does, but you do not want to spend twice as much money in the long run. Trust me I am glad I waited. Get everything all together. I did BBK LT's and OR-Y. $355 shipped. Next, while you have all the exhaust parts removed go ahead and do poly MM's.$50 give or take. I used black prothanes because they were $10 cheaper than the red colored ones. Color does not matter.
Working with exhaust parts that are old and rusted with bolts that are heat welded damn near is a bitch. Just do it once and be done.
Oh yeah, another cheap option is to go with the ebay stainless headers. I can't comment on fitment of them because I have never used them. Some have great luck and some have **** luck with them. Buyer beware.
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,194
Likes: 0
From: Southeast Missouri
I have the cutout in the I pipe, I was thinking about getting a TSP rumbler cat back with, eventually LT headers and ORY. Seems about my cheapest option. Is that an ok setup? I would probably just cap the cutout then.
I don't know how guys run without cats, rasp would drive me nuts. I have LT's with GMMG, Torquer V3 and the cats cut out 90% of the rasp. There is still some I'd like to get rid of but that may be from the shitty Kooks y-pipe merge.