Remove main cat? - CEG Archives

Hi guys, if i remove main cat will CEL appear? Will i notice any gain in performance of car?

Originally posted by dgodard:
Hi guys, if i remove main cat will CEL appear? Will i notice any gain in performance of car?

NO and NO.

Gutting the precats will help a little bit, but they will throw a CEL without MIL's

Originally posted by dgodard:
Hi guys, if i remove main cat will CEL appear?

No...but believe me, if/when you remove it, you'll regret it forever b(sounds like total ass). Put a high flow unit in it's plece and you should be ok.

As far a performence, with my test pipe installed the car seems to breath much easier up top, however i have no dyno graps to back this up. I only run my test pipie on track days as I hate the way it makes the car sound.

Originally posted by Pole120:

Originally posted by dgodard:
Hi guys, if i remove main cat will CEL appear?

No...but believe me, if/when you remove it, you'll regret it forever b(sounds like total ass). Put a high flow unit in it's plece and you should be ok.

As far a performence, with my test pipe installed the car seems to breath much easier up top, however i have no dyno graps to back this up. I only run my test pipie on track days as I hate the way it makes the car sound.

It doesnt sound that bad... and actually sounds nice after warmed up for 30 seconds of driving... There are a few other CEGers that have heard my exhaust (stock with no main cat)... i admit, it could be better, but its not bad.

Originally posted by Guitarman19853:

Originally posted by Pole120:

Originally posted by dgodard:
Hi guys, if i remove main cat will CEL appear?

No...but believe me, if/when you remove it, you'll regret it forever b(sounds like total ass). Put a high flow unit in it's plece and you should be ok.

As far a performence, with my test pipe installed the car seems to breath much easier up top, however i have no dyno graps to back this up. I only run my test pipie on track days as I hate the way it makes the car sound.

It doesnt sound that bad... and actually sounds nice after warmed up for 30 seconds of driving... There are a few other CEGers that have heard my exhaust (stock with no main cat)... i admit, it could be better, but its not bad.

better as in... with a Cat

I have the magnaflow hi-flo cat and I love it. If you want better flo than the stock cat that's the way to go, you could also go with headers or gutted precats , plus w/o the main cat it's easy to catch on a visual inspection and that can equal a fine.

Thanks by comments guys...well, i think i'll go with headers then...what do you recommend here?? nice and cheap? lol

If i go with headers do i need MIL eliminators?

Originally posted by Guitarman19853:

It doesnt sound that bad...

Yeah, i love the sound of rasp...

Originally posted by Tourige:

better as in... with a Cat

Too quiet with a cat. I'd rather have it be how it is than with a cat.

Originally posted by Pole120:

Originally posted by Guitarman19853:

It doesnt sound that bad...

Yeah, i love the sound of rasp...

Rasp goes away after the engine warms up (usually 30-60 seconds of driving)

Originally posted by dgodard:
...If i go with headers do i need MIL eliminators?

Yes. You need two, one for Bank 1 Lower O2 sensor and one for Bank 2 Lower O2 sensor.

If you have to deal with smog emissions inspections (tailpipe), headers are not the way to go as you will probably have a hard time getting the car to pass.

You better search because Tourige is going to tell you to read the Header FAQ.

He took the time to write it, i read it and it helped me with what i needed to get headers on my car.

There are only 2... Well one brand of headers made for our cars. Weapon R no longer makes the stainless steel ones, but they can still be found here and there.
Marty and MSDS currently makes the headers for our car.

You said you wanted cheap and easy, headers doesn't fit under either of those. But they make the car sound better and give a performance boost that is best bang for your buck.

Originally posted by BlackE1:
You said you wanted cheap and easy, headers doesn't fit under either of those.

$200 for just plane headers sound more than reasonable to me...

$200 plus shipping and any other parts you plan on installing of replacing when doign the install. gaskets, bolts, nuts, flex pipe if needed (modifying main cat to get flex pipe to fit)

Installing them is also very time consuming if you plan on installing them yourself. If you are going to have them installed, its going to cost you i think i had been reading about $300 ish.

so over all i would say that headers are not a cheap mod, but to some that maybe cheap

Originally posted by BlackE1:
$200 plus shipping and any other parts you plan on installing of replacing when doign the install. gaskets, bolts, nuts, flex pipe if needed (modifying main cat to get flex pipe to fit)

Installing them is also very time consuming if you plan on installing them yourself. If you are going to have them installed, its going to cost you i think i had been reading about $300 ish.

so over all i would say that headers are not a cheap mod, but to some that maybe cheap

Headers can be cheap if you want to do lots of the work yourself, and if you dont mind re using gaskets.

Its going to be more if you have a 98 or early 99 before the 3-bolt flange change.

Basically this is the rundown for cost on a 99:
Headers and Y-pipe + Coating (Coating isnt necessary, but your going to need to replace the headers every 2 years for rusting out) - 560 now, you can opt out of using the MSDS Y-pipe and optimize the stocker which brings the price down to 325 bucks.

MILS: 15-20 bucks
Bolts and nuts: 15 bucks
Shipping: 40ish, i dunno what it is.
Gaskets(not needed): 20 bucks

Granted thats using all MSDS stuff.

Weapon R is the same except its cheaper (Just ceramic coated headers is about the same price as the full weapon r set)

Weapon R requires you to have a 3-bolt cat and a flew pipe otherwise you need to modify the stock one and buy a flex pipe (which brings up the cost)

Weapon R Headers and Y-pipe: 350ish
Flex Pipe(where needed): 50-80 bucks depending on where you buy it
Hi-flow Cat: 130 bucks
Modify the stock Cat: 20 bucks granted you can weld or know someone who welds for free.
MILS: 15-20 bucks
Bolts and nuts: 15 bucks
Shipping: 40ish, i dunno what it is.
Gaskets(not needed): 20 bucks

Thanks by answers guys, car doesn't have to pass emitions, np with that...well, sounds like MILs are best mod for a cheap guy lol...or maybe later a header when i save some bucks

I'll read FAQ too.

i have msds headers and y-pipe with a standard replacement cat. all i have after the cat is a thrush glass pack and strait pipe to the rear. im thinking of going catless also with a side pipe. im just wonderign if something quiet like a dynomax super turbo would keep noise levels down on a catless exhaust? i put the super turbo muffler over my tail pipe just to see how it would sound and it was pretty quiet. now im just wondering if switching to a catless but with a silent muffler would out flow what i have now. i live in florida were we dont have any kind of car inspections. but you can get stopped for making too much noise. i got stopped when i had duals on and the ticket was like $75. i guess the cop was having a boring night cause i had the setup for like 2 months before i got stopped. the duals were super loud.