Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Zetec Performance Exhaust Questions

Ok, I want to completely redo the exhaust on my Contour, especially since I am pretty sure the cat is bad. Anyway here is what I think I know about the exhaust and then hopefully somebody can correct me where I am wrong and offer some advice.

First, I bought a shorty header off ebay for a 2000 Focus for only $27.03, which I know seems offely cheap and you get what you pay for but I am in college. Anyway, from what I have read, and have been told by other members I will have to have a flange welded on so that the stock "down pipe" and cat will fit, which makes sense looking at my exhaust and the header. This is where the questions start...

I think that the "square box" shaped pipe that bolts directly to my manifold is called a precat? and from what I have read in the archives should be gutted?

Is this the actual cat converter, or does that come later in the exhaust? Next, what I would like to do is just buy a universal hi-flow cat and put it in the exhaust inbetween the 2 o2 sensors then I won't have to worry about CEL's.

My plan then is to either...

If the "square box" is a precat then it will be gutted and the universal will be put in later down the pipe, if it is the actual cat then I will put the flange I need to make directly on the universal cat and this will be my new down pipe, if that really makes sense but I don't know if it does?

Is there a difference between a "precat" and a "cat converter?"

Anyway at this point I am only looking to replace the manifold with the header, and that first section of exhaust which I think has only a precat, a flex pipe, and an 02.

Any info or clarification that anyone can offer would be great, and I am going back to paruse the archives.

Remember, there are two engines in contours, duratecs and zetecs. You're getting confused with your information.

Zetecs don't have precats. That square box is your cat.

Well that is exactly the answer I was looking for. I didn't spot that in the archives. Well does anyone think that I could mount the right type of flange on a universal cat and do the rest of the exhaust from there, bent tube, flexpipe and the rest of the works.

Or another idea would be to run a straight pipe down, then mount the cat horizontally, and extend the wires on the O2 sensors? or do they need to be in the exact factory position?

You can buy an exhaust bung cheap and have a hole drilled to mount the first O2 sensor. Ptuning.com sells them. The part number is PTIN3735 and you can get 5% off with
This Link

Trubendz sells a 2.5" mandrel bent exhaust for the V6 contours, but with a little work, they will also fit the Zetec models. If the ehxaust shop is making a new cat fit your car, then they can probably do the work to make the exhaust fit too.