Cat or no cat?
#1
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Cat or no cat?
I didn't want to derail 94toyota4x4's post about mufflers to ask my question. What kind of difference will there be without a cat compared to with a cat? I bought my truck with everything behind the headers rusted, and it fell off about 3 seconds after I took it off the pavement. I replaced it with a 2 1/4" flowmaster with no cat, do I need more backpressure? It sure is louder than hell. Thanks in advance
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#8
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Uh, yes, you should put the catalytic converter on. Last thread advocating removal was locked by admins. The tread lightly thing applies to air as well as the landscape. I too want to breathe better air, not worse.
#9
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I just want to get my gas mileage back, and Due to a degrading cat I am losing mine...
And Yes The air I breath is very presious to me, and my family...
I have a little cousin that is only 9 with breathing problems...
So please whatever little you can do would be greatly appriciated...
And Yes The air I breath is very presious to me, and my family...
I have a little cousin that is only 9 with breathing problems...
So please whatever little you can do would be greatly appriciated...
#10
The last thread was mine actually. I started it because I wanted to know the SAME thing. I was not advocating diddly squat. Unfortunately, when the admins locked it, It got taken off of the main page in this section. It might be helpful to lock a thread like this onto the page so people can read it and not have to ask.
#13
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Thread Starter
Wow. Thanks for no answer involving a performance comparison with a cat vs. no cat. Thanks for nothing really. I'm not sure if you read the location part under my name, but it implies that shipping anything to my door is probably going to cost more than the item itself. What I wanted to know was what kind of performance loss is associated with running without a cat, but instead of answering that, all I got was flames. Again, thanks for nothing but useless commentary. I would have had a cat put on if I had the money to do it at the time, but unfortunately I'm in college and I drive pieces of crap on a limited budget. A flowmaster setup was on sale. Not to mention it doesn't go more than a couple miles to a mud pit twice a month. I'm assuming you guys wouldn't make a big deal about it if it were a race car at a track, since they don't run cats. Get off my nuts and give me a real answer, or don't post at all.
#14
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with high flow cats out there use one of those....you will not see and major gain or loss on your car...i had a 22re and there was no noticable difference between the 2.....your the only one being rude...
#15
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sorry for the apparent rudeness, I think you can figure out whose posts I was replying to. It's pretty annoying to ask a serious question and get short answers from people who apparently didn't finish reading the question before replying with garbage about me ruining their air, and nothing to do with performance. But thanks for your serious answer.
how will it affect the sound level
how will it affect the sound level
#16
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Sorry to offend (if it is me that you are reffering to), it just seems like people think if they remove smog equipment, then you get tons of power. Maybe that is true for a 1976 chevy. As far as our trucks, most people (reading three forums for a year) that have chosen to run without them have put them back on later as they loose MPG and get too loud. I assume (and assumed yours was) for street vehicles that get driven a lot.
One of the things removing a cat does is prevent heat from building up in the manifold or header. People wrap headers to build up heat to assist in exhaust flow, as hot air moves easier. I had a cat get plugged in a chevy s10, I replaced it and it was like night and day: way more power.
I think people that remove them and notice the power improvement are noticing the same thing: Solveing a plugged exhaust problem. I believe they would notice the same improvement by putting a new cat on.
I am going to suggest that you will lose more low end power by opening your exhaust too much, and you want low end for offroading. Running a race car at 10,000 rpm makes sense to have open exhaust. Low rpms and pulling need torque, and that is at the low end.
Final environment comment: Race cars get new engines and are tuned really well? Anyway while 2 cycle motorcross bikes are way way worse, but nowhere near as many running like cars on streets. That is no reason to bypass what can be done, when it can be.
Here is a thread by Engine builder that if read all the way through, you find that the stock manifod is great, and that having a 2" exhasut works very well. He explains sexhaust pressure way better than I can. tipshttp://www.4x4wire.com/forums/showfl...&o=365&fpart=1
One of the things removing a cat does is prevent heat from building up in the manifold or header. People wrap headers to build up heat to assist in exhaust flow, as hot air moves easier. I had a cat get plugged in a chevy s10, I replaced it and it was like night and day: way more power.
I think people that remove them and notice the power improvement are noticing the same thing: Solveing a plugged exhaust problem. I believe they would notice the same improvement by putting a new cat on.
I am going to suggest that you will lose more low end power by opening your exhaust too much, and you want low end for offroading. Running a race car at 10,000 rpm makes sense to have open exhaust. Low rpms and pulling need torque, and that is at the low end.
Final environment comment: Race cars get new engines and are tuned really well? Anyway while 2 cycle motorcross bikes are way way worse, but nowhere near as many running like cars on streets. That is no reason to bypass what can be done, when it can be.
Here is a thread by Engine builder that if read all the way through, you find that the stock manifod is great, and that having a 2" exhasut works very well. He explains sexhaust pressure way better than I can. tipshttp://www.4x4wire.com/forums/showfl...&o=365&fpart=1
Last edited by trythis; 12-17-2006 at 05:34 AM.
#17
Registered User
I concur with the above post. We're talking about a truck that puts out 80-90 hp to the rear wheels. Going to a full titanium and gold plated exhaust isn't going to do a whole lot for you.
If you haven't done headers, spend your money there before even talking about a muffler.. After you've done a header, the muffler/cat makes a very minimal difference.
If you like the smog laws in CA, please by all means remove your cat because you think it might provide .00001 hp. Removing that cat be like driving 5-10 toyotas at once in terms of emissions - that's how big a difference it makes.
I've got a "clogged" cat and can't afford a new one? A new one will run you about $60 and you can install it yourself with muffler clamps if you're on a budget.
Bumpin' - you know I've got a turbo. Same sort of ideas apply. A high flow cat doesn't cost much and you can use it in place of a muffler in terms of sound (unless you're in CA). Here's a look the inital weld up of my exhaust system - it's quiet, it flows, and it cost me under $100. I still need to add a tail pipe. I do have a welder, but I could have done it with exhaust clamps. Honestly, it's just tacked up..
Note the flex tube - it'll save your header gaskets..
If you haven't done headers, spend your money there before even talking about a muffler.. After you've done a header, the muffler/cat makes a very minimal difference.
If you like the smog laws in CA, please by all means remove your cat because you think it might provide .00001 hp. Removing that cat be like driving 5-10 toyotas at once in terms of emissions - that's how big a difference it makes.
I've got a "clogged" cat and can't afford a new one? A new one will run you about $60 and you can install it yourself with muffler clamps if you're on a budget.
Bumpin' - you know I've got a turbo. Same sort of ideas apply. A high flow cat doesn't cost much and you can use it in place of a muffler in terms of sound (unless you're in CA). Here's a look the inital weld up of my exhaust system - it's quiet, it flows, and it cost me under $100. I still need to add a tail pipe. I do have a welder, but I could have done it with exhaust clamps. Honestly, it's just tacked up..
Note the flex tube - it'll save your header gaskets..
Last edited by dcg9381; 12-17-2006 at 10:06 AM.
#18
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Thread Starter
awesome, thanks. it does have headers. when the exhaust fell off behind the headers it sounded like 5-10 toyotas, now it only sounds like about 3 until i get it past 3000rpm, then it's back to 5-10. id like to get that down to 1. so in conclusion, cat provides more low end torque and will make it sound less like a racecar -- that was what I was getting at, thanks.
#19
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This is a very sensitive subject around here for whatever reason as you're finding out.
No one was being rude to you at all, it is the moderators and admins being rude to you that they were trying to prevent. Still, the rude posters would have come out anyway.
Truth is that there are many members including myself that don't run a cat for various reasons and the trucks run fine without them. However, if I advocate that you drop yours I'll get banned from this forum so I won't do that.
There is a very minimal restriction from the high flow cats and that's the way you should go if you can get one reasonably and have the money for it. But the other option I won't say in this sentence because I'd get banned.
No one was being rude to you at all, it is the moderators and admins being rude to you that they were trying to prevent. Still, the rude posters would have come out anyway.
Truth is that there are many members including myself that don't run a cat for various reasons and the trucks run fine without them. However, if I advocate that you drop yours I'll get banned from this forum so I won't do that.
There is a very minimal restriction from the high flow cats and that's the way you should go if you can get one reasonably and have the money for it. But the other option I won't say in this sentence because I'd get banned.
#20
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I have run cat and no cat.. .no difference at all... well except the no cat was loud, and stank horribly... it smelled so bad I couldnt roll me rear window down anymore...
Cats are cheap... and you can get universal (welding reqd) or universal, bolt into OEM mounts....
Cats are cheap... and you can get universal (welding reqd) or universal, bolt into OEM mounts....