can I strip the cats without engine problems??

Hey, I have a a 95 mustang with a stock 3.8L v6 engine. I recently had the stock muffler replaced with a 40 flowmaster and the Y-pipe cut and another 2in pipe with flowmaster run. Here's my question...disregarding any legal considerations ;) Can I safely strip the insides of the cats and expect the engine to run ok when I put them back on? All the muffler shops I've talked to say the engine would have to be rechipped, bla bla bla...but I have a feeling that's not quite true Should it change the tone of the flowmasters much? I would hate for it to sounds like a freakin rice burner. :) Any advice would be much appreciated.

tia!

Jdz

Reply to
anon232
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Just put some pipe in place of the cats. It's easier than ripping them apart and then should you ever need to use cats again (move, laws change, etc.) you don't have to buy new ones.

Reply to
Cory Dunkle

Then you better leave them alone.

MadDAWG

Reply to
MadDAWG

Did it to my 97 GT and it sounds a hell of a lot better. Instead of head the motor wine now you hear a rumble.

Joey

Reply to
JoeJoey

Thanks for responding! :) Did you have any problems with the o2 sensors or the "check engine" light?

jdz

Reply to
anon232

Aside from any legal considerations, there wouldn't perhaps be any MORAL considerations would there?

LJH

95GT

Reply to
Larry Hepinstall

According to all the tree huggers we are all ready going to hell for not driving electric cars.

MadDAWG

Reply to
MadDAWG

lol, maybe I should let you know that i live in a very rural area of arkansas. :-P

jdz

Reply to
anon232

If you take out your catalytic converters and leave your air pump/EGR valve assembly fully operational you my have loud "backfiring" explosion of unburned fuel in the exhaust system, directly after a hard acceleration and quick deceleration. This happens with V-8's anyway...

Reply to
351CJ

Obviously some of us are more morally challenged than others.

This is not a question of performance. I built a 331 stroker that puts out

430 hp naturally aspirated without removing, disabling, or tampering with any pollution equipment. This engine passed emissions testing with 1/4 the allowable emissions.

I can't understand the zeal to remove emissions equipment that keeps the air cleaner when it needn't interfere with making power. The only explanation that makes sense is ignorance of how it works.

Why not educate yourself a little and keep the air cleaner? What the hell is wrong with that?

LJH

95GT

Reply to
Larry Hepinstall

Reply to
Johnny K

Have to get 02 simulators or eliminators.

Reply to
JoeJoey

Why not just put some high flow cats in?

bill

64.5: 260, 3 sp, a/c, SVO cam, Performer, Holley 390, Pertronix, Hi-Po exhaust, 1.5" front & 1" rear drop, Jacobs wires, Torq D's 66: '93 5.0, C4, a/c, ps, Performer RPM, Holley 600, Pertronix, bench seat

Colt SP1,Sig P220, Moss. 590A1, Marlin 70P

Reply to
bill

Not to be obnoxious, but what kind of power would it make without all of the emissions equipment? Did you use all stock emissions equipment or did you go with aftermarket replacements like high flow cats?

Last question.... What year is your car? Being under legal emissions is not as impressive if you're driving a pre 70s vehicle.

I'm really not trying to be obnoxious. These are honest questions that I'm just curious about.

And to the original poster, I would still run some kind of cat'd exhaust. Not the stock one, but cat'd none the less.

  1. You can get plenty of flow through high flow cats.
  2. Where I used to live it was a 00 fine per pipe, so on a dual exhaust it was 00, if a cop looked underneath and there were no cats.

jim

Reply to
Jim H

I am using a Bassani X-pipe with high flow cats. From published dyno tests, they are costing me about 5hp or about 1%. ALL of the rest of the emissions equipment is stock. The aftermarket heads have the same passages for air injection as the stock heads (this does not reduce their power output). I am also running 10.5:1 compression and a custom dual pattern cam (aggressive but not a race cam). All in all a very health engine with prodigious output for a naturally aspirated 331 cubic inches.

I for one would not base an argument against clean air for a measly 1% on a street car.

My car is (surprise) a 95GT. The emission requirements for it haven't been reduced. In addition, in this area I have to pass a comprehensive dyno-like emissions test. The engine I pulled out had only 30,000 miles and was in perfect condition. At its last emissions test it had 1/2 the allowable emissions. My 331 with all the goodies has 1/4 the allowable emissions.

Your questions were not obnoxious.

LJH

95GT as in 1995 GT

Reply to
Larry Hepinstall

Performance wise, you won't gain anything by stripping the cats... Sound wise you'll gain alot from high flow cats. There's about a million things you can do with the 6 banger to help performance, some cheap, some not, without having to ask the infamous "legal considerations aside..." question.

Another consideration.... If you remove the cats, you'll never make it through a tech inspection at many tracks... and you can forget trading it in on a new car. Dealers will check the exhaust and pass on the trade.

Reply to
Mustang_66

Alright, thanks for the tip but right now hi-flow cats are prohibitively expensive for me :( $2000?!?!?!?!? SHEESH!!! I would have nearly bought the car over again! In Arkansas just about everyone runs their truck catless or has them hollowed out but I have yet to hear of anyone getting fined.

Thanks for everyone's responses! =)

Jdz

Reply to
anon232

$2000? Thats rediculous!! You can get super high quality stainless steel H-pipe or X-pipe WITH high flow cats for UNDER $500.

And just because "everyone" does it does not make it right.

LJH

95GT

Reply to
Larry Hepinstall

$2000.00????? Who have you been talking to?

Reply to
Mustang_66

This was in NJ in the late 80's early 90's. I used to work in a speed shop. I don't know anybody who ever got such a fine, or a cop who would actually give such a ticket. I think the law was there to intimidate, but if the cop (or the offender) was a big enough jerk, the fine was availible.

One thing I can say is I may be remembering it wrong. Perhaps it was a $500 fine or $1000 on a dual exhaust. Either way it was way too much money. Back then people would just hollow them out to be safe. An inopperable cat was not subject to the same fine, just missing cats. jim

Reply to
Jim H

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