High flow cat selection

[cb3016]

hoping someone could help me pick out a high flow cat for my 98 GSX, right now i have a HKS high power cat back and want to get a high flow and down pipe, i'd prefer bolt on over weld on ever since i broke my welder (don't buy miller matic). i'v searched threads but also what I would like is if it could smog in CA my car right now passes CA Emissions with the mod in my profile, i just passed smog so I have 2 years to worry but. so to sum up my question is there a High flow cat and down pipe out there that will allow me to pass smog is strick ass CA. right now my CO (%) is 0.02 with the max being 1.00 @ Idle, and my HC is 27 with a max of 100. To me it sounds possible to a high flow to work and still smog but want to make sure so in 2 years i'm not killin my self.

-Chad

 

[DSMcrazy3]

I would just recommend going to your local muffler shop and buying one of their high flow cats.

 

[hopwoodp]

I would say to look for one that is C.A.R.B and OBD 2 compliant. I know that Random tech sells some and I saw some on the hop-up racing website that has some on there that are approved. But, I believe the two that sell certain approved 3" models are Random tech and Magna flow. Pretty soon California will pass that it is okay to switch to a "high Flow" cat without any problem as soon as they are approved. If you are OBD I there are now worries. But, for us obd II guys we got to weight before we stop driving on egg shells. But, If you want to pass smog spend the extra $$ to get the one that is CARB approved. Good luck!

 

[unlmtdndeavor]

save yourself the risk of having a high flow cat not pass and just get a downpipe that eliminates the cat all together. and then put your stock dp and cat on in 2 years. it'll save you some money too as well as increased performance.

 

[larsrya8]

save yourself the risk of having a high flow cat not pass and just get a downpipe that eliminates the cat all together. and then put your stock dp and cat on in 2 years. it'll save you some money too as well as increased performance.

I agree with this. I would add that you should try to make it look like you still have the cat on the car. Maybe weld some heat shielding onto the downpipe. Otherwise, if a cop looks under your car and doesn't see a cat you'll still be screwed.

 

[cb3016]

ya i get stopped a lot for cops checking to see if I have a cat on my car, its funny watchin them get down on their hands and knees tryin to look under my car with my teins on.

 

[hopwoodp]

Well, that may work in most places. But, if you are from Southern cali, you WILL get pulled over and put on a portable tester and if you fail then you can figure the rest out. You better play it safe than sorry.

 

[larsrya8]

Well, that may work in most places. But, if you are from Southern cali, you WILL get pulled over and put on a portable tester and if you fail then you can figure the rest out. You better play it safe than sorry.

The have portable testers?! Damn, that's excessive. But since it's the case, you might as well get the high flow cat. I've heard good things about Random Tech.

 

[cb3016]

ya So Cal is strict as hell, i went down a few times to visit my girl in redlands (outside of LA) and got stopped for being an 1-1/4" too low and gave me a fixit ticket for $75 and take it to the police station to get it checked off, have to raise my teins, made me bypass my boost controller and then they got out their sound meter and made sure my car was under 95db's. Bay Area is hella less strict.

 

[destruckeclipse]

Well, that may work in most places. But, if you are from Southern cali, you WILL get pulled over and put on a portable tester and if you fail then you can figure the rest out. You better play it safe than sorry.

Do the testers apply to AWD cars though? I have never seen anyone, or heard of anyone actually being hit by this yet. I know they have them, but never seen them in use myself.

 

[c5chris]

Magnaflows.

I have it replace my stock cat and it passed my smog test last april. it is OBDII compliant and CARB excempt.

I got it for 75 bucks

 

[cb3016]

Good Posts, Thanks ALL, answered all my questions.

 

[tstkl]

which random tech high flow cat works with our cars? i mean will any 3 inch random tech pass smog? will this one? http://3sxperformance.com/exhaust-tt.asp scroll down to the random tech high flow cat, its the second one, the really skinny one. also, how would i go about getting a 3 inch buschur down pipe and 3 inch buschur cat back to hook up to this, since they are slip fit style

 

[hopwoodp]

Yeah, it is pretty bad. I live in San Diego and they will stage these portable testers next to main roads - the cops will find someone - pull them over and have them run the test right then and there. If the car fails in some cases they will impound it. In other cases you will just have to see the ref.

This whole portable tester thing just came out after cali got funding to go out and "catch" gross polluters. The state law enforcement was approved for a 15 million dollar bill allowing them to use these measures to enforce this.

The only good side to this is that right now california is under federal investigation for using "unfair" test standards that actually score you higher on the emmision test than you actually are. If anyone wants more info on this go to the SEMA website for updates and new news.

The reason why new "high flow" cats are being approved by the C.A.R.B is because many of the older ones are failing prematurely and now company have came up with sollutions for this and are now having them tested and approved.

 

[daren_p]

Maybe you should check out roadraceengineering. They make a nice stainless steel downpipe and you can get a high flow cat from them as well that will bolt right up. I'm currently running this setup. Our emissions aren't quite as strict as cali but their pretty close. I just had to go for emissions this summer and was no wears close to the limit with this setup. Here are my results


40 km/h

Limit Reading
HC, 76, 8
CO %, .42, 0
NO ppm, 580, 0

Idle

Limit , Reading
HC, 150, 8
CO%, .7, 0

 

[tstkl]

ive desided on the buschur, theres no questioning that, if all else fails ill use their high flow cat, but is there any way i can use that random tech i posted the link for in my last post?

 

[Sinner]

I have the Random tech. cat on my car and all I have to say is it was the best quality part I have ever bought for my car, it bolted right up like it was made by the factory, it added a lot more sound and it is perfectly street legal.

 

[noob-e]

I am debating over this same topic. I stumbled on the Buschur racing site the other day and their exhaust stuff seems pretty reasonably priced. Right now, I have a stock 97 GSX and I am going to be looking to add some bolt on mods in the near future. I am seriously considering getting the 2.5 down pipe($200), high flow cat($90) and cat-back($350) from Buschur. That comes to about $650 +/- for a turbo back system. Does anyone have any experience with this combination of Buschur products?

Also, what is the difference between a press bent down pipe($200) and a mandrel bent downpipe($250)?

Thanks guys!

 

[kottyking]

I am debating over this same topic. I stumbled on the Buschur racing site the other day and their exhaust stuff seems pretty reasonably priced. Right now, I have a stock 97 GSX and I am going to be looking to add some bolt on mods in the near future. I am seriously considering getting the 2.5 down pipe($200), high flow cat($90) and cat-back($350) from Buschur. That comes to about $650 +/- for a turbo back system. Does anyone have any experience with this combination of Buschur products?

Also, what is the difference between a press bent down pipe($200) and a mandrel bent downpipe($250)?

Thanks guys!

Mandrel bent VS Press bent Exhausts

These two terms refer to the way bends in exhaust piping are created.

A Mandrel bent exhaust is done in such away that the piping diameter remains constant throughout the length, even at the bends.

A press bent system on the other hand is much easier/cheaper to implement and the actual diameter of the piping reduces at bends due to the process used to make the bends.

Hence a mandrel bent system will be more efficient and less restrictive in flowing exhaust gasses as the same diameter is held throughout

 

[noob-e]

Ohh, ok...I get it

Now that I think about it, I know what you mean. For example, the metal fence in my back yard has a press bent frame (it kinda flattens out a little bit in the curve). I assume that this is done with some industrial press (hence the name), whereas the mandrel bent piping is usually bent 2 little wheels right?


Thanks for the response to my question

Anyone have any input in regards to a Buschur turbo back setup?