Should I go catless?

[talontsiboy24]

I have a 97 gsx with a 3" downpipe and 3" exhaust but I have a hi flow cat now and was wondering should I go catless? I don't need to go to emissions for another 2yrs...

 

[black_gst]

of course not.. that would be illegal

 

[talontsiboy24]

of course not.. that would be illegal

grrrr

 

[black_gst]

I don't know what mods you have, but if your still mostly stock with a hiflow, I doubt you are losing much power.

 

[blcknspo0ln]

If you already have a high-flow cat, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[fwdmaster]

Of course, yes

 

[talontsiboy24]

I don't know what mods you have, but if your still mostly stock with a hiflow, I doubt you are losing much power.

no im not stock im running a fp green turbo etc...my cat is old as hell and i was gonna replace it with a metallic cat since its better then ceramic but i was thinkin how about no cat at all? ....

 

[blackGSX2g]

i just hate my exhaust being so quiet

Dang; one of the first times I've heard of that as a bad thing.

Unless you plan on running race gas, I would keep the high flow. With your turbo, I doubt you'd notice a performance difference.

FYI I ran a 3" high flow cat for awhile with my 50-trim and switched out to a straight through 3" exhaust and didn't notice any performance differece. Also it didn't make it any quieter, it just smoothed out the exhaust pulses a bit. Sounds more ragged cat-less.

 

[joat09]

If it were me, I wouldn't go catless. Its not worth it hurting the environment for a slight increase in performance. If you already have a high flow cat you won't gain much more.

 

[talontsiboy24]

hmmm what a choice?

 

[907gs-t]

no im not stock im running a fp green turbo etc...my downpipe has a resonator on it and then the damn hi flow cat. my cat is old as hell and i was gonna replace it with a metallic cat since its better then ceramic but i was thinkin how about no cat at all?

I'd just replace it with a new high-flow cat imo.

 

[talontsiboy24]

Dang; one of the first times I've heard of that as a bad thing.

Unless you plan on running race gas, I would keep the high flow. With your turbo, I doubt you'd notice a performance difference.

FYI I ran a 3" high flow cat for awhile with my 50-trim and switched out to a straight through 3" exhaust and didn't notice any performance differece. Also it didn't make it any quieter, it just smoothed out the exhaust pulses a bit. Sounds more ragged cat-less.

did it shoot flames or backfire when u were catless?

 

[blackGSX2g]

did it shoot flames or backfire when u were catless?

I'm currently catless and I'll often shoot flames on a quick 1-2 shift at the track. the 2-3 & 3-4 shift is too far away from the camera in my videos to see if I am shooting flames.

With anti-lag/stutterbox I usually shoot a flame or two on a launch. Normal driving, I don't see anything.

 

[talontsiboy24]

I'm currently catless and I'll often shoot flames on a quick 1-2 shift at the track. the 2-3 & 3-4 shift is too far away from the camera in my videos to see if I am shooting flames.

With anti-lag/stutterbox I usually shoot a flame or two on a launch. Normal driving, I don't see anything.

are u on youtube? do u got any videos of your car? will u loose torque with a catless setup or it depends?

 

[anmGST]

Keep the cat.. I have a ton of mods on ny GST and have no cat and hate the way the exhasut sounds. I'm looking for a HFC to install an hope it quiets it down a little.. I bought the car this way.. Maybe me or just hate the Apex-I exhaust..

 

[tkelly27]

Your DP has a resonator? I'd get rid of that and replace your used up cat. The further up in the exhaust stream your restrictions are, the worse they are for flow. A new high flow cat will not be a performance robbing restriction. I didn't notice a difference between a gutted cat and a stock cat, and there was no change required in my tune.

 

[daren_p]

I've never ran without a CAT (not worth the risk here of being pulled over without one & getting a $500 or so fine), but I have run a reg 3" HF vs a 3" metal core. My origional HF CAT was the RRE version. I kept hearing how much better the metal core CATS are, I got a good deal on a 3" Vibrant metal core, so tried it out. Personally the gains I noticed were very small if there were any. I didn't do back to back logs with both but airflow numbers didn't change enough to stand out & my boost didn't just up, which is does when making an improvement to airflow. Personally I'd just keep a HF CAT.

 

[daren_p]

Thats not a resonator, its a flex section. It allows the motor to torque back & forth & not stress the whole exhaust system.

 

[talontsiboy24]

Your DP has a resonator? I'd get rid of that and replace your used up cat. The further up in the exhaust stream your restrictions are, the worse they are for flow. A new high flow cat will not be a performance robbing restriction. I didn't notice a difference between a gutted cat and a stock cat, and there was no change required in my tune.

no resonator i got mixed up sorry.

 

[talonalex92]

Test pipe, ftw.

 

[tjbiker031]

You gain maybe 2hp from going strait pipe from hi-flo cat. Honestly just keep it on, if the laws finds out, they will just make you put it back on anyways.

Plus you don't want to add to global warming jk

 

[talontsiboy24]

Would my gsx sound mean if i go catless? i have a hahn dp to thermal research exhaust all 3"...would i see some flames maybe?

 

[tkelly27]

It's going to sound almost the same. The cat adds the slightest bit of muffling. I never noticed flames with or without a cat even with a 5k 2 step and a 5k NLTS. If you're not getting them now, you may or may not get them without the cat.

Your car won't be cooler or noticeably faster without a catalytic converter. I know the popular image is that it will be, but we've gotten to a point in technology that there isn't a good reason to not have a cat on a car that will eventually get inspected. Maybe lack of money and or fab skills to put one one, but that's about it.

Go ahead and pull it off if you don't believe me or anyone else here, have putting it back on in 2 years.

It will probably sound a lot meaner if you take the muffler off. I run cat to about 4' of pipe that dumps out the side.

 

[talontsiboy24]

would goin catless have a effect on the aem wideband? i mean is the wideband still goin to do its job and give me the correct airfuel ratios?

 

[blcknspo0ln]

Would my gsx sound mean if i go catless? i have a hahn dp to thermal research exhaust all 3"...would i see some flames maybe?

This already tells me that you seem to be only asking if you should go catless for the 'wow' factor. I'm sure you can hear a slight different in exhaust note, but it'll probably just be your mind playing tricks on you. I've also ran a catless turboback for YEARS and have shot flames out once or twice. If you want to shoot some flames, run your car pig rich and leave a lighter by the exhaust tip.

would goin catless have a effect on the aem wideband? i mean is the wideband still goin to do its job and give me the correct airfuel ratios?

Where is your sensor?