Flowmonster High Flow Cat

[blackbyrd]

Hey guys. I'm looking for a high flow cat instead of a straight pipe, to try to keep the sound down.
I was wondering if anyone ever used a "Flowmonster" catalytic converters off eBay?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=130005714010

Any ideas?
50$ for that compared to 150$ for Buschur's or Megan's high flow cats. I'd have to weld on some flanges and what not, but that's not a problem. Any input would help!

Thanks!

 

[IslandTSI]

Anything called "Flowmonster" you should stay away from IMO

 

[blackbyrd]

haha
Yeah, It is pretty intimidating.
But is there anything wrong with this design/construction? It looked decent.

And the guy has 100% positive feedback, and so many of these guys sold..

 

[IslandTSI]

In all honesty it looks like a decent piece. If you want it just to reduce sound then I say get it. If you are worried about passing the sniffer you might want to go with a more reputable brand that is known to work well.

And if all you want is to make it quieter, just get a couple resonators and call it a day.

 

[SinaiTSi]

As a matter of fact, I've just replaced my expensive Magnaflow catalytic converter with a cheap ebay one because my magnaflow fell apart on the inside. Mine isn't from the exact vendor as the one you linked but it looks very similar in design.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/3-Ca...2QQihZ003QQcategoryZ33629QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Fitment was great and so far no problems what so ever. I'm pleased with it, but only time will tell for how long it holds up. For the price though, it is a very good deal.

 

[eboy0]

Just wondering, cat doesn't seem to make one bit of difference in sound, only thing that makes it "quieter" is the muffler, I have a high flow magnaflow and a straight pipe, both sound identical. So i run the straight until.... it's time to go pass emissions.

 

[blackbyrd]

Really?
I was under the impression a cat would help bring the sound down some.. I know i can look for a different muffler or a resonator, but I figured I'd start with the cat, maybe be somewhat environmental conscience too.
Anyone else not really notice a difference in sound w/ a cat?

Thanks for the replies!

 

[eboy0]

Maybe because it's high flow 3", but like it's not welded on, so I swapped inbetween straights and cat, no difference to my ears or 5 other people's.

 

[SinaiTSi]

Really?
I was under the impression a cat would help bring the sound down some.. I know i can look for a different muffler or a resonator, but I figured I'd start with the cat, maybe be somewhat environmental conscience too.
Anyone else not really notice a difference in sound w/ a cat?

Thanks for the replies!

It will help bring the sound down, but like said, about the same as a resonator. If you're not worried about getting in trouble with the law and emissions, a resonator would be a smarter choice since it's not going to restrict nearly as much as a cat.

 

[IslandTSI]

and is cheaper

 

[polarmoment]

Resurrecting this.

They ARE a 49 state legal cat with proper GVWR numbers. I installed one of these flowmonsters last October to pass CO emissions and passed with flying colors. I tested the car before and after, and there was a 75%+ reduction in HC and CO (I was right on the edge of passing without a cat though too). This is on an MR2, and the cat is probably 4 feet from the turbo, just above the rear crossmember (only place it would fit) and just before the mufflers. It would be even more effective if it were closer to the turbo. It's at least as effective as a magnaflow at a fraction of the price. Their customer service sucks though.

What I'd like to know is if anyone has had one of these for any significant length of time. Magnaflow spun cats seem to fall apart after about 4 years (at least that's the trend on our cars), and I'm wondering if there's any difference either way in longevity with these.

I didn't notice any significant reduction in power, but I'm running an external wastegate dump as well.

 

[blackbyrd]

Resurrecting this.

They ARE a 49 state legal cat with proper GVWR numbers. I installed one of these flowmonsters last October to pass CO emissions and passed with flying colors. I tested the car before and after, and there was a 75%+ reduction in HC and CO (I was right on the edge of passing without a cat though too). This is on an MR2, and the cat is probably 4 feet from the turbo, just above the rear crossmember (only place it would fit) and just before the mufflers. It would be even more effective if it were closer to the turbo. It's at least as effective as a magnaflow at a fraction of the price. Their customer service sucks though.

What I'd like to know is if anyone has had one of these for any significant length of time. Magnaflow spun cats seem to fall apart after about 4 years (at least that's the trend on our cars), and I'm wondering if there's any difference either way in longevity with these.

I didn't notice any significant reduction in power, but I'm running an external wastegate dump as well.

Well I've had it on my car since then. Although I haven't driven it for about 3 years, it's still holding up. I probably only put 40k on it, if I had to guess.

If you want a better flowing (although more expensive) option, I got a Mil-Spec cat for my Evo and it's held up great. Mil.Spec :: Custom Performance Parts