APEX'i exhaust...no cat? o2 sensor?

[ShortysTRM]

Ok, we just ordered an APEX'i N-1 DP and Cat-back for a 2G GS-T Spyder, and I'm almost positive that it all bolts up without a catalytic converter. Now, that's all fine and dandy with us, but how's the oxygen sensor going to feel about it? For that matter, what do we do with the o2 sensor? I assume (makes an ass out of you and me, I know) that we will have to do something to prevent a light from coming on...so what do we do? I have heard that we should ground out the o2 sensor on something, or that we should just unplug the sensor from underneath the driver's seat, or that we have do some crazy wiring. If all goes well, we'll have before and after video, including dyno runs, which we'll post on here ASAP.

Please help us



P.S videos are available at ATABO.com, but they are not very recent. Also, we know the videos suck, and that Grand Am is mine damnit, so be nice . For a recent video of much poorer quality, made only for audio capture purposes, of the car after cutting the dump tube and then after removing the solenoid restrictor, Right click here and "save as" . The second part of the video had the exposure turned up too far, so you can't see anything really. As I said, it was all for audio (and to test my new camera mount).

 

[ShortysTRM]

Ok guys, about 1/4 of you don't have catalytic converters anymore, and like 1/4 of those guys have the same downpipe we're asking about...someone has to know the answers. I don't expect anyone to go out of their way or anything, I just want a simple explanation so we can at least know we're not completely ####ed in this situation.

 

[Coldandafraid]

http://www.vfaq.com/mods/O2bypass.html

 

[ShortysTRM]

thank you very much sir...does anyone else have anything to say? anything we should know about the N-1 exhaust?

 

[badgsx]

It has a 41/2 inch tip.

 

[G_S_X]

Apex turboback is complete bolt on and very easy to install... has the o2 hole already, has new gaskets/bolts with it, looks good, its full3" too.. nothing more to say really..... its a nice peice. I have the n1 catback. I like the way it looks.

 

[ShortysTRM]

I appreciate the help guys...yeah, we know about the 4 1/2" tip. That's a bit big, but oh well. As far as I know, the DP actually starts out at 2.5" until the first bend, then it tapers from there on back, eventually entering the muffler at 3.3. Possibly wrong, of course. I wonder why it comes with a hole for the o2 sensor but has no converter? is it for a wideband o2 (way over my head)?

 

[G_S_X]

no its not for wideband, its for your normal o2 sensor, like i said, its an easy install

 

[ShortysTRM]

yes, but if I don't NEED an o2 sensor, and it will read incorrectly if I do use one, I would prefer no hole. my .02

 

[ShortysTRM]

sorry to be a whore, but where in the hell do I get the resistors (as far as I can tell, I need a 12 ohm and 1M ohm) and the capacitor (1 micro-farad)? I checked radio shack, and I think he said they have the 1M ohm, but the guy on the phone just said to come in and check on Monday because they were closing, and that stuff was all Japanese to him (wtf? he works at Radio Shack). Anyways, I wanna do this ASAP, so where do I go?

 

[GPTourer]

Man, I have an N-1, a test pipe and a 3" O2 Eliminator. All my O2's are in place and I have never gotten a CEL. I think unless you have a 99, you may or may not have to worry about all that resistor stuff. Try it before you go through those headaches, and have a pocketlogger handy to clear the code.

 

[Coldandafraid]

my 95 will throw a code for catalytic converter below operating threshold, or something when it doesnt get a reading that it likes from the 2nd O2 sensor.

 

[ShortysTRM]

well, we took out the driver's seat and unplugged the harness, then turned the car on and ran it for a few minutes, and we got no code. Would this work? It seems overly simple to me, but you never know. Do we have to have a pocketlogger to clear the code? I figured it would go away when it got a reading...can the doods at like Autozone clear it?

 

[Spyke169]

if you are going to be tuning your car anyways why not invest in s data logger then when you check engine light goes on for not having a cat you can see it on the data logger and know that nothing has gone wrong. I have a 97 gsx with a n1 dp. I do get the light coming on every now and then, so it's not just a 99 thing. best bet is to just get a data logger.

 

[turbolarry]

Don't take this as gospel because I don't even remember where I got this infomation from...but, from what I heard is that the o2 bung on the apex cat backs do not let the sensor fully in the exhaust stream. This keeps it from monitoring emmissions after the cat, but keeps the sensor hot, and does not trip a CEL. My greddy cat back has a large bung at a 45 degree angle so I know the sensor is not in all the way. I put a test pipe on and have never had a CEL. Put it on see what happens.

 

[ohio98eclipse]

does it really matter if the CE light comes on because of this? can i ijust ignore it or will my air/fuel or some wierd crap start to get all messed up

 

[ShortysTRM]

I assume that the engine will run in some kind of "safe mode," but I dunno really. I would rather just not have to worry about the light than shell out the money for a datalogger. I'd say next thing on the list for his eclipse is gonna be replacing the stock side skirts, as some parts are missing from the last accident. Know where to get some stock side skirts for cheap?

 

[ShortysTRM]

Ok, well the light came on...is it in safe mode or anything? I have wired up a 1 micro farad capacitor that was non-polarized and rated at 50 volts, and a 1 Mohm resistor rated at 1/2 watt...is that right so far? We still have to get the big resistor...we are going to get a 15 ohm, 25 Watt resistor...is that gonna work?? doean anyone know how to help us?? The exhaust should be here in an hour or two.

 

[1LE]

Man, I have an N-1, a test pipe and a 3" O2 Eliminator. All my O2's are in place and I have never gotten a CEL. I think unless you have a 99, you may or may not have to worry about all that resistor stuff. Try it before you go through those headaches, and have a pocketlogger handy to clear the code.

On my '95 it seems to depend on the brand of gas (no cat when I bought it)... I put a cat on so that I wouldn't get the light anymore... No noticable difference in performance.

 

[abrxy3]

I ran my 98 gst with an open O2 housing (no downpipe) for a whole month, and i never got a cel. Is this normal?

 

[1LE]

Yes, if the rear O2 is NOT in the exhaust stream, you won't get a CEL.

 

[WI_99'GST]

i have a 99 gst, with a APexi gt dp, and n1 catback. I threw a CEL about 100 miles after i installed everything. From what i can tell the car is not in limp mode or anything. Also i heard that you can take the second 02 sensor out of the bung, wrap it in tin foil and tuck it away. Then you put an old spark plug in the hole so you dont get a huge leak...i havent done it because i havent had my car up on jackstands since.

 

[prostreetdsmx1]

out of all the N1 setups we have sold i have never had a single customer say his CEL came on. I have the same setup on my personal GST and i have never had the CEL come on because of any exhaust reading or O2. Now a vented BOV is a whole different story

Awesome exhaust, My personal favorite and by far our best seller.

 

[ShortysTRM]

Ok, we have it now, but we're having problems. First, the bolts on our stock flanges are rusted and won't budge. We have been spraying wd-40 on them to no avail. Downpipe bolts are fine, though. Second, does the N-1 exhaust not follow the stock exhaust path? I am so afraid that we have the GS-X exhaust, as that has happened before. The exhaust we have looks like it wants to go under the suspension...?

 

[Defiant]

but the guy on the phone just said to come in and check on Monday because they were closing, and that stuff was all Japanese to him (wtf? he works at Radio Shack).

I think the term is "He works at Radio Shack, duh". They should have the parts you need, he just won't be able to find them.