Test Pipe Question

[socal_eazye]

So i'm deciding whether or not to take the plunge and get rid of my cat. I did some searching but there are some unanswered questions i couldn't find on any of the other posts. The first is, since I still have stock exhaust everything, will installing the test pipe be as easy as unscrewing and removing the old cat and screwing on the test pipe to the flanges, is it required that I wield the test pipe to the surroinding exhuast piping???

I live in San Diego Cali so making this mod permanent would not be a good thing for me since Cali has those "rolling emissions test" I actually got caught in one with my old civic and barely past with aftermarket headers and an apexi exahaust. The whole time the CHP ###got was giving me shit over my headers, so a Test pipe woulda made him shit his pants!

Second would i gain hp in terms of weight loss? I've heard and I may be wrong that 2g cats weigh a shit ton. Lastly I know that people like the david brode uicp, he also makes test pipes would you guys recommend his pipe or is there a better alternative?

Thanks - Eazy

 

[AK_4g63t]

Yes, it would be 4 bolts off... 4 bolts on. As far as the "david brode uicp" I have no idea. I've heard that high flow cats are just as good as test pipes if you're worried about your IM's.

 

[AK_4g63t]

I also don't think you would notice any gains from the weight loss.

 

[DSMunknown]

So i'm deciding whether or not to take the plunge and get rid of my cat. I did some searching but there are some unanswered questions i couldn't find on any of the other posts. The first is, since I still have stock exhaust everything, will installing the test pipe be as easy as unscrewing and removing the old cat and screwing on the test pipe to the flanges, is it required that I wield the test pipe to the surroinding exhuast piping???

Unless you're undercarriage is clean enough to eat off of, most of the exhaust bolts will be severely rusted. Use some PB Blaster to make things easier to unbolt. You can also follow Kyle's instructions here about how to use it effectively. Don't forget to use some Anti-Seize on the new bolt threads for future installs/uninstalls. Trust me, it will make your life a whole lot easier.

I live in San Diego Cali so making this mod permanent would not be a good thing for me since Cali has those "rolling emissions test" I actually got caught in one with my old civic and barely past with aftermarket headers and an apexi exahaust. The whole time the CHP ###got was giving me shit over my headers, so a Test pipe woulda made him shit his pants!

Then you should probably keep this in mind. Installing a test pipe will not allow you to pass the strict CA emissions laws, ever.

Second would i gain hp in terms of weight loss? I've heard and I may be wrong that 2g cats weigh a shit ton.

No, you won't experience any gains in terms of "weight savings." You're simply not removing enough weight during this process to make any noticeable differences.

Lastly I know that people like the david brode uicp, he also makes test pipes would you guys recommend his pipe or is there a better alternative?

Thanks - Eazy

Yes, Mister Brode also makes test pipes. Remember though, it is advertized that he only makes 2.5 inch test pipes, not three inch test pipes.

A test pipe is very simple to fabricate. All one needs is a straight piece of piping and two flanges welded at either end(and, of course, a little common sense thrown into the mix). There really isn't much to it. A test pipe is a test pipe. Nothing really more to say. BTW, you can read more about this here.