I keep reading about people "gutting" their catalytic converters. How do you do this? By doing so, don't you basically like an offroad h-pipe setup? I know sound is different, but is it drastic? Do you pick up any horses with it?

 

I'd be careful or the SMOG police will be on your "tail"...but, seriously I do think that any horsepower you gain would be negligible...

 

We got guys that just go to town with a prybar and a hammer. Just bang the screens out of it. I'd much rather see you replace the cats with high flow cats before doing that. When the cat is hollow, it almost creates a chamber and WILL affect the sound like crazy.

Either that or purchase an off road H or X, because they're designed with mandrel bent piping that doesn't have any "chambered" old cats on there. You'll be much happier that way.

 

Here in LA, occasionally you'll run into a automatic smog/emissions detector on the freeway onramps. I know one person that got a ticket/referee smog notice and a picture of their vehicle along with a "photo" of their exhaust heat signature (easiest way to describe it)...

I wouldnt gut the cats, it's not worth the few hp you might gain.... underdrive pullys would probably get you the same gain.

 

I already have UDPs and I live in Oklahoma where we could care less and are not required to have emissions testing.

How many horses does it gain?

 

Get a catless H-Pipe. Gutting your cats, will sound like butt. Someone here has done it, and it sounded like an old car with a broken tailpipe.

But hey if that's the sound you're going for

 

Plus, that's one of the most expensive parts on your car. I wouldn't damage it.

 

Have you priced those stock cats???? Don't "F" them up. It's not worth the trouble. Go with offroad pipes and put the stock cats back on if you need them to pass "E" check down the road. It's really not worth it.
Scott

 

Aren't new stock cats something like $1700-$1800??? They'd be worth keeping just to sell if nothing else.

 

I believe I have read that the stock H pipe with cats is something like $1700.00 bucks from the dealer. Not like they would ever sale one to the likes of us...but hey just go aftermarket for 1/8 the price.

 

Technically, I think it's illegal to sell them used, but that just makes 'em worth more!

 

<<<<<<<<< Duh

 

Why put all that effort into something that's only gonna get more headaches than horses? If it's a pure drag machine and yer hept on getting that extra fraction of a second, maybe, but otherwise save the effort for something else.

 

Going catless has other advantages such as peace of mind.
I hollowed mine out when I heard a rattling sound.
Don was less fortunate, the sound he heard was a lot more expensive.

I found this piece all the way back at the overaxle hump.

 

Ok, I get it. Don't gut cat. Go offroad h-pipe instead. I was more curious as to how it was done. Thanks for all the info.

 

Offroad H pipe is 170 shipped to the door for Pypes!

CR
Tillman Speed

 

Speaking from experience with gutting cats on the old Fox body stangs of years past After ou beat the hell out of the pipe with a prybar or small diameter pipe or whatever for hours and hours and are satisfied that you have all the material (which could cause cancer) out of the shells you would kick yourself in the *** for the couple of hundred dollars that it would have cost to just get the offroad pipe. Worth every penny! Not worth the trouble and effort and probably would change the sound dramaticaly.

 

It is a bonus living in Oklahoma with no Smog tests or visual inspections though. I feel sorry for the guys on the west coast (read California).

 

Getting caught without cats up here will cost you big time. Not only a several hundred dollar ticket but being sent for vehicle inspection which can cost much more.

Does this car look catless to you?

 

Hey that's my setup!