Hello all, looking for advice.

I have a 2014 GT Premium which I absolutely love.

Airaid CAI, 85mm throtle body, Roush Axle backs, and tuned with the ACT 3015.

Put it on a dyno and got 395 hp / 362 t.

Very happy with the results. A trusted mechanic stated that for the kind of use i was looking to get i should add headers and x pipes keeping the cats. He recommends kooks.

Any recommendations from your experiences, kooks seems a little on the expensive side.

Thanks

 

Congrats on the car and numbers.

So your question is who to go with in terms of an x piper and/or headers for more power? The x pipe (I'm assuming after cats) will net you minimal gain if at all (acoustic changes only), but the headers should gain you some. You'll have to get retuned if you get headers.

As far as brand, kooks is a great brand for headers. A lot of folks on here run them. BBK, Pypes, ARH, MRT, JBA are other good options. Research and ask around.

 

Blegh the only LTs I'd run on these cars are ARH, Kooks or Stainless Works. I don't think MRT makes LTs right? The others are hit and miss for fitment.

 

Thanks for the response, and yes Im looking for the most horsepower I can get without going to a supercharger.

Although I think eventually ( knowing me ) I"ll probably want a supercharger.

 

I'd just save up for the SC. You will get much more enjoyment and depending on where you live, you won't have to worry about issues with getting smogged.

 

Or pull the cats. These cars already have essentially factory shorty headers, so the gain per dollar with long tubes will be really low until you have some sort of power adder on it. However, there seems to be a really notable gain when you go catless, as people with just no cats, and an intake/tune/mufflers are generally knocking on 400rwhp, and even higher w/ a Boss intake.

 

Ok, I got a silly question, if you delete the cats doesn't that mean you can't pass emission inspection?

 

well there's a few factors. Most places in the US don't require emissions testing on a brand new car for like 5-7 years if it's in the hands of the original owner. I had my last car for 7 years from new, and I never had to take it in for emissions. Even then, they just plug a scanner in to the OBD port and see that it passed tests, no longer run it on a rolling dyno.

So as long as it's tuned correctly, it'll pass the computer test with no issue. I also have experience in that, as my car before the last car that was souped up was also catless and passed emissions testing since the computer said everything was a-ok.

 

Understood. I'm not sure how the computer determines it is running correctly without sampling emissions. With that said, if it does sample emissions, I wouldn't think the computer would be sampling upstream of the cats (if it samples at all).

My state (RI), you need a inspection sticker within 24 months or 24k miles of new. They do take all Info from the OBD conn.

 

think downstream. the rears look at trims too, and if the front and post cats are working together, then it's showing that the cats are operating properly. There are self tests that it'll regularly perform, and if the downstream sensors say everything is okay, via spoof sensors or tuning, then it's going to pass those tests, and then it's going to pass emissions.

 

I see what you are saying. Thanks for the info. I don't know if it is a New England thing or not but if you go to get your car inspected and it is a performance car ( especially if it doesn't sound stock) they, Peek under the car. If the cats are gone- no sticker. They won't even bother testing it.

That's why I thought they make high performance cats. To get the flow and still pass emissions. But it also makes sense any flow restriction that is eliminated should generate more horsepower and that's why I see lots of people on this forum deleting them.

 

you can totally go that route. I initially had high-flow cats on my old car when I added long tubes. it's totally worth doing, but generally the cats cost an additional $300-$500

 

I live in FL, no more inspections but I'm one of those that thinks sooner or later they will come up with them again.

Thanks for your responses, I appreciate the help.

 

[QUOTE=pere3528;6824189]I live in FL, no more inspections but I'm one of those that thinks sooner or later they will come up with them again.




One of the reasons I live here!