catalytic converter ?'s

[Mystic1]

I am just wondering how much HP is lost by instaling a catalytic converter on my 88 lxi. I am bringing my car to california and I am going to have to put one on for the smog. I am running a magna flow no restriction 'can' with a 4 inch tip and love the sound. Thats another thing i don't want to loose; the sound. I live in a part of Cali that only requires me smog once. so should I just bolt it on and rip it off later. Any sugestions?

[shepherd79]

i would just bolt it on to pass the emissions, and rip it off after that.

[Mystic1]

Thats what I figured I would do, but I thought I would ask as I have never had a 'cat' on this car.

[Kevin]

I wood get one or maybe 2 high flow cats so you keep the good performance but are smog legal!! The only thing i dont know is if the high flow CAT is good enuff to make a car SMOG legal.

[Mystic1]

I am getting the 'cat' for free(....well, I have to pull it off a truck myself), so it won't be any thing special. I plan on keeping the pipe bolted so I can put the 'cat' back in if I ever deside to sell the car. That is the only time I am required to make it smog. I'm then going to look into picking up a header to compleat the system.

[Mystic1]

Sorry to re-hash an old thread but here is an update.

The 'cat' i was given turned out to be a POS that was worthless. I found that a local shop had one in stock that was droped and dented but would fit and still function like new. I bought it and had it installed for $35 as aposed to $100 for the new cat by its self. I passed the smog test yesterday. Now time to get this thing off.

F.Y.I. I have a noticable HP loss. (if I had to guess i would say about 10-15 hp). Also I can hear it pinging, especally when it is cold. I took it to a friend that has a shop and he ran a free test on it for me. Turns out the backpresure caused by the cat has thrown my timing off. He said the best way to fix that besides taking off the 'cat' was to have the computer reprogramed. I am now going to go to a shop in Or. to have the 'cat' taken off before I have the l.plates replaced to California.

[Sabz5150]

Buy a Carsound cat off of eBay. High flow, and CARB approved. Have yer cake and eat it too

[Mystic1]

I would but like I say, its comming off. My power is down, engine is pinging, and my beautiful free flow Manga Flow isn't singing like it once did. It sounds loud and bassy inside, outside it almost sounds stock.

On a personal note: I want to continue to wake my drunk of a neighbor when I fire it up for work at 4:30 in the morning. Thats my payback for him passing out with his TV set to consert level volume.

But thanks for the advice anyway

[Justin86]

Man the cops should be pretty easy as for mods to. I know that mario in redding has gotten many ticket for none stock mods one for having a cone shape air filter. I'm glad I live in Grants Pass, no nothing.

[Mystic1]

About the only thing they will do here is give a fix-it ticket for sound (engine/exhaust/music). As far as mods go I have yet to hear of a single ticket yet except for being too low or your tires sticking out past the fenders.

There is one guy in town with a 11 second Acura (where a small town, for here thats fast for an import, most are running around14's) and he's only gotten a stree race ticket once but nothing for mods.

[ChaseR]

do you really get about 10 Hp for ripping a cat off?

[Grant2k]

i forget where i saw it but there is a chart that tells you cat size upgrades equivelant to having a high flow cat. like if you have 1.5 inch pipe use a 2.25 inch cat or something. those numbers are just examples. but putting on a high flow cat or a bigger cat would allow you to not have to take yours on and off. but whatever it's your car. i just don't think it's worth the hassle of taking it on and off.

[Mystic1]

Hassle?
1. Jack up car
2. Cut 'cat' out
3. Bolt in original piece of pipe
4. Lower car

This is a 20 to 30 minute job.