Gutted Cat questions ... (im the king of questions)
 

So after I get my wheels worked out, I'm moving to Exhaust. Thinkin pacesetter headers, and I can't decide between loudmouth or rumbler or cheap crapmaster. Anyway, my somewhat knowledgable car buddy told me that where I am moving to, I don't have to go through emissions so I should gutt my cat but leave it there so it looks like its intact. There's no real audible sound difference (that a cop could hear :p ) Right? And it will allow more free-flowing exhaust thus more power potential right? I'm just trying to weigh the pros and cons. The only cons I can see are if I move to an emissions required place agian or if I sell the car (which I won't anytime soon). Anyway, Let me know whats up. Thanks :D

Its going to be loud as hell if you do it that way... i got a loudmouth catback still got the stock manifold headers and cats and its loud trust me, and i have a ls1 v8. If you do that with your car being a v6 its goin to be rediulously annoying loud and raspy at high rpm's thats one thing i hated about my v6 i ran it once without a muffler and hell man its annoying but sounds allright at low rpms

That, and anyone can smell when you arent running cats; the sound shouldnt be the only concern.

Hm, so you wouldn't suggest it? .. Is there any true performance gain of a gutted cat (the same or better than a high-flow)?

On a different note, if I don't gut it, I should definately get a high-flow cat right?

I would imagine its a little better gain, but not a significant amount... I would say get a high flow cat and that would do just fine. Its legal, just as good, will keep it sounding better, and if you ever decide to sell it thats another good thing to have cats on it.

the gain seen at dyno tests is less than 5hp todays cats flow very well (the ones that didn't and got the myth started were phased out by '82)

yeah i used to argue with arch but the only reason i saw a gain was because my old cat was falling apart and blocking the flow.

and there is definitely an audible difference. my friend told me with my heads, cam, flowmaster, and no cat my car sounded like a bus...and i see my old car around town a lot...it does :(

caleb misses his 3.4...:(lol

On my '94 I had headers, a carsound 3" highflow cat and the SLP loudmouth exhaust. I for one really liked it but then again when I had LT, ORY, and the TSP Rumbler on my LS1 it wasn't nearly loud enough for me and I know a lot of people think it's to loud.

To hear an LT1 with LT's, an ORY, and the Loudmouth exhaust click here. I taped Josh's car last fall.

http://thumbs.streetfire.net/E3D5B28...F8C38C5A60.jpgClick here to see Video

see even you saw the light:lolsign:

I think that sounds sweet

yeah x2, I like it.

it would sound like a bus and smell like eggs lol but thats just my opinion i would just get a high flow cat.

Yeah that video does sound really nice! Well I guess I'll shell out the money for a high-flow cat then. Now I still have to figure out the catback. :banghead:

So far what I want is: Pacesetter headers, (probably carsound) cat, but I still have no clue on what I want for catback!! Loudmouth, TSP, or just magnaflow. (Flowmaster was in there but I guess you guys don't like it).

dude dont even waste money on a high flow. it will still sound like ****. stock cats flow fine.

i agree stock cats do flow fine but if u have to get something then id go high flow instead of gutting it and i think i may be the only one but i really like flowmaster

Its everyones opinion on what sounds good, ad i say leave the cats on, the only reason i took the cat off my bronco was because it got clogged up bad i got up to like 45 max up hill it was bad so that thing got hacked right off, but i wish i would have put a univerasal one on there or somethin now instead of welding a straight pipe becuase, it smells like **** bad i had the top off in the summer and i had a headache and a half from them fumes.

Thats your brain cells dying... wait... that explains... nevermind :nana:

So you guys are saying get all new headers, catback, and keep the old cat ... So I would receive no HP gain from a high-flow? Would the old cat still work if I wanted to get 3"?

BTW, did anyone come to a conclusion whether 2.5 or 3 was better or is it still faught about? Honestly I don't have any idea which one to pick, so if a couple really smart camaro guys of wisdom say one or the other, I will go for it. :p

If its a stock cat it wont work with 3" exhaust. Stock piping is 2.25". I dont think a high flow cat is gonna be worse than a stock cat, it should be practically the same.

As for what is better, 3" or 2.5... I think 2.5 would be better for a v6. I honestly dont think it will matter, youll just run into clearance issues because 3" is made for the v8.

on the GP zzperformance found the stock cat was faster than a high flow (was a cheap off brand that was made in china) (granted that's the gp but still a good representation)