[quote author=Doc link=board=2;threadid=16713;start=msg161195#msg161195 date=1085144814]
Oh my.
If you are replacing the entire exhaut system it might be a worth while investment to buy a couple of high flow catalytic converters. I know you can get them in 2, 2.5, and 3 inch piping diameters.
And that's one of the reasons I went cat-less on my Integra. But, I also put out less gasses than most cars because of fuel tuning and engine management.
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Two thoughts to share: First, in my case, I have a 3" high-flow, high-performance cat and I think this is the best compromise between pure performance and environmental stewardship. Although there might be some small amount of performance produced by having no stock cats, there is not much, if any amount of performance improvement between no cats and high-flow/high performance cats. It is simply not worth it from any performance perspective, any environmental perspective, or from the perspective of fines, impounds, fees, etc. And, although the stock cats are fine for stock exhaust, if the intent of the person posting the thread is to increase pure performance, in the end, it would be less money and less time spent to get virtually the same amount of performance AND stay within the moral, ethical and legal realms.
Second, I would argue about any assertion that anyone " puts out less gasses than most cars because of fuel tuning and engine management". There are several reasons this statement is flawed ( and no, I'm not trying to start a fight, I'm trying to share another perspective so no diss to anyone ) one reason is that nowadays MOST vehicles do have fuel tuning and engine management and ALL of those vehicles will also have cats so it is incorrect to say that with the fuel tuning and engine management you are less gassy then most cars, in fact, you are only less gassy perhaps than older cars with carbs, no cats, and no engine controls! Sorry but its true. Further, it is important to remember and to understand that regardless of how perfect fuel tuning and engine management is, and it is getting more and more perfect all the time, the whole purpose of the cat is to combust ANY remaining fuels and pollutants in the exhaust. The cat is the second internal combustion device on your vehicle ( hey cool, we all got two internal combustion devices! ) and by a catalytic process ( chemical process where a chemical reaction is accelerated and made more complete by a catalyst, in this case various platinum parts ) it more fully combusts fuels and pollutants within the exhaust stream and therefore helps with emissions. It is such a superb device, why would anyone want to remove it unless it severely restricted performance, which it does not!!! I'm trying not to sound like a prude or a prick but leave the frickin thing alone, seriously. If you must do something with it, do what I did, add a high-performance cat, finish up with a high performance exhaust system, rotate the cats so they are protected, put on your slee sliders, and call it good!!! This cat trick thing sucks in my opinion and I am sooo pleased that sooo many of you agree. As a group we, and all people who use wilderness for recreation have to stand strong with these things. Okay, sorry for the rant, and again, no offense to anyone.
