[logan__tille]

How many people run with no catalytic converter? I was just wonder if you have ever been stopped by the police? I think Im just going to run strait duals with glass packs, but if it will be terribly loud I will throw some cats on.

[68NovaSS]

Moving to the basics forum.

[wretched ratchet]

Originally Posted by logan__tille

How many people run with no catalytic converter? I was just wonder if you have ever been stopped by the police? I think Im just going to run strait duals with glass packs, but if it will be terribly loud I will throw some cats on.

is this your DD, and, if so, I would be more concerned with passing inspection than the cops looking under your car. if you live in Texas and it is a Classic/Antique hot rod, you can get by with murder - - - if you keep your foot out of it, that is

[dalesy]

You got smog inspections? Safety Inspections? If your vehicle came with them, you'll need them on.

Why the noise anyway? It adds no performance. With Flowmasters or some of the other 'real' performance mufflers, you can get better performance without all the annoying racket.

You might also check into hi-flow cats, if you need to keep em.

[OneMoreTime]

Dunno what it s there..the least of your issues is the loss of the plates for the car..go to a high flow cat if you must..or dual cats..

Sam

[DeathRattle]

If you don't have rampant emissions testing leave the cats off and throw on some dynomax super turbos. They will keep it quiet enough to any extent and give you a great sound when you get on it, and they are really cheap compared to every other muffler. No loss to sound quality either, they sound good on everything.
You will get tired of the glasspacks if its your daily driver. Your neighbors will also complain if you leave early in the morning....ask me how I know.

[ortamenxs]

I cut my cat off with in a week of getting of my car. I now run about 4' of 3" straight exhaust off each long tube header with a 17" glass pack on the end of each. My exhaust ends about under the back seat, and I still need to put elbows on it to stop the fumes when I sit in place from getting stuck in traffic.

Never had a ticket, no inspections here, I ran with open headers for about a week and Johnny law followed me home twice from work but never pulled me over. I like the way glass packs sound so they don't bother me, I like the noise

They may bother the neighbors when I go to work at 5:00 am, but I've never heard a complaint, on one side they play their "boom boom boom" stereo full blast when they leave, come home, or are out in the yard, and on the other side they have a $h1Tt>- beat up caprice they think is a race car or something so it is live and let live around here.

So mine is straight, no cats, just 4' of pipe with dual glass packs. Not to loud actually and great cackle when you let off the gas. In the garage they can be very loud with the reverberation.

[Chevrolet4x4s]

My 85 never had em.

Shane

[Flipper_1938]

Originally Posted by Chevrolet4x4s

My 85 never had em.

Shane

Do you drive a Honda?

To my knowledge, since emission requirements were tightened, the only car company that has good enough engine management to run without a converter is Honda.

I'm pretty sure it is a federal offense to cut the cats off of a car without replacing them.

[Centerline]

EPA rules, namely the Clean Air Act, prohibits the altering of an exhaust system in any way that defeats the emissions components of a vehicle. In 1990 the law was amended to expand the tampering prohibition to include private individuals.

Removing the converter is a violation of Federal Law. Us a couple high flow cats and your choice of mufflers.

[TooMany2count]

Originally Posted by Chevrolet4x4s

My 85 never had em.

Shane

Thats odd my 84 Suburban & 79 Caddy had them. Sounds like someone removed the converter which is a violation of Federal Law...........joe

[wretched ratchet]

hey, Logan, just for grins what kind of vehicle do you have

[joe_padavano]

Originally Posted by TooMany2count

Thats odd my 84 Suburban & 79 Caddy had them. Sounds like someone removed the converter which is a violation of Federal Law...........joe

Trucks and cars have different emissions requirements. Also, light-duty (under 8,600 lb GVW) is different from heavy duty trucks. My 86 1-ton Chevy truck did not require cats from the factory, but half ton trucks that year did. Also, diesels did not require cats and if a diesel vehicle was converted to gas it likely didn't get cats installed. This has been a loophole for some time, as diesel cars did not require emissions testing. Calif has now put laws in place that specifically address diesel vehicles converted to gas engines.

Bottom line is that federal anti-tamper laws prohibit cat removal but chances of being caught by the Feds are almost nil. State laws vary and those are the ones that you need to worry about in the real world. Just because one person in a state with lax laws hasn't been caught YET doesn't mean you won't be. Get smart on your local laws and let your conscience be your guide. On the other hand, modern high-flow cats provide nearly no restirction, so why not run them?

[CarNutCertified]

What makes the New England states and Cali so strict is because they add to the law. Which a state is allowed to do. Here in Oklahoma the laws are pretty lax. Cops dont generally pull you over just to inspect your ride tho. I have desmoged my 87 Honda ran better and wasnt loud, Same with my 71 truck it has straights into 24" glass packs, My old 87 Ford had the same thing, Sounds real good not loud and has a nice rumble going down the road, Then I turn the out just before the rear axle on the 71, The neighbor has a stock system with on his v6 Chevy truck with a set of 3" echo tips and he is louder than my truck. Hey remember, that if you remove your cats to recycle them....I sold two from a jeep and snagged 140.00 bucks. (The jeeps were being modded for off road)

[PatM]

Originally Posted by Flipper_1938

Do you drive a Honda?

To my knowledge, since emission requirements were tightened, the only car company that has good enough engine management to run without a converter is Honda.

I'm pretty sure it is a federal offense to cut the cats off of a car without replacing them.

As I recall there were were two passenger car companys that were able to qualify early-on without Catalytics, at least here in California. They were Honda and BMW. I think it only lasted a year or so for them, though, then the requirements tightened-up and they too were forced to make the change.

At one time I put catalytics on the wife's Vette (a 68). It is amazing how much cleaner the engine was afterward. In fact, it was cleaner than my Dad's new (at the time) 96 Silverado.

Pat