Run a cat or straight pipe?

[oilpan49]

I think my cat is starting to give away and my truck sometimes has a hard time getting past 60 and it used to be better at it. Not to mention the low end on it really sucks now. The truck itself runs very nice. I don't like replacing cats and I usually just have a shop torch the kitty and straight pipe it to the muffler. I don't think my Ranger has a 02 sensor after the cat so I probably won't need a spoof02 but then again, I'm not fully sure of this. We don't have emissions testing up here either.

So what do you think, replace with a new cat or just straight pipe it to the muffler?? Thanks,,,,AR

 

[SteveD2]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7931936381&category=33629

 

[Whimsey]

AR,
If you have a 1996 & newer vehicle you will have the O2 sensor after the cat. I don't know if you'll really benefit by not having the cat as far as power goes. And as you can see they are not that expensive, if you don't buy an OEM one. Plus if you have emission testing in your state you may not pass. In NJ they not only read your tailpipe emissions they also look with a mirror under the car to make sure the cat is inplace. Even if you passed the tailpipe emission test but the cat was missing you failed

!

Whimsey

 

[oilpan49]

Thanks guys. I'll probably just put a new one on there and keep it legal and it just makes more sense too. Thanks,,,,,AR

 

[GT Mike]

When my car was in its racing prime, I ran headers and no cat with an O2 spoofer. It didn't do much for the power compared to a OEM cat and regular manifolds. Maybe a tenth or two at best.
I also disliked the stinky smelling exhaust, and having to clean the black residue off my rear bumper cover every couple days.

 

[oilpan49]

So it seems like the only advantage really of loosing the cat is for sound advantage. An exhaust with no cat sounds deeper and throatier IMHO,,,,AR

 

[OdinsRageSS]

quote:

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Originally posted by GT Mike:
When my car was in its racing prime, I ran headers and no cat with an O2 spoofer. It didn't do much for the power compared to a OEM cat and regular manifolds. Maybe a tenth or two at best.
I also disliked the stinky smelling exhaust, and having to clean the black residue off my rear bumper cover every couple days.

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you did have the engine properly dyno tuned after the headers were installed, right?