The question is a simple one. To cat or not to cat, that is the question.

I'm sure I'll lose some back pressure and that will hurt my low end torque, but will it be enough to be detrimental? Are there any other issues I need to worry about.

I'd like to hear both sides. If you replaced yours, why. If you removed your, why.

 

First answer is a simple one too, in regards where you live and whether you have to get an emission inspection. Here in certain counties in PA, they won't even do a regular safety inspection untill you pass the emission test. They also do a visual inspection to verify all components are present. No emission = no registration.

I just put a new WYE pipe/converter assembly on my '93 this weekend. In all honesty, the new cats are pretty small and free flowing, I think. Unless you've modified your truck to take advantage of a free flowing exhaust, you may cause more problems since the truck is calibrated to work with the backpressure. The WYE/converter was also pretty cheap at $269.

Also, an air tube comes out of the new cat and goes up into the emission system. If you disable that, you may force a constant check engine light.

I have a nice Gibson cat back stainless steel dual exhaust system that makes the 302 sound quite nice. They claim a modest horsepower increase. I can't feel it though.

 

Well what year is your truck??

 

It actually goes INTO the cat. It pumps air into the exhaust to reduce emissions.

J

 

I have ordered a new Y-pipe and got the one with cats. Here in West Virginia there arent any emission tests, however they do a visual inspection during the safety inspection. They will not pass you and you cant get a new sticker. I don't think that it'll hurt your truck to have a newer cat on there.

 

Its a 94 XLT with a 5.0 that has MAF.

Fordmanbrad, no inspection for me. We do our registration through the mail.

I could tell you stories about some the cars I've seen with valid tags here in TN.

 

Well I know when I lived in Indiana there weren't any inspections at all. However if you got pulled over and didn't have a cat it was a helluva ticket plus sometimes they'd tow you car!

 

Also it's basically a stock truck. Updated coil, wires and dist to MSD, and I'll be putting under drive pulleys on soon. I'm planning on doing the cam and rockers in the future.

 

I've never seen a cop insect a car here. I've seen them search a few, but they ain't looking for cats.

 

From your description then, I dont think you'd have anything to lose by putting a new cat on. You have to really be moving some air for a cat to restrict your power. Look at all the new sports cars, they all have cats and are pushing out over 400 hp. I'd do a good set of headers and a new y-pipe, the factory one sucks.

 

i just removed one of the cats on my 300 and replaced it with a 3 inch straight pipe. it got a little louder and i think it made it faster (i could be crazy). it felt like it gave me a little more mid range "woosh" feeling.

 

Up here we dont have inspections and if I have to replace the exhaust I leave the cats out. I view free flowing exhaust as a modification, and a engine that gets rid of exhaust easier, is more efficient.

That being said if I had to throw cats on, im sure the high flow type ones would be better then all the old stock ones I am used to pulling off.

 

You wont even hear your exhaust with cats, I cut everything but the front cat off, and it made absolutely no difference, except for a little more of a ballsy sound at full throttle. Now ive got longtubes and true duals to cherry bomb turbos, and its still a fairly quiet setup considering what I have

 

You don't want or need any back pressure , just get rid of the cats , if you wan't to get low end use LT headers and 3in exhaust on single , or 2 1/2 on dual....

 

What would be the point? A cat provides almost no restriction, free flowing or not. On 800 horsepower Cobra's, removing the cat gained .5 horsepower. So besides polluting the air for everyone else, what is it that you're trying to accomplish on your essentially stock truck?