Hey man, I had a buddy of mine that works at a muffler shop tell me that if I wanted to go cat-less, that I had to have that thing cut off BEFORE I get to the shop. I guess it's kinda a don't ask don't tell thing, but if it's still there when you get there, I think they make you get a new one. Good luck man!

BTW Does that Bassani "Y" have a place for the O2 sensor?

 

Wakeboarder,

Its just flat not legal to remove the cat period. Like Fry-man says, some shops will put new exhaust without a cat under the truck ONLY IF there is no cat for them to find when they remove the old equipment. If the feds find out that a shop knowingly removed a cat, they would incur hefty fines at the very least. Sound doesn't mean diddly compared to the legal ramifications of removing the cat and having the authorities catch you. Anyone who thinks catalytic converters make that much difference when it comes to sound, doesn't have a very clear picture of what their function really is. Yes, they affect exhaust flow by the very nature of their structure. But as for being a sound controlling device, they are better equipped to superheat exhaust gasses...which is what they are intended to do. If they were so effective at changing the sound of the exhaust, manufacturers would combine the cat and the muffler into one unit to save under carriage space.

 

A fellow swim fan! Yes, both the offroad and 50 state legal versions of the Bassani Y pipe have oxygen sensor provisions. The only difference is that the 50 state legal has the catalytic convertor of course.


Rich

 

You know it , thanks for the info, I think I want one of those bad now.

 

Wakeboarder:

My $0.02 worth on this one..... I'm with Greystreak. Consider the high-flow cat without a muffler (just tubing) if you want to play with the sound, but I wouldn't remove the cat. Sure, you can, and you may not get caught or see any other ramifications. Then again, you may. Customized trucks generate attention, and sometimes the kind you may not necessarily want. You could always plead ignorance if you were called on it at the exhaust shop or at an inspection, or otherwise and say "The guy I bought the truck from musta cut it off" or whatever, but a lot of the anti-sentiment against smog equipment is a holdover from the early to mid '80's when much of it did create more problems than it seemed to solve. Nowadays, there's a lot of myth to it hurting your performance or being bad for your truck, though a lot of people still insist on pulling as much of it off as they can. IMHO, doing so is asking for trouble given the sensitivity of the electronic engine controls we have any more, not to mention the ecological reasons. I realize I'm talking about more than just the cat, but I'm looking at the principle.

I'm running the Bassani headers (ceramic-coated) into a Bassani High Flow Y-Pipe and cat, from the cat into a single 3" in and dual 2.5" out Flowmaster 50 series SUV muffler with tailpipes exiting out to the sides, behind each rear wheel. I love the system..... the truck idles quietly, but has that Flowmaster reverb / growl under acceleration without being obnoxious - I don't get dirty looks from my neighbors, strangers, or the local police. The truck sort of sounds like a slightly quieter Mustang Cobra.

At any rate, if you need more sound, consider the larger piping with dual exits and maybe no muffler. BTW..... the "fake dual" setup will basically gain you the sound (over the single in / single out), but it won't gain you any measurable performance. I see a difference in response with the headers and higher flow Y-pipe and converter, but honestly, I can see no difference in performance with the dual exits..... they're purely for sound. Just my take......

 

As far as inspections and getting caught go, that isn't a problem. For one we have no inspections here and I also was planning on hollowing the cats out, not removing them. I already have the dual outlet muffler like you are talking about and it is not loud enough for my taste. I may consider trying no muffler, but I really want that flowmaster growl. I appreciate the advice and will roll it around a bit before I do anything.

Aaron

 

I know Flowmaster also makes (or did make) 2-chamber mufflers, which are supposed to be louder than the 3-chambers. Maybe they make a single in / dual out model that'll be a good compromise between the 3-chamber and open pipes? One more thought..... Good luck!

 

Do you know which models are a 2 chamber model?

 

Not off hand..... They used to be listed as "2-Chamber Mufflers". You might try to get ahold of a sales rep or check their website to see if they still make them, or if they've renamed the line. The "40-Series" may very well be what I'm thinking of..... Take a look:

www.flowmastermufflers.com

 

Wakeboarder,

Greystreak and gang are steering you in the right direction...

The stock Y pipe with that little pre muffler chamber cuts back on the sound waves and restricts the exhaust gases...

it is the canister that combines the two exhaust pipes before it comes out as a 3 inch pipe going into the converter.

The bassani Y pipe will not muffle the sound due to the nice Y
pipe connection....no canister = good flow and better sound.

The newer cat converters don't restrict enough to affect 1 db of sound, so don't waste yer time trying to hollow them out...

It is also a federal EPA law violation and you can be fined and or imprisoned...(they take their laws seriously!!!)

I had my bassani Y pipe installed after getting it thermal barrier coated and the sound is awesome.....it has a low rumble that gets a bit snappy as you stomp on it...

the flowmaster I have is the 40 series 2 chamber with dual 2.5 inch outs.

The thermal barrier coating also keeps the floorpan temps reasonable and helps keep the exhaust gas velocity high, this is good for the engine as it cools the engine bay temps by at least 100 degrees F, theoretically lowering air temps by 5 degrees equals about 1 hp!!

This also means longer life for belts, hoses, wires, and your alternator, not to mention electrical sensors etc...

NExt is the dyn run to get the A/F ratios across the powerband...
then its the custom diablo chip.

 

How much did it cost to get it thermal barrier coated?