Punching out Cats
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Punching out Cats
I have a 88 F-150. I don't have to meet any emissions standards. Can I punch out to cats to let the exhaust flow better? If so, will the engine run right? Are there any drawbacks to doing that?
Thanks
dhwilson
Thanks
dhwilson
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I ran without cats for about a week but couldn't stand the exhaust smell. It made my trucks exhaust smell like some old junker. I had a high flow cat installed and gained some low end power back and no more stinky exhaust.
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Joined: Jan 2004
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From: Clemson
I read in some SAE or other publication a while back, that after 50k miles, cats are only like 20% as effective as the were new. Plus, catalytic converters have to get up to temperature before they perform properly, and on average that takes at least 10 min... Just food for thought...
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I have a friend who cleaned out his cat and now his Ca**ro makes a terrible whining noise, and an awful exhaust note, somewhat like it doesn't have a muffler and sounds like a junk car. He didn't gain any noticible power as people usually don't. I wonder where you live, as I live here in NY and we presently don't have a sniffer test, but I've heard that there will be one in years to come? Just some thoughts, Start with the muffler if you have'nt already, Ford's mufflers are notorious for being restrictive.
Good Luck.
Good Luck.
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Thanks for the responses.
I live in NC. A large part of the state requires emissions. My area does not as yet. I have looked into it. They will require testing in 2006, but vehicles built before 95 are not included.
dhwilson
I live in NC. A large part of the state requires emissions. My area does not as yet. I have looked into it. They will require testing in 2006, but vehicles built before 95 are not included.
dhwilson
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Posting Guru
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From: Concord, New Hampshire
My front cat, dystroyed itself, nothing left inside, and a sawzall attacked by rear one, i n0tice no diffrence in running, although my exhaust sounds better, and maby a little improvement in power and fuel millage, but nothing major,
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I made a noticable improvement in my 89 302 Bronco by removing the converter, cutting a 4" by 4" hole in the top with the mini grinder. Then I knocked the guts out of it, migged it back up and re-installed it. Looks original but seems to work great for towing combined with the rest of the 3" exhaust.
Post Fiend
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From: Topsfield, MA
Your engine takes about 10 minutes to fully warm up and come out of open loop for the emissions system (02), start a car/truck w/o cats next to one w/ them..it still makes a huge difference (warm or not).
A high flowing cat is about 60 bucks from summit racing....you won't notice a difference in power between that and a regular cat. I took my cat off for a week and hardly noticed a difference in power and it didn't make it much louder either.
A high flowing cat is about 60 bucks from summit racing....you won't notice a difference in power between that and a regular cat. I took my cat off for a week and hardly noticed a difference in power and it didn't make it much louder either.
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: southwestern,pa
i took my cat. clear off my truck. at first seemed to run better, but after a while it seemed as if it was loosing power. put a high flow cat back on. with a flowmaster 3inch inlet. dual 2.5inch outlets. and it runs so much better with this setup than it did before. i dought if it would make much of a difference on your truck to gut your converter. 
Last edited by xltlariat87; Jun 18, 2004 at 10:44 PM.
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From: Concord, New Hampshire
well, i would personaly do it, but thats my opinion, and in my area they just require it to be there, the place i brought mine for state inspection, didnt seem to care, but as for more power, its not noticable, but defidently made the exhaust louder, and that was noticable, along with a slight fuel millage increase. and im sure it lowered the EGT, seeing how my manifold hasnt cracked seince i took off my cat, but that was probly something to do with it not being 100 percent open. it was slightly plugged.
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2001
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From: Topsfield, MA
My buddy has a 5.0 mustang Cobra w/o cats and it stinks, they make a big difference in emissions but very little power difference, by removing cats you're giving the tree huggers and the government more of a reason to clamp down on us and emissions laws. I honestly didn't feel a power difference with or without the cat (I put a straight piece of pipe in place of the cat) and mine had 100k mi on it.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: Ashland City, TN
as far as i know. power is created from this form wiht proper air flow.
SOme cat's restrict to much air flow thus makeing you loose power, because the engine has to work harder to expel it.
The trick in removeing the cat is to allow more air flow from the exhaust, by getting this air out of there, it helps the engine run better.
I've never noticed a bad smelling exhaust before unless they were runnig crappy fuel.
Mine has no cat, and i'm sure it would make a differnce if i put it back on.
My ford tempo i had, i had the cat removed, and there was definatly a noticeable difference in power, in an I4 2.3!
But everyone is right. buying a high flow cat, will be better then stock POS.
Specially that one from flowmaster he just posted. High air flow makes for better working engine.
Its just more common sence to me to remove it to increase the air flow, or to replace it with a more efficent cat.
i do not belive race cars have catalitic converters do they?
Wait yes they do, i think, cause i belive they made ford put on cat's about 10 years ago and they stoped leading in nascar. i think thats what the complaint was, I could be wrong on that, so dont quote me.
SOme cat's restrict to much air flow thus makeing you loose power, because the engine has to work harder to expel it.
The trick in removeing the cat is to allow more air flow from the exhaust, by getting this air out of there, it helps the engine run better.
I've never noticed a bad smelling exhaust before unless they were runnig crappy fuel.
Mine has no cat, and i'm sure it would make a differnce if i put it back on.
My ford tempo i had, i had the cat removed, and there was definatly a noticeable difference in power, in an I4 2.3!
But everyone is right. buying a high flow cat, will be better then stock POS.
Specially that one from flowmaster he just posted. High air flow makes for better working engine.
Its just more common sence to me to remove it to increase the air flow, or to replace it with a more efficent cat.
i do not belive race cars have catalitic converters do they?
Wait yes they do, i think, cause i belive they made ford put on cat's about 10 years ago and they stoped leading in nascar. i think thats what the complaint was, I could be wrong on that, so dont quote me.