Removing The 1st Cat, Can It Be Done?

Has anyone removed the heat shields to see if the 1st cat will unbolt from the header, or is it all one piece? If it is one piece, you think it can be cut off and a flange or something welded to the header? The shop doing my exhaust said they can't take off the cat, but maybe since I am getting a high flow cat they can take the 1st one out.

You can look on my site for a picture of the header with the cover removed.Look under Custom CAI. I have posted one Pic of the header. Beware...It looks like s***.
Here is the
web page And Yes It Can Be Done! If you replace the header it will eliminate the 1st cat.

[ 11-21-2001: Message edited by: MP3-Owner ]

I meant can you remove it without having to buy a new header hehe. Can you just cut it off or something?

Hmm...I suppose you could go to a custom shop that do Exaust and Stuff. They might be able to make you a section to go where the cat is. That is the only option I can think of. I plan on getting a header as my first real engine mod.

WOOHOO! I'v been RATED!! hehe...j/k

Ok, here is what I know about cats. I've done this on another car before so I know it works. Inside the cat is a bunch of stuff to dampen sound and burn off unburned fuel. The gasses cause it to get hot and when unburned fuel goes through it, it burns it. If you take the cat off, you can get some type of steel rod or anything like that and contiuously punch holes in it until you can see through it. Then clean it out a little more, get all the crap that you have torn up out. Make sure you shake it all out. Then just reconnect it. Yes it is pretty ghetto but it does work. But as with the one I did like that on a car, It started to make a lot of noise after a while. So I took it to a muffler shop where I knew someone, and they cleaned it out a little more, inserted a pipe that would pass straight through and just welded it in place. Presto, looks like a cat, but actually just straight pipe. But with ours the check engine light will probably come on because of the different O2 readings from the O2 sensors not having a cat between them. A fix for that is to extend the second O2 sensor behind the second cat. Now this is all in theory, but I don't see why it wouldn't work. As for passing emissions test, I don't think it will be a problem. If you still have one cat, a new 4 cyl car should still be able to pass the test. I'm not real sure about that part though. Someone give me some feed back about this theory, sounds good to me.

I have heard mixed stories about people who have done the punch hole thing and I am not gonna try it personally. I am going for the new header, and there should be more headers available soon...I hope. AWR Racing has one in the making, I am just waiting on a price. I might just go for the one on corksport. Damn $739 though.

Yeah, $700 is alot for a header. I don't want to buy one cause I am eventually gonna get a turbo and would have to replace the header anyway. I am already going to have to replace my MHP intake and probably redo my exhaust when I get turbo.

why redo your exhaust when you get a turbo?

Need bigger pipes for a turbo, not getting big now cause it will hurt performance on NA engines.

Getting an exhaust may not hurt all that much, if anything it'll reduce your low-end torque and HP. But it will give you more top end HP and possibly a few extra lb ft of toqrue in the mid range. Just as you see on Honda's the low-end hp and torque are usually the point that go first when you replace an exhaust. But, you gotta give a little to get a little. Sucks huh