Cats or Cat delete???

[ratlover]

Hi all! I just bought a 2010 SS 6 speed. I'm kinda new to the late model gasser world since the only thing late model I've ever really messed with is diesels so forgive me for any stupid noob questions. Ive got 400 miles on her so the mod precess has begun......need enough power so its at least as fast as my last 2 duramaxes

I've ordered a cat back from spintech. 2.5" with an x. Hopefully it will be here soon becasue its way to quiet Other than that its currently stock. Plan to eventually get an air squasher of some sort, probably fairly soon. Car won't be too wild though. 550ish to the rears I would venture to guess.

Now its time to pick out headers. I'm leaning twards ARH. Then the question is with or without cats? I dont see any reason to run cats personnaly. Should I?

1. I know it will be louder but i'm cool with that as long as it dosnt sound like crap. I know thats subjective but if it sounds like a stock 95 stang or chevy truck with straight pipes it aint my cup of tea. Some like it but redneck rice aint my thing. I dont mind loud but it should be deep and throaty, not raspy and obnoxious at WOT. Also should be moderate at low load.

2. Dont flame me but I dont care about emmisions. They also dont check here. If they start I'll go to plan B.

3. I have EFI Live from my diesel days so the code stuff shouldnt be a worry right. Beside, will need a tune with long tubes regardless if it has a cat or not right? So I dont see it as making a difference 1 way or the other.

4. Warranty isnt a concern for me. See 3, its getting tuned with long tubes regardless right

Any reason to consider the extra $ and weight of a cat? Anything to gain other than from an emission standpoint? I know that at 550-600RWHP a high flow cat probably isnt going to hurt me much right? Any reasons to go with or with out them that I'm not thinking about?

Thanks

[Milk 1027]

Originally Posted by ratlover

Hi all! I just bought a 2010 SS 6 speed. I'm kinda new to the late model gasser world since the only thing late model I've ever really messed with is diesels so forgive me for any stupid noob questions. Ive got 400 miles on her so the mod precess has begun......need enough power so its at least as fast as my last 2 duramaxes

I've ordered a cat back from spintech. 2.5" with an x. Hopefully it will be here soon becasue its way to quiet Other than that its currently stock. Plan to eventually get an air squasher of some sort, probably fairly soon. Car won't be too wild though. 550ish to the rears I would venture to guess.

Now its time to pick out headers. I'm leaning twards ARH. Then the question is with or without cats? I dont see any reason to run cats personnaly. Should I?

1. I know it will be louder but i'm cool with that as long as it dosnt sound like crap. I know thats subjective but if it sounds like a stock 95 stang or chevy truck with straight pipes it aint my cup of tea. Some like it but redneck rice aint my thing. I dont mind loud but it should be deep and throaty, not raspy and obnoxious at WOT. Also should be moderate at low load.

2. Dont flame me but I dont care about emmisions. They also dont check here. If they start I'll go to plan B.

3. I have EFI Live from my diesel days so the code stuff shouldnt be a worry right. Beside, will need a tune with long tubes regardless if it has a cat or not right? So I dont see it as making a difference 1 way or the other.

4. Warranty isnt a concern for me. See 3, its getting tuned with long tubes regardless right

Any reason to consider the extra $ and weight of a cat? Anything to gain other than from an emission standpoint? I know that at 550-600RWHP a high flow cat probably isnt going to hurt me much right? Any reasons to go with or with out them that I'm not thinking about?

Thanks

Nope. get rid of the cats. There's no reason for them if you don't care about emissions.
in my opinion ARH are the best sounding headers out there. Too bad they don't make shorties. California doesn't allow long tubes.

[The 2010 Sin]

I did the ADM downpipes today.. may have a set with bungs welded on already to sell you.. save you $50 or so dollars. WAYYYYYY too loud for my taste.

Let me know I'll probably just sell them for the same price that you can buy them for on his website but mine already have the bungs installed for the 02 sensors.. literally a 20 minute install 8 bolts.


it has good tone and rumble not raspy through my flowmaster AT catback.. but just too darn loud.

[The 2010 Sin]

its 18whp with these too...

[Bogey99]

If you dont mind the smell or the black soot coming out of straight pipes w/o cats then by all means delete them.

[ratlover]

Black soot? It can't smoke any worse than my last 2 trucks.lol

[Mr_Draco]

Imo just go ahead and get them with the high flow cats. It's been tested and the ARH systems dyno identical with or with out cats. You're not losing anything by getting them except the $100-$150 cost difference which should be cheaper then your "Plan B" if they start caring if you have cats or not.

[ratlover]

Arnt all the current headers with cats illegal techicly? Its only a matter of who tests you and how they do it if you pass or fail?

[Russell James]

Has anyone tried LT's with race cats and then without?

Does it make a sound difference with something like Borla or Magnaflow catback?

I Know the hp of good race cats is next to no difference, but I am curious if they make much of a sound difference - race cats vs off road pipes in a LT/catback set up?

[JANNETTYRACING]

Originally Posted by ratlover

Hi all! I just bought a 2010 SS 6 speed. I'm kinda new to the late model gasser world since the only thing late model I've ever really messed with is diesels so forgive me for any stupid noob questions. Ive got 400 miles on her so the mod precess has begun......need enough power so its at least as fast as my last 2 duramaxes

I've ordered a cat back from spintech. 2.5" with an x. Hopefully it will be here soon becasue its way to quiet Other than that its currently stock. Plan to eventually get an air squasher of some sort, probably fairly soon. Car won't be too wild though. 550ish to the rears I would venture to guess.

Now its time to pick out headers. I'm leaning twards ARH. Then the question is with or without cats? I dont see any reason to run cats personnaly. Should I?

1. I know it will be louder but i'm cool with that as long as it dosnt sound like crap. I know thats subjective but if it sounds like a stock 95 stang or chevy truck with straight pipes it aint my cup of tea. Some like it but redneck rice aint my thing. I dont mind loud but it should be deep and throaty, not raspy and obnoxious at WOT. Also should be moderate at low load.

2. Dont flame me but I dont care about emmisions. They also dont check here. If they start I'll go to plan B.

3. I have EFI Live from my diesel days so the code stuff shouldnt be a worry right. Beside, will need a tune with long tubes regardless if it has a cat or not right? So I dont see it as making a difference 1 way or the other.

4. Warranty isnt a concern for me. See 3, its getting tuned with long tubes regardless right

Any reason to consider the extra $ and weight of a cat? Anything to gain other than from an emission standpoint? I know that at 550-600RWHP a high flow cat probably isnt going to hurt me much right? Any reasons to go with or with out them that I'm not thinking about?

Thanks

Well if nothing else, the cars Certainly Smells better with Cats, Man they Stink without cats.

Pulling in to a car show without cats is like Farting in a Crowd, everyone makes a face and they're Eyes Water .

[ratlover]

Soot is a function of tuning correct? With a wide band, factory O2's and efi live it should run clean correct? Edit: I figured the "smell" would be able to be tuned out? Isn't most of the smell just a function of unburnt fuel?

So being "legal" and smell are the positives to a cat? Funny how putting cats on a diesel makes em stink. Just one of the many differences

[Mr_Draco]

Originally Posted by ratlover

Arnt all the current headers with cats illegal techicly? Its only a matter of who tests you and how they do it if you pass or fail?

Technically it is federal law that you can not change out the headers or cats unless they are damaged until the car is 5 years old. California is the only place I know of strict enough to enforce this. Everywhere else will only nail you if you have no cats.

Now high flow cats WILL pass both types of emissions testing if you let the car run for 10-15 minutes before getting it inspected.