ZL1 Cats? - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

Kakashi · 03-11-2013, 05:19 PM

Been researching the board for some time now, and apparently the concensus is not to use aftermarket cats with forced induction applications because they could clog and cause all types of disasters.

But what about using the ZL1 cats? Are they different from the normal V8 SS cats? They are OEM and sold to last under a forced induction LSA 6.2L V8. Couldn't they be (custom job) placed in the offroad pipes from different systems?

franknbeans · 03-11-2013, 05:28 PM

good idea.. interested in this as well.

Sapper12b · 03-11-2013, 05:39 PM

You make an excellent point, interested as well.

dreksnot · 03-11-2013, 05:45 PM

Nice thought. I know Kooks makes a "green" cat but it's 2x the price of a regular high flow cat.

CanadianSS · 03-11-2013, 05:50 PM

So GM builds a ZL1 with cats and warranties it? I thought about this too and helded me decide to get HFC with my Kooks LT headers. My thought is that the people who make HFC's are thinking of FI applications. Hence the "high flow" name. I can see using stock cats with FI being harmfull. Those are restrictive.

But maybe I'm wrong?

KTWillys · 03-11-2013, 08:37 PM

I was told by the dealer that I purchased my car from that the ZL1 runs exactly the same cats as the V8 SS models.
So there should be no need to change cats.
I am running mine and supercharged the motor and ran it on a dyno and it performs perfectly.
As for long term only time will tell....

axis · 03-12-2013, 01:00 AM

Theres a set of ZL1 cats in the forsale section right now. On the outside, they look to be the same as the SS cats.

oachalon · 03-12-2013, 06:17 PM

I don't think anyone that is supercharged or turbocharged has ruined their factory cats. The issue is with any aftermarket cat. They just don't seem to last.

My guess is gm uses the same cats for the ZL1 as they do for the SS.

dreksnot · 03-13-2013, 02:56 PM

GM Part Number comparison(SS p/n with ZL p/n)?

ayousef · 03-13-2013, 03:11 PM

just because those cats work on the LSA motor doesnt mean they will last on your car. The LSA motor is tuned from the factory to have exhaust gas temperatures that will not destroy the cats, but no one knows their EGT or to be more precise the proper EGT not to burn out cats in short order.

On the other hand, ceramic cats wont collapse on themselves like metal cats do. Would be nice to find 100-cell ceramic cats and place them at a location where temps are low enough not to kill the cats yet high enough for them to work efficiently. Of course fueling and spark advance are big players in the life of cats.

Mchlgrrsn · 03-13-2013, 05:26 PM

In a boosted engine the best cat is a deleted cat

epstein · 03-13-2013, 05:55 PM

So I can sell my SS cats as ZL 1 cats?.......hmmmmm

PIC · 03-14-2013, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ayousef

just because those cats work on the LSA motor doesnt mean they will last on your car. The LSA motor is tuned from the factory to have exhaust gas temperatures that will not destroy the cats, but no one knows their EGT or to be more precise the proper EGT not to burn out cats in short order.

On the other hand, ceramic cats wont collapse on themselves like metal cats do. Would be nice to find 100-cell ceramic cats and place them at a location where temps are low enough not to kill the cats yet high enough for them to work efficiently. Of course fueling and spark advance are big players in the life of cats.

Ceramic cats can melt down if the conditions are right. The factory uses ceramic cats because they are not only cheaper but meet certain regulations set by you guessed it, our federal government. In a metallic substrate, the coating and brazing process is key to their success. If the coating is wrong the substrate will collapse. To this day there is only one company that has actually developed a coating to hold up to forced induction.

JProberts · 03-15-2013, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PIC

Ceramic cats can melt down if the conditions are right. The factory uses ceramic cats because they are not only cheaper but meet certain regulations set by you guessed it, our federal government. In a metallic substrate, the coating and brazing process is key to their success. If the coating is wrong the substrate will collapse. To this day there is only one company that has actually developed a coating to hold up to forced induction.

And what company is this? I have been following the thread about the melting cats issue and waiting to hear feedback about a solution to the melting cats issue and so far I have heard of only one from Ted at JRE. Aren't you the poster that was working with your company on a new version of cats for F1 applications? I haven't heard back from you in a while about this issue, what's the deal with upgraded HF cats!

Sorry if I veered of subject here, not trying to thread jack.

03-11-2013, 05:19 PM	#1
Kakashi Drives: Camaro SS 2010 M6 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: PR Posts: 117	ZL1 Cats? Been researching the board for some time now, and apparently the concensus is not to use aftermarket cats with forced induction applications because they could clog and cause all types of disasters. But what about using the ZL1 cats? Are they different from the normal V8 SS cats? They are OEM and sold to last under a forced induction LSA 6.2L V8. Couldn't they be (custom job) placed in the offroad pipes from different systems?

03-11-2013, 05:28 PM	#2
franknbeans Whipped Drives: 2010 CAMARO Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Pittsburgh-ish - PA Posts: 4,216 View My Garage	good idea.. interested in this as well. __________________ Car of the week 7/7/14

03-11-2013, 08:37 PM	#6
KTWillys Drives: 2012 45th Anniversary Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: State Of Confusion Posts: 160	I was told by the dealer that I purchased my car from that the ZL1 runs exactly the same cats as the V8 SS models. So there should be no need to change cats. I am running mine and supercharged the motor and ran it on a dyno and it performs perfectly. As for long term only time will tell.... __________________

03-12-2013, 01:00 AM	#7
axis Search Ninja Drives: 2010 Black 2SS/RS A6 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Central Ark Posts: 7,183	Theres a set of ZL1 cats in the forsale section right now. On the outside, they look to be the same as the SS cats. __________________ 2010 Black 2SS/RS A6 Halltech CF 102 fed GPI modded intake manifold Bo (knows) White ported TB Kooks LT's/ Dynomax VT Pfadted (springs/sways) Dyno tuned by Rhino and GPI I once parallel parked a train.

03-13-2013, 03:11 PM	#10
ayousef Drives: 2013 ZL1 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Dubai Posts: 757	just because those cats work on the LSA motor doesnt mean they will last on your car. The LSA motor is tuned from the factory to have exhaust gas temperatures that will not destroy the cats, but no one knows their EGT or to be more precise the proper EGT not to burn out cats in short order. On the other hand, ceramic cats wont collapse on themselves like metal cats do. Would be nice to find 100-cell ceramic cats and place them at a location where temps are low enough not to kill the cats yet high enough for them to work efficiently. Of course fueling and spark advance are big players in the life of cats. __________________ 1150bhp Whipple 4.0 Supercharged 427ci Camaro ZL1

03-11-2013, 05:39 PM	#3
Sapper12b HTCC Member Drives: 2013 Camaro SS Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 1,868 View My Garage	You make an excellent point, interested as well.

03-11-2013, 05:45 PM	#4
dreksnot Served USN - Atomic Chimp Drives: 13 Camaro LSX434 TT M6, 21 ZLE A10 Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Fort Collins, CO Posts: 1,603 View My Garage	Nice thought. I know Kooks makes a "green" cat but it's 2x the price of a regular high flow cat.

03-11-2013, 05:50 PM	#5
CanadianSS Blue Streak Drives: 2010 SIM 2SS Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Sherwood Park, Alberta Posts: 809	So GM builds a ZL1 with cats and warranties it? I thought about this too and helded me decide to get HFC with my Kooks LT headers. My thought is that the people who make HFC's are thinking of FI applications. Hence the "high flow" name. I can see using stock cats with FI being harmfull. Those are restrictive. But maybe I'm wrong?

03-12-2013, 06:17 PM	#8
oachalon Drives: 2010 Camaro 1SS Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Mentor, Ohio Posts: 999 View My Garage	I don't think anyone that is supercharged or turbocharged has ruined their factory cats. The issue is with any aftermarket cat. They just don't seem to last. My guess is gm uses the same cats for the ZL1 as they do for the SS.

03-13-2013, 02:56 PM	#9
dreksnot Served USN - Atomic Chimp Drives: 13 Camaro LSX434 TT M6, 21 ZLE A10 Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Fort Collins, CO Posts: 1,603 View My Garage	GM Part Number comparison(SS p/n with ZL p/n)?

03-13-2013, 05:26 PM	#11
Mchlgrrsn Stroked and blown Drives: 2010 LS3 2SS Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Bridgewater, NJ Posts: 1,458 View My Garage	In a boosted engine the best cat is a deleted cat __________________ LME 416 LS3 shortblock/Callies Compstar 4340 4"crank/Callies 6.125 H beams rods/Wiesco 4.07 forged pistons/Cam Motion custom LS1/LME ported heads /maggie TVS2300/I West 8rib 10%OD /3.2 pulley/OD cog drive/JRE tensioner/ID850 /ADM dual fuel/Kooks LT 1 7/8/magna flow2.5 /cat delete/Roto Fab CAI /MGW short throw /SPEC super twin clutch/G Force built trans,carbon syncro rear shaft upgrade /DSS 9"single CF DS /Strange 3.70/31 spline trutrac/MT DR's/earls oil cooler /tuned KHC

03-13-2013, 05:55 PM	#12
epstein Account Suspended Drives: SS/RS Join Date: May 2010 Location: Transplanted from NYC..(ret. NYPD).Now in CT Posts: 904	So I can sell my SS cats as ZL 1 cats?.......hmmmmm