Firebird Mess85

Where can I buy a dummy cat?

I'm looking to put a new exhaust system on the Firebird, true dual with fake cats on so it will pass emissions. I have no idea where to buy the cat though.

Any ideas?

Stephen

Fake cats will only help you visually. The sniffer test will reveal the the "cats" aren't doing anything to reduce the emissions.

Besides that, true duals aren't legal anyways, so why dummy up some cats? Cats or no cats, the duals will fail you visually anyways.

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Firebird Mess85

I'm confused. Sniffer test? They techs at the dealership I used to work at all said there just had to be a cat, it didn't matter if it worked or not.

True duals are illegal? why's that?

Stephen

Sniffer...The probe they shove up your tail pipe to "sniff" the exhaust.

The Federal requirements are that the cat remains in the stock location. Now, you could do the dual cats, in the stock spot (both on the passenger side) & run true dual exhaust that way, but your drivers side pipe would hafta turn towards the passenger side.

By the time you do all the twisting & turning to fit long tube headers reaching dual cats on the passenger side....Is the extra weight of dual cats, dual pies & the twisting & turning of these pipes...Gonna help you any, to be worth the effort?

I dunno...But I do know a single 3" is easy, 3.5" isn't that much harder, & a single 4" can be bough over the counter.

Other than true duals having a better sound...Is the extra work & weight REALLY worth the effort?

If a person isn't worried about legality & such, then yeah..True dual definately give a better sound.

IROCThe5.7L

Some places do not use "the sniffer". All we have here is a visual inspection.

89RS_82Z

then get you a cat from somewhere and ream it out, i did that on a van of mine since the cat had a flage welded to it and i didnt want to have to custom fab an exhaust piece to remove my cat

UNCLE TOM

Jason is correct , just gut the cat. . i did that on my other car , felt difference right away . try breathing in and out through a rag . engines inhale and exhale , any help either way is good . good luck .

Air_Adam

Why not just get a high-flow universal cat? They aren't expensive, and don't impose any restriction. And they actually clean up the exhaust too.

Stephen

What? SACRIFICE 2 HP to a Hi-Flow cat?? Are you crazy????

He's right....Put on a good hi-flow cat/cats. Good ones!
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Yes...But it's still illegal to gut a cat.

Firebird Mess85

IROC, we're both in Buffalo, NY and I know the dealership I worked at never stuck anything in my exhaust....not sure if it's cuz I worked there, but I've never heard of a sniffer in this area.

So a 4" exhaust system dual cat back is the way to go? Is that going to be crazy expensive?

Where do I get a 4" cat for that?

89RS_82Z

speeding is illegal also

just remember it was like that when i got it, i had no clue
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and no a 4" single is the way to go, as said duals can be alot of trouble, i had dual 2 1/2 with glasspacks on a 454 that berathed fine..... 3" , 3 1/2" is enough single is enough, 4" is bragging rights......if you got a 305 the 3" should work good, i got 3" with a handfull of mods, no cat, and factory manifolds and im running time that a 350 TPI does....i got some headers, i just need to install them and get a down pipe made.....

but true duals do sound good, and you can fit them under a camaro with a little trouble, have some scaping issues with them normaly, i seen it done plenty of times, but dual 4" would be to much...... i may do dual 4" on a 454 or 502

IROCThe5.7L

I never said it wasn't. I simply stated all we have here is a visual inspection. Firebird Mess85, I would just go with a nice 3" system.

onfire

You can easily get a good flowing 3" cat back system. Save your money for some engine mods ... cai, tires, oil change, gas, 454 with a monster blower something like that !



Rabi C.

Firebird Mess85

Lol, no 454, I had that opportunity a few months ago. Staying with the 305 just as long as I don't find it's junk when I take it apart.

It seems like 3" it is then with headers. Now the pain is finding a shop to do the work that won't kill half my budget.

So I guess as far as the cat goes, a high flow is the concensus?

Kevin91Z

Definitely get an aftermarket cat from Magnaflow, Catco, or Random Tech. I prefer Magnaflow but they're all good.

If you can afford it all at once, you can do headers, cat, and exhaust all at the same time. If you do it in pieces then you have to pay for labor two or three times.

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91camaro372

If you have headers though you never know if you'll pass emissions either... atleast not in MD. Just somthing to think about. I'm waiting on headers till I get it emissions tested then i'm taking off the cat and running headers. Just my

89RS_82Z

he is 85, i figure he would be exempt for emissions since its over 20 years old, some states exempt cars after 20-25 years

phillyterror

On that note: do anyone my an aftermarkert (N10) option today?
What that improve?

krisb410

Can you word that so it makes sense?

Stephen

N10 is the dual cat.....But a single 3" flows enough for most street cars & weighs less.

__________________

17"x9" ROH Snypers (with the correct 3rd gen backspacing, no spacers needed), 275 front/285 rear, no rear seats, 4th gen front seats, OEM 2001 TA rear wing, OEM 1997 TA side mirrors

Home of the STS (Sequential Turn Signal) mod
Photobucket of 1989 Pontiac Trans Am GTA-parting out
GOD Bless America

Firebird Mess85

Yeah, I'm exempt i believe. I mean my car is a v6 to v8 swap car and passed inspection with just a walk around inspection and quick look on the lift.. 3" with high flow single cat is still the best way to go?


EDIT: Oh, I wanted to add more. I think this may be a stupid question but by dual cat back is that a system like this? Cuz this is basically the seup I have now? Everytime I try to find a dual cat back exhaust I find things that look like this.

Kevin91Z

Emissions exempt just means you dont have to get tested. It doesnt mean you can legally remove parts. Federal law still applies.

Nobody makes a off-the-shelf dual exhaust setup for our cars because its pretty difficult, and a single 3" is fine for most cars. If you want true-dual exhaust you have to custom make it yourself. See the dual exhaust thread at the top of this forum.

Firebird Mess85

No I don't have to have true dual after hearing the responses here. Just trying to figure out the best 3" setup now I guess.

Now I guess I just want to know what constitutes as "cat-back dual exhaust"?

Firebird Mess85

bump: Confused here....what constitutes dual exhaust (not true dual)? I'm trying to figure out what I'm looking for. Is it just what is pictured below?

89RS_82Z

its a single 3" from the cat (or where your cat should be) to the muffler, its called a crossflow muffler a crossflow is a direct replacement that has a single in and dual out, look at the simple pic i made, it shows how exhaust goes in and out the muffler

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