Is it possible to weld a pipe in place of the cat without having any problems such as the computer changing loops?

Yes, you can weld a pipe in and the computer won't crap out on you.

Another thing you may want to do if you live in an area w/ smog tests is just have a test pipe made up for you with flanges on the pipe and cat so that you can unbolt it and stick the cat back on when emissions comes around.

Or you could just gut the cat and get pretty much the same effect, and you don't have to worry about swapping it on or off.

The only problem with gutting the cat is the exhaust expands in the cat chamber, then compresses again at the exit. I'm not sure if that hurts any, tho... I'm currently running with two gutted cats.

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1991 Camaro Z28
5.7L 5-Speed (originally 305)
13.25 @ 107.18 MPH
Southern California
Member: SoCal 3rd Gen F-Bodies
Webmaster: SoCal F-Bodies
-=ICON Motorsports=-

Just gut the cat and put a piece of pipe inside it, that way you can pass the visual inspection.

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1987 Chevy Camaro IROC-Z
L98 TPI 350 (5.7L)
TH 700R-4 Transmission with 2.77:1 Rear End

Current Mods: Edelbrock TES Headers, Hooker Cat-Back System, Performance Resource Chip with 160* Thermostat, Accel Ignition Components, K&N Filters, All Free Mods, Falken ZIEX Z-Rated Tires.

Best ET: 14.3 @ 97mph