i bought the hooker cat-back for 305 tbi firebird and i'm kind of disappointed with the sound level, it dosent scream up top like i had hoped, dont get me wrong it is a lot louder than my old stock exhaust but just not loud enough. so because i still need to pass emissions i plan to buy the cheapest cat i can get and gut it to use year round and then just put my existing cat back on when it comes inspection time. so i just wanted to know how easy or difficult is it to gut a cat and how do i go about doing it

 

Get a test pipe and your cat fitted with flanges then you can unbolt the cat and bolt up the test pipe. When it comes back to testing time simply unbolt the test pipe and bolt up the cat.

 

If you are set on gutting it, and buying a new one, don't cut the new one. Gut the one on the car, and use the new one for inspection. It will probably work a little better.

Oh yeah gutting... I gut mine by taking a 12" screwdriver down in the honeycomb until it all broke up and fell out.

 

I used a prybar to gut mine a long time ago. Just beat the snot out of the brick in the cat. Don't be shy, wail on that thing. It will take some force and time to break it all up.

And for what its worth, a Catco high flow unit is inexpensive, MUCH better flowing that stock, and definately a lot louder. I can't tell the difference on my car power or sound wise between running the cat and an open pipe. So I choose to run the cat.

A stock TBI 305 with just a catback will never scream up top...

 

Why bother gutting the cat? You can get the pice of pipe that goes in place of it for like $20 Thats what I did.

 

if you do buy a new cat and use that for inspections, keep your old cat. you can take the housing off and tac weld it around a piece of pipe. so after you pass the emo, go home and bolt up the "fake cat" that way if you get stopped and the damn cops wanna be P***ks and look, they cant get you on "not having a cat" also, a pipe between the housing will flow better then a hollow cat because its stright and smoothe. unlike the rough surface of a dumped cat

 

id love to have a test pipe with flanges just to bolt up then unbolt.. but... A. i dont own a welder B.mufflex and fucellos (both 2 minutes from me) wont make one because its illegal, they wont do anything except change the cat... and C. at least it looks like i have a cat even tho its gutted... lol.... if u really wanna avoid problems just install a mccord power plate (http://www.mccordcg.com/mpp/mpp.htm) order that and install it .... VERY nice... i think that i may buy this next... while i had my cat out i just wanted to here my car with open headers and it was AWESOME.... and from there on i knew i must get the power plate.. lol

 

with a big drill.

 

.

 

mess

 

I took my cat off and found a huge metal bolt like rod. It was an inch wide by 2 feet long.. So... I put it to the grinding wheel and made a pointy tip, then, i made my friend hold it as I swung with the sledge hammer. lol... I took a while though because I didn't realize theres a ****ing rod going sideway through the middle of the cat. But, make sure you have a shop vac. It makes it a whole lot easier to clean up.

 

Get a knife, flip the cat on its back, start at the neck and work ur way to its crotch area.

 

anyone live around hamilton (trenton area) and know how to weld? i cant find anyone that will weld up my cat... any ideas or help?

 

My dad and I used a large drill. We had it done in about 15 minutes.