the air tube to my cat is missing about 9 inches of it, wondering if i could use a piece of braided hose, but im not sure if it can withstand the heat though, any ideas of what i can use, the auto parts store doesnt sell any high temp hose, which i think is b.s. but thats what they say. the piece that is missing is in a place where the smog guy cannot see it, so i can get pass visual smog, but does the air tube actually make it run cleaner? it seems to me like the air tubes to the manifold would send it to the cat anyways, so what should i do, and what part can i use to replace the tube?

 

Go to a different parts store. A kit is available with high temp hose (green stuff) and clamps. I'm sure Kragen will have it (I got it from Checker here, which is the same outfit). Ask for an air tube repair kit like Maremont 26501.

As to not needing the tube to the cat: Most inspection stations I've seen use a mirror on a handle to look at the cat, so they do look for that tube as well. Functionally, there is a little device called a "diverter valve" that routes the air to either the manifolds (primarily during open loop operation) or the cat based on commands from the ECM. And, the system is effective in lowering emissions.