Has anyone done this before? I was thinking about it cause I don't have to worry about emissions inspection.

 

Dont gut your cat. When you do this it creates a huge open area for exhaust gasses to collect and upon exit it creates a bottleneck when they enter the B-pipe. Smooth exhaust flow is what you want, gutting the cat will create uneven pulses and actually hurt the performance. I won't even get into what you are doing to the air and the possible legal ramifications should you get caught with a modified cat. And yes, most officers know a gutted cat when they smell one.

 

o.. thanks

 

what are the possible legal ramifications?

 

depends on where you live but in most cases, a fine, and a citatation to have it replaced with original equipment.

 

State laws vary, of course. But for CA:


"(b) The state board may collect a civil penalty not to exceed one
thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) for each violation of Section
27156 of the Vehicle Code. Any penalties shall be paid to the
Treasurer for deposit in the Air Pollution Control Fund. (c) The civil
penalty specified in subdivision (b) may be collected for one or more
violations involving the tampering with or disabling of a
gasoline-powered vehicle's air injection, exhaust gas recirculation,
crankcase ventilation, fuel injection, carburetion, ignition timing,
or evaporative control system, fuel filler neck restrictor, oxygen
sensor or related electronic controls, or catalytic converter, or for
the use of leaded fuel in a vehicle certified for the use of unleaded
fuel only. "


Fines from the Feds can be even heavier:

"A manufacturer or dealer who removes or renders inoperative any
emission control device or element of design installed on or in a
motor vehicle or motor vehicle engine is subject to a civil penalty of
up to $25,000. Others can be fined up to $2, 500. Anyone
manufacturing, selling or installation of any part or component that
serves to bypass, defeat or render inoperative any emission control
device or element of design is subject to a civil penalty of up
$2,500."

 

In California, that means a visit to the state ref, a $450 fine (probably more now), and having to make every part of your car stock to pass the ref.

Gutting a cat is probably the dumbest thing anyone can do because not only will there be an open area as TL2498 mentioned, but unless you put a pipe inside the cat matching the size of the rest of the exhaust system, effectively making it a straight pipe, there will be turbulence impeding flow.

~Cheers~

P.S. Damn, didn't see the post above me, haha.

 

^^ Not to mention that even with a "straightpipe" or a "testpipe", gains are minimal at best when compared to a quality high-flow cat. Somewhere to the tune of 1-2 HP at the crank on average.

 

yea.. you might as well just get an aftermarket cat (all aftermarket cats are high flow, i dare anyone to prove me wrong) and 2.5 in. piping from Y pipe back with a high flow muffler.

 

^^Magna-Flow direct fit. OEM replacement and a more densley constructed ceramic substrate than OE cats. Trust me, I did my homework when I put a highflow on my GSR. The Carsound (Magna-Flow Inc.) universal cats are high flow, but flanges and piping need to be welded on. The direct-fits are exactly that, but are not high flow.

Unless of course you are talking ONLY about cats for TL's. In which case, I'm not sure, so you win.

 

youll get a malfunctioning catalyst code unless you get a secondary o2 eliminator/cheater kit.

your primary o2 registers temp, then your secondary o2 registers the same after its passed through the converter. If you gut it out, remove it, or whatever else to alter the reading after the cat, your car will pop a light, as well as throw your car into diagnostic limp mode. Meaning different timing and tune all together.

Personally, unless you do it right. i wouldnt play with the cat at all. Your just creating problems and headaches for the cost of nothing. Ive had my 3.2 with a built 11:1 compression engine equipt with a 125 wet nitrous kit at one point in time. And it still was not fast. Id make the car look good, make it comfortable, and upgrade items that are crappy. If your trying to hollow cats out and weight reduce ac systems and shit, you are wasting your time. Its a luxury car. keep the cat on there, theres no reason to mess with it.