hey guys i currently have an alta catback exhaust but looking for someone thing else and will be selling my alta one, does anyone have nm engineerings exhaust? i do not really want to get rid of the second cat so if i got most other exhausts id have to fiddle with the pipes, only other thing i would want to do is put a dual exhaust on. anyone have any info they could lay on me for quality and so on?

 

Why don't you want to get rid of the 2nd cat. That's the biggest restriction besides the stock pipe size and primary cat!

 

Ya get rid of the 2nd cat. It's only there to help with emissions and it is unmonitored, which means no sensors or check engine light when you remove it, I should know.

 

YEA BUT THEN THE EXHAUST WONT BE LEGAL NO? WHEN I GO TO GET INSPECTED I WILL FAIL SINCE I AM MISSING THE SECOND CAT?

 

if you are not legally required to have a 2nd cat in place of residence. remove center section. long steel pipe and a hammer. shake out the pieces. reinstall empty center section. ymmv

 

i'm very confused on the "dual exhaust" thing.... and btw, no removing the second cat doesn't effect your emissions at all... the JCW has only one cat....

 

YOU MIGHT WANT TO TAKE THE CAPS LOCK OFF LOL.

You will not fail the emissions test because you will still have a primary cat which makes your exhaust legal. It does not matter if you removed the second cat because by law you have to have at least one cat not two. Also what dunphyj said is true, the JCW Mini does not have a second cat. So that makes you double in the clear.

 

I already removed the resonator out of the stock exhaust and I love the sound but I am considering having the 2nd cat removed as well. Will this give me more sound even though I already have the resonator removed? I dont want it overly loud just maybe more JCW sounding. I have an exhaust leak at the muffler so when the car goes in to get that fixed I might as well get that cut while its already in the air...

 

Hey Sketch I am going to get on making that video of my exhaust.

 

well i like to be different when it comes to my car haha, by dual i ment splitting the pipes at the rear, pretty much i would mimic the stratmosphere exhaust system. i would run straight pipe down to a muffler then from the muffler split into a y-pipe and run 2 pipes to the rear and just trim the valance, kinda making it like the clubman only the tips would not be so far off on either side, i think the mini would look good with a dual exhaust vs the just the center. but ive been looking into getting the riss racing exhaust instead, does anyone have?

 

why would mini even bother to put a second cat on then if the jcw only has one? that makes no sense at all!

 

Because a cooper s is a ULEV (ultra low emissions vehicle). I'm not sure if the JCW is

 

That is a really good question. I have heard that it is to help people that live in California pass the very strict emissions test that they have. DNadar might be right about the ULEV as I have never heard of that before, but it sounds very plausible. Regarding Riss Racing I would avoid them like the plague at least for now. Not many people on NAM that I know of has an NM exhaust, but they do make quality products. Also you might want to check out the Stratmosphere exhaust. I might eventually buy that exhaust sometime way in the future.

 

AFAIK, you don't go to the sniffer test based on your emissions rating, PZEV, SULEV, ULEV, PLEV, etc. You get tested on your actual emissions and what is expected. It is irrelevant whether or not a factory JCW has a 2nd cat or not. If your MCS is supposed to put out no more than "0.30 amount of pollutant X", and your car tests with 0.37 because the 2nd cat isn't there to help, you fail. The tech won't care if the 2nd cat isn't monitored or you complain that the JCW doesn't have one, why should I. A JCW might test with a 0.37 and pass, because that is what it was rated at in the beginning.

If you live in a CARB ruled state, you are not allowed to remove emissions control devices, that includes the unmonitored 2nd cat. If you remove the 2nd cat and the smog tech expects on to be there, you will fail visual inspection. Obviously, the factory JCW did not come with one and the tech would not look for it. If someone has information stating otherwise, please post the CARB section that deals with this.

All that said, I wouldn't advise anyone to toss their 2nd cat away if they live in a CARB state until at least the first emissions test.

 

well i live in new jersey i know there harsh on everything but not sure about the smog stuff, i mean i wouldnt know if it is ok to remove the second cat or not whether it is legal or not

 

and if it is not legal y would all these companys sell them? ive even called and asked companys just like alta and stratmosphere if there exhausts are carb legal and have been told they are not, i have never really seen parts for a car where none of them are legal. i will prob just go with the nm engineering exhaust then

 

So riddle me this. If you have a JCW Stage 1 tune on an MCS and you remove the 2nd cat is the emissions measured as a JCW or as an MCS

 

ooo good one!

 

I believe (in cali, at least) that the emissions sniffer is based on the class of car, not individual model. I could be mistaken, but that was my understanding.

 

Well where i'm at (ontario) the car would be tested as a MCS because it is an MCS.
Also here we have whats called MTO officers who can pretty much pull you over at anytime and give you a nice size fine if ANY emissions equipment is missing that the car came with from the factory and you would have to redo your emissions test. We've got it pretty ruff up here when it comes to this stuff !!
Many exhaust components are sold "for off road use only" so not emissions friendly.

 

No riddle. You're measured as a Brand: MINI, Model: Cooper S JCW Tuning Kit, it's a seperate model in the database. Factory JCW cars are listed as "John Cooper Works", or "John Cooper Works Clubman". (CARB/AQMD list) Whether or not you remove the 2nd cat, it doesn't change anything in the eyes of the testing station. To be street legal, MINI had to have the tune approved by CARB, so they have the measurements of the manufacturer supplied test unit(s). The tuning kit DOES NOT remove the 2nd cat.

Even if you added every "JCW" part, you are not and will never be a Factory JCW, they are two seperate vehicles. There is no requirement for purchase of the JCW front silencer. It is not the dealer's responsibility to make sure it is being installed on a factory JCW. If you fail emissions in a few years and tell them that they sold you a JCW front silencer and removed the 2nd cat, they'll tell you to buy a new MSC exhaust for $1000.

Similarly, many manufacturers (eg Magnaflow, iirc ALTA) do not remove the 2nd cat and use the same cut point as the Stage 1 exhaust. Some will put a label, "Off road use only for CARB mandate states" or something to that effect. There is no restriction in purchasing one of those parts, but installing it on a road vehicle is ALL on you not the retailer or manufacturer.

In the end, it's your vehicle and it's your responsibility to remain legal in your place of residence.

 

It really comes down to if you live in a CARB state. Someone who lives in a CARB state might have a problem passing emissions without a 2nd cat, but if you do not live in a CARB state as I do there should not be any problems passing emissions as long as you still have your main cat.

 

thank you for all your feedback i think im going to just stick with having the second cat and not have to worry about passing when inspection comes up since nj has gotten alot more strict with things, im just going to stick to my original plan and do a dual exhaust im not sure i feel like spending another 700-800 on a new exhaust again. personally most of them are not even worth that much i would rather take that and get a new FMIC or something along the lines or re-do the suspension.

 

I realize this thread is super old, yet I am having trouble finding real information (no speculative) on CA smog tests and removal of the 2nd cat'.

I am sure more an more of us are getting our cars smogged, my 2008 MCS is due for it's first test by the beginning of July.

I removed my 2nd cat in favor of a NM Engineering downpipe back bolt-on exhaust. I love this exhaust and have had it on for over a year. I walked to a smog station across from my work and inquired about bringing it in for a smog test. I also told him "I have a custom exhaust I put on my car, do you know, is that an automatic fail?" He said, no, they do not care about any exhaust that is a "Cat-Back" exhaust -they are ALL legal and as long as you do not mess with your catalytic converter they don't care. He said at his station they don't do a visual text but test the emissions. So, without getting into details with him (I didn't state that my particular car had two cat's and that I removed the one that was not being monitored, etc).

I can swap my stock exhaust back on and then back to my 2nd cat delete exhaust after the test and I"ll pass no problem, -but it will take me about 4-5 hours of switching exhausts back and forth.

I am thinking I am just going to bring it in and hope that the single cat removes enough pollutants to pass a 2008 MCS. Worst case scenario I fail and have to pay the $50 for their time ...then go and do the exhaust swap and retake the test (I kept my stock exhaust).

---
Question:
Has anyone taken their car to a California smog test facility with the 2nd cat removed? If so what was the outcome?

thanks!

 

CARB no longer requires the sniffer test on 2000 and newer vehicles as apart of AB2289

as long as you are not throwing a code you should be fine