Drivetrain Header/High Flow cat advice please.
#26
honestly i think the oem headers are pretty good as far as stock goes on most cars out there. if you are really set on changing them out tho the most cost effective solution would be to go with something like obx or megan racing headers. i think i got mine for like 120 bucks? then cut out your existing cat and go to any muffler shop and have them weld flanges on it in the same shape that the test pipe is that came with the new headers. sure there are better headers out there but this method is going to be wayyyy cheaper then any other solution. im in the same boat you are in and didnt want to weld or cut my old cat out. so iv just got the test pipe in and come time for emissions i will just swap the oem header and cat back in. i realize you may not have the option or the will to do that but truth is if you are trying to buy some headers and then buy a new bolt on cat(that may fall apart) you are going to be spending a lot and i mean A LOT more money doing it. just my opinion tho
#28
Reading this, I think I'll take the chance of installing my Magnaflow cat and see how it goes. I already have all my components, minus some fittings, for my straight exhaust system. I'll keep the stock cat (anyway they are worth some cash) and if I destroy my hi-flow cat, I'll get the stock one modified to fit my 2.5'' exhaust.
#29
that may be true in a lot of areas when changing your car but in this area i dont see how it applies. iv never heard of any of these manifolds breaking in any way and the stock cat is well known to last longer then after market cats. so really on this "mod" if you do it expensive, you may end up being FORCED to do it again. use the extra money that you save for the install or a cam or tune. then again everyone has their opinion on how they think the exhaust set up should sound and thats something you cant argue. all i can say is i love my set up and wont be changing anything about it
#30
#31
thats very true. if you dont go with your gut and get what you really want from the start and try to cut corners instead you will almost certainly find some reason to become unhappy with it. im just a guy that has been extremely happy with his "cheap" set up. i just dont think there is enough of a difference in the perfect equal length runners and the ones that are slightly off to justify spending over a grand on them. if its a track car thats different. or some rotrex or turbo conversion or someone that is just trying to make the highest numbers they can on the dyno. on a street or daily driver application i just dont see it making enough of a difference. im not tryin to hate but i just feel like i need to defend the more conservative side of modding as it seems most people jump to the conclusion that they need the expensive stuff and that if its cheap it sucks
#32
megan header
thats very true. if you dont go with your gut and get what you really want from the start and try to cut corners instead you will almost certainly find some reason to become unhappy with it. im just a guy that has been extremely happy with his "cheap" set up. i just dont think there is enough of a difference in the perfect equal length runners and the ones that are slightly off to justify spending over a grand on them. if its a track car thats different. or some rotrex or turbo conversion or someone that is just trying to make the highest numbers they can on the dyno. on a street or daily driver application i just dont see it making enough of a difference. im not tryin to hate but i just feel like i need to defend the more conservative side of modding as it seems most people jump to the conclusion that they need the expensive stuff and that if its cheap it sucks
#33
#34
OBX. Stock cat. Done.
I wouldn't have replaced my headers unless something happened. Precat housing cracked, so I went with OBX. It's built well enough for under $200, and is way cheaper than stock. I could buy two OBX headers, if not three for the price of an RMW or Mynes header. As an added bonus, you get a nice bump in horsepower, though not as much as a top shelf part like Mynes/RMW.
I wouldn't have replaced my headers unless something happened. Precat housing cracked, so I went with OBX. It's built well enough for under $200, and is way cheaper than stock. I could buy two OBX headers, if not three for the price of an RMW or Mynes header. As an added bonus, you get a nice bump in horsepower, though not as much as a top shelf part like Mynes/RMW.
#35
I ended up going with the milltek Header and exhuast.
Heres why.
Milltek header - No one has ever had code issues, and i didnt have to have a cat welded on. Quality built and makes power!
Exhaust - Quality built, sounds good and makes power and no drone.
If your not going to do it right the first time dont do it at all.
Heres why.
Milltek header - No one has ever had code issues, and i didnt have to have a cat welded on. Quality built and makes power!
Exhaust - Quality built, sounds good and makes power and no drone.
If your not going to do it right the first time dont do it at all.
#36
#37
#38
#39
sir i definitely have appreciation for anything that is well designed. but unless your rich your wasting your money on such an expensive manifold thats only going to be on your street car. and whats the point of a race header if your just going to weld a cat to it? defeats the whole purpose of those properly sized collectors if you ask me
#40
#41
with out cat
hey beliveme is a great diference runing any engine with a cat or with out it,remember the cat is like a mesh restricting the air out of your combustion chamber, when you put a test tube on the air runs free , i have in the past remove the cat on a 300zx turbo and i have a gain of 20hp (that car was for 1/4 mile competition)and with the stock piping, now you tell me if 20hp is not worthted
#42
hey beliveme is a great diference runing any engine with a cat or with out it,remember the cat is like a mesh restricting the air out of your combustion chamber, when you put a test tube on the air runs free , i have in the past remove the cat on a 300zx turbo and i have a gain of 20hp (that car was for 1/4 mile competition)and with the stock piping, now you tell me if 20hp is not worthted
As for being worth it, for a track only car, I guess. For a daily driver, I don't know, I'm not a ''ecomaniac'', but I can't think of a good reason not to run a cat on a street car, I just don't find it right. Anyway, it's my opinion!
#43
no cat
Yeah, but.. like I've said: a MINI dyno sheet! Most cars don't produce exactly the same HP from factory, let alone with mods, so comparing it to another car make/engine isn't a good example.
As for being worth it, for a track only car, I guess. For a daily driver, I don't know, I'm not a ''ecomaniac'', but I can't think of a good reason not to run a cat on a street car, I just don't find it right. Anyway, it's my opinion!
As for being worth it, for a track only car, I guess. For a daily driver, I don't know, I'm not a ''ecomaniac'', but I can't think of a good reason not to run a cat on a street car, I just don't find it right. Anyway, it's my opinion!
#44
the way the exhaust tone sounds after the cat has been taken out is a good enough reason for me
#45
#46
#47
I was VERY disappointed with my OBX. It broke up after only about 15000 miles. I went back to the OEM, and have never been sorry that I did. I was really glad I kept the OEM.
On the other hand, I have been VERY happy with my Milltek cat-back. great sound and decent butt dyno gain.
My car is a 2004 DD with now 112000miles. the Milltek has been on it for almost 100K. I get comments from people about the good sound. One guy I work with, in particular, who is a Vette driver says he loves it ("for a 4-banger, of course!"). =D
On the other hand, I have been VERY happy with my Milltek cat-back. great sound and decent butt dyno gain.
My car is a 2004 DD with now 112000miles. the Milltek has been on it for almost 100K. I get comments from people about the good sound. One guy I work with, in particular, who is a Vette driver says he loves it ("for a 4-banger, of course!"). =D
#48
The RMW shorty is a nice header. Mine was great at first but after about 6-8 months started throwing the occasional cat codes. YMMV with mods. The cat does look like a Random Tech cat. Regarding codes, the factory ecu measures the amount of oxygen stored in the cat and uses the change between primary to secondary o2 sensors to determine if its functioning properly. Eventually my codes became more frequent so I figured out how to adjust the failure threshold in the ecu software & reprogrammed it.
#49
sorry, what?
it does??? i always thought it was just to be absolutely positively sure?