|
|
|
|
RED DEMON
Member
Blogs: 0 (Add)
Vehicle: 1998 Ford F-150
Joined: Jun 2005
Member # 141
From: Prince george British Columbia
Visit Gallery
|
|
| Check out the latest parts and accessories from Truck Hownd |
|
|
Buzz
Supercharged Member
Premium Member
Blogs: 0 (Add)
Vehicle: 97 F150 XL, 99 F150 XLT
Joined: May 2005
Member # 18
From: Garland TX
Visit Gallery
|
 Posted
- May 13 : 6:13p
| I would go with hi-flow cats.  | |
kheebl
Horsepower Member
Premium Member
Blogs: 0 (Add)
Vehicle: 1997 Ford F-150 On 38's
Joined: Dec 2005
Member # 426
From: Eagan Minnesota
Visit Gallery
|
Posted
- May 13 : 7:41p
| i removed mine on my truck, and i love the difference in sound it made, but be prepared to have your check engine light on constantly. i even got the O2 simulators and they dont fix the light.
Kyle | |
RED DEMON
Member
Blogs: 0 (Add)
Vehicle: 1998 Ford F-150
Joined: Jun 2005
Member # 141
From: Prince george British Columbia
Visit Gallery
|
Posted
- May 13 : 8:05p
| | was it a pain to do? sounds like the guy is going to make up the piping for that end and leave the resonators in there. if i am not mistaken. | |
Thermo
Horsepower Member
Blogs: 0 (Add)
Vehicle: 97 Ford Expedition lifted
Joined: Sep 2006
Member # 1199
From: Norfolk VA
Visit Gallery
|
Posted
- May 13 : 8:08p
| Red demon, removing the cats will work, but you will also note that the engine is going to loose a bit of low end power, but the high RPM power will be better. Overall, you will probably see a slight drop in mileage due to the loss of power at lower RPM (due to loss of backpressure).
Also, like was said, the O2 sensors are going to cause your CEL to remain on. They need to see a difference in the O2 levels between the up and downstream sensors.
Chris "Thermo" Coleman and Nukie, the radioactive 97 X | |
RED DEMON
Member
Blogs: 0 (Add)
Vehicle: 1998 Ford F-150
Joined: Jun 2005
Member # 141
From: Prince george British Columbia
Visit Gallery
|
Posted
- May 13 : 8:52p
| | Thanks Chris! The 02 sensors will remain intact but the cats will be removed. Is there 4 cats or 2 cats and 2 resonators? Won't the muffler help with backpressure? | |
water spider
Supercharged Member
Premium Member
Blogs: 2 (View)
Vehicle: 2000 Lightning
Joined: Sep 2005
Member # 275
From: New Orleans LA.
Visit Gallery
|
Posted Wirelessly
- May 13 : 10:53p
| If you remove your cats your check engine light will come one.
You will have to get a custom burn chip for the computer so the light dosen't come back on and to regain what low end power you will loose. There are simulater on the market but those are hit and miss on working properly.
My personal opinion go with high flow cats. This way you have a better chance of you CEL not coming back on.
Bryan | |
Thermo
Horsepower Member
Blogs: 0 (Add)
Vehicle: 97 Ford Expedition lifted
Joined: Sep 2006
Member # 1199
From: Norfolk VA
Visit Gallery
|
Posted
- May 14 : 6:32a
| Red Demon, the 98's came with either 4 cats or 2 cats. It all depends on what part of the year your truck was built and what engine you got. The easiest way is to simply crawl under the truck and look. If you have 4, the first one on each side will be at the bend where the exhaust pipe starts following the frame rail. The second one on each side (or if you only have 1 on each side) will be between the tranny and the frame rails.
Yes, the muffler will help maintain some back pressure. But, if you are running say a 50 series muffler, then you have already dropped some of the backpressure and by removing the cats, you are going to drop it even further. It is going to be worse if you are running a 40 series muffler. You will not see as much of a change if you are running a 70 series muffler. There's a lot of variables in this. You can try sliding in some 2" piping in place of the cats to help provide a restriction near the engine to help maintain some backpressure near the engine. This will be a compromise in keeping backpressure for the engine and keeping the exhaust free flowing.
If you need more info, just hollar.
Chris "Thermo" Coleman and Nukie, the radioactive 97 X | |
Greez Lightning
Photographer
Premium Member
Blogs: 0 (Add)
Vehicle: 2001 Ford Lightning
Joined: May 2005
Member # 7
From: Santa Clarit CA
Visit Gallery
|
Posted
- May 14 : 9:24a
| Here is my take on it.
First of all Thermo is right. You'll loose low end torque and gain Horsepower top end. But with a truck you need low end torque more than you need top end HP. Plus these motors don't get to 6500 RPM so its kind of pointless.
Second If you use High Performance cats you will still get a very loud exhaust system noise and it will sound just as great as if you had no cats at all.
Third you can get 02 simulators and your check engine light will not come on. They are 100 dollars each and Im not sure but I think they are for mustangs. I could be wrong but they work.
Fourth high performance cats will pass smog tests. They will pass for up to three years with normal mileage.
Fifth Its really not responsible to run without cats. Sure your only one car but what if everyone thought as you do. Our planet is going to hell fast enough.
Sixth I have long tube headers, High Performance Cats and a Bassani Cat Back system with an X pipe on Elvira. It has 02 simulators and no engine light goes on. Its making 637 HP at the rear wheels and 743 HP at the motor. AND it passed California Smog (Which is the most Difficult) with flying colors. And it sounds so bad ass while driving no one will race me. So you CAN have it all.
On Big Bird I have stock manifolds, High Performance Cats, and a Cat Back system. For some reason I didn't have to get 02 simulators as the check engine light is staying off. I get compliments on how Big Bird sounds every time I pull into a gas station or anytime someone rides in him. So again you can have it all plus the HP cats will still give you the back pressure you need for low end torque and still give you better mileage. |
Edited by - Greez Lightning on May 14 9:24a |
|
ford_trck
Supercharged Member
Premium Member
Blogs: 0 (Add)
Vehicle: 99 1-ton CC LB manual
Joined: Jun 2007
Member # 2928
From: Peoria IL
Visit Gallery
|
Posted
- May 14 : 11:00a
| | o2 sims are usually used for the 2nd set of O2 sensors I don't know how it would work if you put sims on the 1st sensor | |
Greez Lightning
Photographer
Premium Member
Blogs: 0 (Add)
Vehicle: 2001 Ford Lightning
Joined: May 2005
Member # 7
From: Santa Clarit CA
Visit Gallery
|
Posted
- May 14 : 12:08p
| | You don't. You just leave them alone. | |
RED DEMON
Member
Blogs: 0 (Add)
Vehicle: 1998 Ford F-150
Joined: Jun 2005
Member # 141
From: Prince george British Columbia
Visit Gallery
|
Posted
- May 16 : 9:57a
| My truck had 4 cats and now has 2. The second cat on the passenger side was the problem and the guy removed the second one off each side. So now, the check engine light does not come on.
Chris or Lynn, can I get away with running one set of cats or is it all or nothing? | |
DAFBFD58
Supercharged Member
Premium Member
Blogs: 1 (View)
Vehicle: 02 F-250 Farm Fab Edition
Joined: Jul 2005
Member # 200
From: Cecil County MD
Visit Gallery
|
Posted
- May 16 : 11:08a
| | I ran a single cat on my old 1990 bronco and it passed emissions in DE and it was even running rough due to a clogged IAC valve. So I had to keep my foot on it just a little to bring it up over the stock idle point. | |
Thermo
Horsepower Member
Blogs: 0 (Add)
Vehicle: 97 Ford Expedition lifted
Joined: Sep 2006
Member # 1199
From: Norfolk VA
Visit Gallery
|
Posted
- May 16 : 12:48p
| You can get away with a single set of cats. The only time that you might run into an issue is if your area does emissions testing and they stick the rod up the tailpipe. Due to having less catalyst bed, the likelihood of your emissions being higher is very likely. You may still pass, but if the cats are old enough that they are starting to go, it becomes a questionable thing. Granted, if they are not doing emissions but simply looking for installed cats, then you will be just fine.
Chris "Thermo" Coleman and Nukie, the radioactive 97 X | |
RED DEMON
Member
Blogs: 0 (Add)
Vehicle: 1998 Ford F-150
Joined: Jun 2005
Member # 141
From: Prince george British Columbia
Visit Gallery
|
Posted
- May 17 : 12:01a
| | Thanks a million guys.....especially you Chris! | |
DrSpeed
Writer/Photographer
Premium Member
Blogs: 22 (View)
Vehicle: Ford F-550, Gixxer 750,
Joined: Jun 2005
Member # 103
From: Bellingham WA
Visit Gallery
|
Posted Wirelessly
- May 17 : 10:13a
| | Depending on the level of detail of the visual inspection, you may not pass due to missing emissions equipment. | |
Greez Lightning
Photographer
Premium Member
Blogs: 0 (Add)
Vehicle: 2001 Ford Lightning
Joined: May 2005
Member # 7
From: Santa Clarit CA
Visit Gallery
|
Posted
- May 17 : 6:21p
| You can get away with 2 High Performance cats. It will pass the sniffer test but wont pass visual.
But there are a lot of places that don't care about the visual as long as it passes the sniffer. |
Edited by - Greez Lightning on May 17 6:22p |
|
RED DEMON
Member
Blogs: 0 (Add)
Vehicle: 1998 Ford F-150
Joined: Jun 2005
Member # 141
From: Prince george British Columbia
Visit Gallery
|
Posted
- May 18 : 12:13p
| Cool! It is kinda louder than it was, I couldn't even imagine what it would sound like without cats. | |
GATOR CREW
Turbocharged Member
Blogs: 0 (Add)
Vehicle: 2002 Ford F150 Supercrew
Joined: May 2005
Member # 58
From: Lakeland Florida
Visit Gallery
|
Posted
- May 23 : 10:55p
| Good info Lynn and Chris!
I have been wanting to remove/replace mine for some time. If I were to go with just 2 high flow Maganflow cats, which 2 of the stock cats would I get rid of??? front or rear?
Also, should I get a new "Y" pipe as well?
Thanks
| |
Thermo
Horsepower Member
Blogs: 0 (Add)
Vehicle: 97 Ford Expedition lifted
Joined: Sep 2006
Member # 1199
From: Norfolk VA
Visit Gallery
|
Posted
- May 24 : 7:55a
| Gator, if you are going with high flow cats, I would say to toss all 4 and then install the 2 high flows. Call it good.
As for the Y-pipe, get a Y-pipe with gradual bends and it will work a lot better for you. This will minimize the back pressure build up under WOT conditions, giving you more power at the higher RPMs.
Chris "Thermo" Coleman and Nukie, the radioactive 97 X | |
RED DEMON
Member
Blogs: 0 (Add)
Vehicle: 1998 Ford F-150
Joined: Jun 2005
Member # 141
From: Prince george British Columbia
Visit Gallery
|
Posted
- July 1 : 3:56a
| | Ok here is the deal now....I have removed 2 of my 4 cats. One of the front ones was the problem so the guy removed both front cats. Truck is considerably louder and my check engine light has not reared it's ugly head yet. It has been over a month now. | |
Greez Lightning
Photographer
Premium Member
Blogs: 0 (Add)
Vehicle: 2001 Ford Lightning
Joined: May 2005
Member # 7
From: Santa Clarit CA
Visit Gallery
|
Posted
- July 1 : 8:21a
| The best is what Thermo said. You remove all 4 cats and put in two high performance cats.
The high performance cats will give you more sound than the stock cats as they free flow better.
Only thing is you will have to replace the HP cats every 3 or 4 years as they wont pass smog after that time. | |
JMC
Member
Blogs: 0 (Add)
Vehicle: 2000 F-150 SC XLT 4x4
Joined: Apr 2006
Member # 599
From: Windsor Ontario
Visit Gallery
|
Posted
- July 2 : 5:12p
| I have been running 2 cats since May of 2002 and have passed the e-tests here in Windsor. I even passed with the 5.4. Loosing back pressure doesn't decrease power. Read the following: http://autospeed.com/cms/article.html?&A=0046
JMC
| |
Mort
Nitrous Member
Premium Member
Blogs: 0 (Add)
Vehicle: 2003 Freightliner FLD C10
Joined: May 2005
Member # 86
From: Mortville WA
Visit Gallery
|
Posted
- July 3 : 11:14a
| | That guy was writing about small turbo cars. He's right, though, power does go up with less back pressure. Torque, however, does not. And torque is what moves a 6000lb truck down the road. | |
JMC
Member
Blogs: 0 (Add)
Vehicle: 2000 F-150 SC XLT 4x4
Joined: Apr 2006
Member # 599
From: Windsor Ontario
Visit Gallery
|
|
| |
|
|
Catalytic Converter Removal?
