phatboy

i got a 95 ss with bad cats and a buddy of mine said i could get them cut off and replaced (cut and weld) with a 2 foot pipe or get them gutted will this ruin anything mechanically?? what are the ups and downs of doing this??

Crime Scene

Ups: Little to non, you will need to have the cats removed from your PCM


Downs:

Wont pass emissions
Exhaust will occasionally stink
Violation of Federal Law




Honestly you come off in the better end of simply replacing them with new ones. And this is coming from a person that does not have cats as well. Not by choice, last owner cut them off for some reason. No since in gutting them, cause they will sound like crap.

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2001 Chevy Impala 3.4 - Traded
2004 Chevy Impala 3.4 - Traded
2002 Chevy Impala 3.4 - RIP 1.12.2011/ Ice Storm
1996 Chevy Impala SS - RIP 4.15.2012/ Asswipe
1996 Chevy Impala SS - Current

77Impala

To add to above a few have even lost mpg's by removing them. A good friend of mine lost 3 mpg by removing his and his truck did not get that good before the removal. Older cars it did not matter and IMO on carburetor cars I think they are a waste.

If your cats are plugged you need to make sure you are not having misfires and that you are not dumping raw fuel into the exhaust system.

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kingnutin

Also if you are burning any oil, that would be another cause.

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1978 Caprice Classic Landau
350 2-bolt, stock 4bbl
Stock rebuilt TH350
Edelbrock performer cam + intake
Dual 2 1/2" Flowmaster exhuast (waiting to be installed)
Edelbrock IAS Classic shocks
95 9C1 3.08 posi
4 wheel disc brakes!
16x8 American Racing Baja's with 225/60/16 Pirelli P4's

ekm1190

There's also no power gain in our cars when removing the cats (on a stock system). Tests have shown the only significant difference it will make is in the sound.

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