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Catalytic converter fun, 16v



On Tue, 30 Sep 2003, Dan Smith wrote:

> Aren't there brackets so you can bolt on and off a test pipe/cat? Seems
> fairly easy to me.

It should be I guess, the cat/downpipe in a 16v are welded into one unit
though, and the cat slip fits into the exhaust pipe. Unfortunately rather
than slit the exhaust pipes and use band clamps like stock TT sells their
exhausts with standard american clamps that crush the pipe :( But, I can
go to the dealer and get the right clamp & slit the pipe myself I guess.
Just makes it harder to take apart and put back together with the US style
clamps. I wish i had been able to find a cheap stock center pipe, but
couldn't dig one up in time to help me.

Other thing is the downpipe to some degree can interfere with the engine,
i've yet to try to drop one with the exhaust intact, may be harder than it
looks, at least when I had to do some cuting and welding up in there I
couldn't get the TT race pipe to drop all the way out.

Best way to find out is to try, heh. Some genius welded a midas special
centerpipe to the TT race downpipe, so i'll have to get out the grinder.

> it seems like if you put some monster, amazing flowing cat in there, it
> would kind of defeat the purpose of having a cat all together. Or maybe
> it'll filter out the same amount of bad stuff and I'm just confused.

Well, the reason all cars don't have monster free flowing cats is probably
expense. a freer flowing cat just has more honeycomb laced with chemicals
to chemically react with the bad stuff. Problem is a bigger cat has more
platinum etc. and costs more. Not such a big deal nowadays but back in 86
or so, that expense could be a significant factor.

here is how a cat works:
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/catalytic-converter.htm

Really, a cat is like any other part of the exhaust system from a
performance standpoint. I would think as long as it flows more CFM than
the exhaust system before or after it, it won't have any impact on
performance, thus if i get the biggest that will fit, and it flows double
the CFM of the rest of the exhaust, it will be invisible from a
performance standpoint and I won't have to redo crap every 2 years, hehe.


> Are
> you sure the butt dyno isn't just remembering incorrectly?
Could be, but I doubt it. I bought my first 16v roc in 90, and drove the
tar out of it till 96 or so. It sat in a field till I finally fixed it up
& sold it, then felt guilty & bought another, heh.

That being said, it could have just moved the powerband, but i'm sure
enough that i'm willing to explore other options, heh.

Good luck
> either way.
Thanks!

Guess what I'm looking for is a stock or TT downpipe with a ruined cat,
preferably cheap, to experiment with. But, since its legal and runs fine,
its not a huge priority either.

take care,

Jester

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