Ryde _Or_Die

I am not even sure my cat is clogged but if it was would it cause my engine to overheat? Also if I gut it will there be enough back pressure to open the 5th & 6th ports? Thanks.

Jerk_Racer

With my cats gutted, my car seems to run cooler. It also seems to take longer to warm up. This is only subjective because I have yet to put my temp gauges in. So for now I am still using the stock temp gauge in the dash of my '89 T2. As far as overheating an engine goes, I don't know. If you don't have to worry about the smog ***** and their tests in your state gut those bad boys or better yet get a header.

jerk_racer@hotmail.com

Ryde _Or_Die

I want to get a header but am saving so I can redo my whole exhaust system. How do you gut the cat anyways? It comes apart right? You can just take the **** out of it? Would I need any gaskets to put it back on or would I be able to make my own? Any info would help. Thanks.

tesla042

More than likely, if anything is clogged, it's your pre-cats.. You have two of these, and one main cat. First, unbolt the split air pipe from the main cat. It's the ONLY pipe going into the side of it. Unbolt all three together from the car.

Now, separate the three cats.. The precats are the smaller ones. Take a big pipe, or a screwdriver, or something, and RAM it thru the material inside, so you can see clearly thru.. Use a hammer.. Smash the hell out of it.. And..don't breathe it! I think they contain asbestos.. Maybe do it over a tarp to make cleanup easier.

Gaskets are cheap.. ANY auto store should have them.. Maybe a dollar each.. You should use new gaskets, or you'll probably have a large exhaust leak, and smell real bad.

Now....you have two options:
(a) Leave your main cat. This forces you to leave your airpump, also.. Cat without airpump *WILL* destroy the cat and clog it. However, your car will NOT smell like ***, and girls won't complain about it.

(b) Gut your main cat.. You can remove your airpump, acv, split air pipe, and such.. Prolly get a lil more power out of it. It will be considerably louder, and smell real, real bad.

Get the gaskets, bolt the three back together, and bolt it back up to the car.. Re-attach the split air hose to the main cat.. Go blow away some civics.

BTW, the bolts *WILL* be rusted. Load them up with penetrating oil the night before.. You may have to use some heat to get them off.. You may have to cut the nuts off.. It may suck. At least once you get the three out together, you'll have some leverage to bust the other ones off.

-Tesla

Ryde _Or_Die

Well the precats are where? I have a pipe that makes a turn up to the engine. That pipe goes back & is welded to the main cat. Then there are bolts in back ont he main cat. Lokks sumin like this


bolt
II ___bolt
=====___====


My question is, are the precats before that top bolt, under the heat shield or are they in the straight pipe that is welded to the main cat? I am going to clean out as much as I can on Sunday, does anyone know if I clean all three out will I still have operational 5th & 6th ports? Still have stock catback. Thanks.

Ryde _Or_Die

Alright, forget the picture, doesn't show up how I make it, lol.

Champagne87

I don't think clogged cats effect the temperature of the car. Mine were clogged and it didn't effect mine. But it will make it run horrible, alot less power because of too much back pressure. Do you even know if your 6-ports work? sorry i haven't been keeping up with your threads. if they don't work then fix that first if you're worried about it, or else it really doesn't matter. If your car is running hotter than it should try doing a coolant flush.

-Jessica

Phungus

clogged cats will affect performance and if they're really clogged then it could hurt your idle as well. May not cause the engine to overheat but it would definitely not help to keep temperatures down and keep your engine in the hot zone.

tesla042

Uhh.....nothing should be "welded" stock. It all bolts together with flanges. It sorta sounds like you may have a header...but...uh... hm.

The pre-cats are RIGHT before the main cats.. there should be flanges holding together:

y-pipe to main cat
main cat to #2 precat
#2 precat to #1 precat
#1 precat to exhaust manifold

There are heat shields on them.. Take them off first.

just unbolt the main cat from the y-pipe, and unbolt what's coming out of the exhaust manifold.. That will let all 3 cats come out together.

-Tesla

Ryde _Or_Die

Well my main cat is welded to the the pipe in front of it. The pipe is very long and at the end curves up before there is a flange. There is no flanges between the back of the main cat and the flange that is a little before the heat shield. Is this right or do I not have any precats? Thanks.

Phungus

if it looks like a python that ate a couple of rabbits then you have your original precats. If it's pretty much tubular without any bulges then more than likely the precats were replaced with a downpipe of sorts.

Ryde _Or_Die

There is one place that has a minor inward part to it a little before the main cat. Then there is the same thing at the bend upwards. The main cat is welded so I am not actually sure if I have precats or not. Hmmm...