Don't tell me to go search because there seems to be mixed reviews. I was wondering if gutting the cats will do any harm, if it does any anyways, in a couple days. I'll hopefully be getting new exhaust this weekend but I want to drive the car now and was wondering if haveing the cats gutted for a few days will hurt anything.
Charles

 

no, it will not hurt the car. but beware that some people have had their cats explode because of turbulance and pressure building inside. Your car will sound like ****** nasty chainsaw camero and you might not even gain much power..but go for it if you need it done for a couple days

 

When i gutted my cats i also installed headers so they replaced 2 of them, so now i have 1 gutted cat. I have heard that turbulence can be a problem, but I have ran into none but I also only have one cat worth of turbulence.

 

how can turbulance and pressure explode? I would assume that with a ful gutted system that there is less pressure, and as far as turbulence......hell you got me....anyone explain this to me more effectively?

- D

 

I agree there will be no explosion! I believe where they are coming from, in their minds, is that with the cat gutted, the exhuast will swirl infinitely and cause an explosion. They forget there is an escape route...The "Y" pipe.

 

Well, considering that I have read no less than 3 posts on this forum and others about exploding cats....it CAN happen. Sorry guys, but it is the truth. I ran gutted cats for a while. SOunded kinda crappy. Lots of backfire and a really farty noise. Then when I installed my N1 single, man that was hell. Most gross exhaust note EVER. But then the nice UPS man brought me my RB header and RB presilencer, and now (when it runs) it scares old ladies and makes women faint!! MUWHAHAHAHAHAA!!!

 

Just a question..Under normal driving conditions, or was there extenuating circumstances, like trying to "spit" flames? If trying to do that, yes, raw gas will accumulate and then ignite, but I just can't invision a problem driving normally. If I'm incorrect, let me know.

 

A system that provides for smooth laminar flow will create less back pressure than one that creates significate turbulence. Gutting your cat creates a very rough surface and thus turbulence. The explosions are probably caused by the ignition of unburnt fuel that accumlates in the cat due to this turbulence.

Rob

 

From what I read, the cats blew under normal conditions. The stock fuel map runns very rich in the low end, so I agree with the unburnt fuel idea. Also, if you are doing this in order to spit flames.....even w/ the N1 on there, no flames from my car.

 

That fuel in the cat thing I have had happen to me before. It was when my plugs were going bad and it was just cooking in my cat. I didn't find out it was doing it until my carpet over the cat started to smoke. I thought I was gonna explode and die right there on the highyway. I showed my dad when I got home and it was dark so you could see flames coming down the pipes but not all the way out. It stopped right inside the mufflers.
Charles

 

My exhaust canister blew up under normal driving (normal for me at least). This was after I gutted the cats, as they were completely clooged up. Whatever beenthe reason for this, gutting the cats made it happen. This is the real deal. Just get a catback and it won't happen to you like it did to me. But you'll still have a cheap a$$ setup with just the empty cat bodies. Here's a pic of my popped canister.

 

Was that before or after you connected the air pump to your air intake as a super charger? LoL (not flaming, just jokin around).

 

That was a couple months before I even had the idea.