moconnor

iTrader: (14)

I picked up an unused one of these from the classifieds last week and installed it over the weekend. I previously had a Bonez, which worked well, but I could not resist the $360 price (vs. $500 or so shipped from Australia). This cat has an airpump attachment and is rumoured to pass California's smog test.

My relevant mods are: M2 CAI, Efini y-pipe, SRM intercooler, Bonez JetHot-2000 coated downpipe, and RB dual tip exhaust. Also PFC with dual Hallmann MBCs and HKS TwinPower. I'm running the PFC base mod map. Stock motor and fuel system.

The Good

Quality is extremely high - as good as or better than stuff from RE Amemiya or Mazdaspeed, for example.

After getting a stainless bung for a wideband sensor welded on, installation was pretty straightforward. The only problem was that the cat's attachment for the stock airpump metal pipe (the one with the valve) was not angled quite correctly and positioned the valve in the middle of some wiring harnesses attached to the transmission - so I had to cut the valve off the stock pipe to make it fit. If I had patience I would have bent the stock pipe to fit.

Noise levels at idle and at up to 80 mph cruising are barely louder than my previous fairly quiet setup. However, after the second turbo kicks in this thing is loud - a rotary sort of loudness: more like a very, very angry Cuisinart than the normal scream from a high revving piston engine.

Looking at my Datalogit logs and comparing to previous runs I can see that transition is significantly faster than before and boost builds more quickly.

The Bad:

Creep. I'm getting a very fast, very nice transition with no spiking but boost continues to build after 5k rpm, gradually going from 0.8kg/cm2 after transition to 0.95kg/cm2 at 7k rpm, where I (fortunately) let off.

I guess it shows that this cat flows very well but I was planning to leave the car as is and concentrate on suspension stuff until after my next smog test in August. Now I guess I'm going to have to port the wastegate.

Scrub

iTrader: (25)

great review! I can't wait to get mine from SMB with the muffler built in to quiet things down a bit.
I guess the next question would be, did it pass emsissions?

-Dan

P.S. Do you mind if I post this in the other metallic cat thread eventually?

GoodfellaFD3S

iTrader: (213)

Creep to 0.95 on the power fc is only 13.5 psi. As long as you don't see anything higher, you're probably fine. Porting the wastegate is a serious pita, blah.

moconnor

iTrader: (14)

But that is at 7krpm where I let off. By 8krpm it would probably be at 1.05kg/cm2, which is 15psi and at the ragged edge. I'm already getting 90%+ injector duty at 0.95 kg/cm2. AFRs are in the mid 10s and knock is low there but I'm going to run out of margin.

(BTW, I've calibrated my PFC boost so the readings should be pretty accurate, not the 1-2psi or so underreporting that the PFC's stock settings would give.)

moconnor

iTrader: (14)

I'll tell you about emissions in August. I don't have any first hand knowledge of it passing, though - just rumours.

You can post it if you would like.

Monkman33

iTrader: (28)

You could always port the wastegate if you don't like how high it is creeping.

GoodfellaFD3S

iTrader: (213)

Given all that info, i agree with you--to be safe get it ported. Talk to Bryan at BNR......he is able to weld in a larger stronger internal wastegate (35mm I think) that outperforms the weakened stock ported one.

gracer7-rx7

iTrader: (16)

Wow. You're getting boost creep on this cat?

I'm running a Random Tech Metal Substrate cat welded into my mid pipe and that is doing an excellent job of controlling creep combined with my Greddy Profec B boost controller. Even at 30 degrees F. I just installed a resonated mid pipe and am gettng boost creep for the first time in ages. The cat was working wonderfully to control that in combination with the boost controller.

Did you readjust your manual boost controllers after installing the cat? I noticed that I had to readjust my profec when switching between the Bonez, a mid pipe and the mid pipe running the Random Metal cat.

moconnor

iTrader: (14)

My boost controllers are doing a fine job controlling boost until 5k rpm, with no transition spike. No boost controller is going to fix creep unfortunately.

DaleClark

iTrader: (55)

I had to bend the airpump hookup a bit - I think it may moreso be a difference between RHD cars and LHD cars on how the airpump tube runs. Either that or it was bent slightly in shipping. On mine, I just bent things a VERY small amount and had perfect fit, leak-free connection at the flange, and the air tube didn't rub or tap anything.

Glad you like yours! I absolutely love mine, and you can't beat the quality for the price.

BTW, I know they're getting together a group buy on the SMB cat with a resonator in the pipe as well for any interested.

Dale

moconnor

iTrader: (14)

What is the resonator for? Apart from at WOT, this is not a loud cat (at least with an RB dual tip).

ReadyKW

Ditto. The SP RX7 used an SMB 3.5" system and met street sound restrictions. In a response from SMB in the other metallic cat thread, they say that sound is not a problem with a proper "cannon" (catback). Dale, any feedback/opinions?

DaiOni

sound shouldn't be an issue - I run mine with an HKS dp and a kakimoto regu cb (regu = regulation = quiet). Idle got very slightly louder, WOT = a tone change, but not particularly louder. The only issue you are going to have, I would say, is if you are already running a megaphone-loud cb and aren't happy with the current dB level.

the best thing with the SMB (other than the fact that it flows almost as well as a straight pipe) = the change in tone. 100% improvement in exhaust sound

Scrub

iTrader: (25)

I can't imagine that the metallic cat quiets the car down significanly, if anything I would guess it gets a little louder. Right now with my Rx-7 store muffled midpipe I love how quiet it is. I don't see any downside to adding a muffler/resonator with the metallic cat.

Mo,
I hope you don't mind me posting, not trying to steal your thunder but HERE is the link to the group buy interest thread. We're still trying to work out the kinks.

KX500FD1

Grant is working up a price with the muffler

I'm sure you can also go with the resonator