hiyabrad,

There are tailpipe tests and visual tests.

Tailpipe...yes it will pass

Visual...depends on the hack that did the install

The fact is, cats wear out. Everyone knows that the SC has that annoying pinging noise. You have to replace them and you are crazy if you think everyone drives to another state to do this. If you want quality service, you need to find a quality shop. If someone here tells you that it will or will not pass, it doesn't do you much good when CARB comes looking for their fines. Take it to a reputable shop, then ask them to put it in writing.

MW

 

if the sound difference and the straight through design of the mufflers above are almost the same, then what about just replacing the rear resonators and leave the factory mufflers??, just wondering..

 

I would try that first, just get the resonators removed and see how it sounds. I think they quiet the system more than the rear mufflers.

And that will be the cheapest, somewhere between $50-$75.

Brad

 

actually, the magnaflow mufflers add a deep resonance that is absent with the stock mufflers, plus they look a hell of a lot better with the large tips and stainless steel finish removing the resonators just increases the volume.

 

Summit Racing has Borla's that bolt on, under $500.

 

Ok now that we know the sound is louder by removing the resonators,does it add any power gains?

How much if any power gains will I see by putting an X pipe in the middle where the cat/resonator is and removing the back 2 resonators before the mufflers?

 

i have no idea what kind of power increase i got by removing the resonators, but i can tell you it wasnt much. i did it for the sake of having a sport-luxury car that actually has a sporty tone depending on what year your car is, you may or may not be able to replace the center resonator. if your car is a 92-95, you can replace it with a 2.25" x-pipe, which will make the car a bit louder, and give you about the same performance gain you can expect from removing the other two (not much i don't think).

in 96 and newer models, this center piece is actually a catalytic converter, so unless you can find a shady shop, nobody will replace it with straight piping. i found this out the hard why by asking my shop to replace it with straight piping and they gave me the run down of why they can't i *think* magnaflow makes some high-flow cats that you can replace your cats with and still be street legal, but i'm not totally sure. high flow cats will give you a pretty good power increase, probably 15hp or slightly more.

to get more power out of your exhaust, you can get some quality headers made (a good shop can make these for your for anywhere from $700-$1000 from the estimates ive heard), which will give you in the neighborhood of a 10-15hp gain. slightly larger piping will give you a louder sound, and will probably give you a similar hp gain as long as you don't put in piping that's too large, since then you'll start losing back pressure and therefore torque.

 

I have the OBD1 so I can cut out the back cat or resonator,whatever it is. I am just looking for ways to gain HP mainly. A little louder exhaust doesn't bother me but I don't want to have to wear earplugs.I might look into the high flow cats.

RT

 

Your car is OBD-II, or on-board diagnostic series 2, which is an emissions standard, amongst other things, placed on all 1996 production year vehicles. You aren't allowed to touch the stock catalytic convertors on OBD-II cars because the engine ecu will try to re-adjust the a/f ratio based on O2 readings. If you get caught, it's a $1200 fine, so I don't recommend you driving to Nevada to get it done unless you don't plan on renewing your registration in CA ever again.

It well not hurt your OBD-II I have done it on all of my lexus and the cars love it. For renewing your car I dont know about that. :P

 

I think that I have discovered that no one really knows the answer to the question if a OBD-II car will pass the tailpipe test after having the Sub-CAT removed.

Also, the High-Flow CAT question is a good one - Can you replace the three CATS (or two) with High Flows and still pass the tailpipe test.

I am not sure that anyone here on CL has done either of these and tried to pass the test.

I am going to call Magnaflow on Friday and ask them the High Flow CAT question - They make them so I imagine that they will know.

I removed my two resonators and two mufflers and installed two Magnaflows. It does sound more sporty, but frankly, not sporty enough for me. I don't think it add any HP, nor was I really looking for that.

If the answer to the High-Flow question is yes, and the answer to removing the Sub-CAT and passing is yes, then then what I would like to do is add Tex's headers, an x-pipe, and two high-flow CATS.

So I'll let you know what the official word is from Magnaflow - at least I can get one of the two answers.

 

Here is the info direct from Car Sound, the parent company of Magnaflow:

In CA, the answer is NO. In the other states, if you follow strict guidelines, then YES.

Here is the CA info:

Currently, aftermarket catalytic converters have NOT been officially approved in Calif. by any government agency for vehicles with OBDII systems. The CARB is developing new, tougher tests for these converters but has NOT finalized the procedure and has NOT approved any aftermarket OBDII converters. In California, no aftermarket converter company's converters can be used on OBDII vehicles because none have been approved.

All the info on CATS, O2 Sensors, OBDII and Emission Testing can be found on their site here:

http://www.car-sound.com/05converter.htm

 

if you want a good muffler system then i would have to recomend Blitz Nur Spec. its pricey but well worth it. nice sound and look. but i suggest going full cat back with the JIC MAGIC Twin Spartan system. very nice looking and performance. if you find any systems for the sc400 that bolts onto the stock piping, they will fit the sc300 as well since there are no differences between the 2.