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| Forgive me for I have sinned; Gutting the cat while installing a cat back. | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Oct 31 2014, 11:27 AM (1,530 Views) | |
| Cobb | Oct 31 2014, 11:27 AM Post #1 |
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BANNED
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So, my 95 sidekick was full of yard waste, acorns and who knows what else. Long story short its lacking performance and the cat back exhaust already on looks original and rusted all out. I found a generic high flow muffler, pipe, etc from advance auto and purchased it. Install was rather easy using wd40 and an impact wrench. While I had the cat back apart I tried ramming the jack handle down towards the cat. Nuttin. I figured it was full of acorns. I found a smaller 1.2 inch pipe and tried it again. I got a dull thud and each ram the pipe went in half an inch more. I pulled it out and notice a mini honey comb pattern and grey dust. I kept checking progress to the front of the cat and kept ramming. I managed to get the whole pipe in to the steep bend in the pipe that goes up under the hood. I decided to see what it sounds like before butting everything up. Vroommmmm...... and a big cloud of white dust came out. I revved a few more times, then went back to work. I notice dust everywhere under the vehicle. Bolted it up and went for a spin. WOW....I felt and sounded like one of those a-holes who lives in the apartment complex across the street from me in a riced out honda. I could easy do 35 in 5th gear. Low end torque was out the wazoo. I found I had to frequently tap the brakes as I was gaining on everyone. The idle is lower and its difficult to hear the engine or even feel it at idle. Its slightly louder driving under load and it pulls to 6 grand. Before it wimped out as I approached 4500. Now, wonder how this effects mpg?
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| arudlang | Oct 31 2014, 01:34 PM Post #2 |
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Andrew
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The cat is a restriction but not a huge, power-sucking restriction that some people make it out to be. I know from experience there is a major audible difference once you eliminate the cat from any vehicle, and this sound difference plays a psychological game in your head that tends to skew the "butt-dyno" report. Removing a good condition cat won't gain enough power to actually feel much, on most cars the dyno difference tends to show like a 1-2% increase when removing a good condition cat. On a 350 HP engine that means you might get 7 HP which is appreciable. On a 55 HP motor, like a 1 HP increase at best. The keyword is "good condition". Removing a clogged cat like yours possibly was would make a much more noticeable difference. The important thing to note then, if it was clogged, is that most of the 'power' you gained was just restored stock power you had slowly lost over time. If you don't mind the ricer sound and don't get busted (removing cat is illegal most everywhere that I know of, you shouldn't have much trouble since you just hollowed yours out still looks like a cat) then enjoy your ride Oh yeah and about MPG, tends to be 1 to not more than 2 MPG for most cars. Not sure about geos in particular. Edited by arudlang, Oct 31 2014, 01:36 PM.
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| vr4 | Oct 31 2014, 02:10 PM Post #3 |
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My 93 16v sidekick had a clogged cat at 140k |
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| Cobb | Oct 31 2014, 07:29 PM Post #4 |
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Thanks. Im the third owner in this family owned vehicle. It wasnt driven much either. I know from experience most 16v engines haul and this one didnt. My plan was to get a customer welded up exhaust and a generic 75 dollar cat from summit racing to cya incase I live in an area that needs smog testing. Looks like its one long ass tri y header with 2 pipes going into the cat. On another note the exhaust smells gassy unless I hammer it, then I get a strange rotten egg smell. Previously I would get like a paint thinner smell that would make you gag. I had assumed the cat was gone due to that smell and all the white vapor and water that would come out. With the suspension mods and 235 75 r 15 tires this vehicle rocks. I got a set of hr lower performance springs, 1 inch spring lift, 2 inch front shock lift, rear delco air assisted shocks inflated to 80 psi. Tires inflated to 20 psi.
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| vr4 | Nov 1 2014, 10:59 AM Post #5 |
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If yours is the same as mine it's a cast 4-2 header that's crack prone. Merges 2-1 before the cat. Cat is single in/out. |
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| Cobb | Nov 1 2014, 12:23 PM Post #6 |
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BANNED
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Yup, sounds like mines. My cat looks like an flat octagon shape like a turtle with both pipes in the middle. |
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| Greywolf | Nov 10 2014, 06:25 PM Post #7 |
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Mostly Harmless
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ROBOMECH SAYS: "ACORN HUSKS have been tested, and are an inefficient media for catalytic convertor operation" *click, buzzzzz...* (robot wanders off into the distance) ~Just a guess, but I doubt the pollution gestapo will ever notice the difference so long as your mill burns fuel cleanly Edited by Greywolf, Nov 10 2014, 06:28 PM.
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| t3ragtop | Nov 10 2014, 10:16 PM Post #8 |
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Turbo3 and Twincam Tweaker
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i'm more concerned about that white dust and what it did to your health. there's no part of the dust that came out of the catalytic converter that is good for you - heavy metal poisoning, short chain hydrocarbons, arsenic, powderized ceramic, etc. that catalytic converter needed to be handled as a hazardous material, bagged in one chunk and disposed of properly.
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| Cobb | Nov 10 2014, 10:51 PM Post #9 |
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BANNED
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I LOVE HEAVY METAL!!!!!!! I EAT, DRINK, SLEEP, SMOKE and BREATH HEAVY METAL!!!! I may of breathed some, but the cloud I saw was from the rear view mirror as I cranked it up. I revved it a few times to make sure I blew the rest out and went back under to attach the muffler. Its like a new car. Just got to get use to twisting the steering wheel to go straight where the honda goes where you point it.
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| Cobb | Nov 12 2014, 07:25 PM Post #10 |
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BANNED
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I am disappointed I didnt do this earlier. I just spent the past 100 miles in rush hour traffic and this car just goes. Seems the faster the wheels roll the faster the gas meter inches towards E. It pulls to redline and I am shifting at 6 grand. Best of all no one tail gates. If they start to cut me off, they back the #$%@ off and give me 4 car spaces when I down shift and floor it. Im use to people zipping around me as I do 20 over the limit in the honda, I can go the limit in the kick and they just get smaller and smaller in the mirror. On the other hand I do smell something. Its like a combination of hot metal, burning hair and plastic melting. Maybe I should of unwrapped the muffler vs just the flange when I installed it?
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| Cobb | Nov 13 2014, 05:01 PM Post #11 |
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BANNED
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Driving like a bat out of hell, shifting at 6 grand, 277 miles and 10 gallons of gas. 27.7 mpg. This is with 29 inch tires at 20 psi too.
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| yummybacon | Dec 23 2014, 08:11 PM Post #12 |
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Getting rid of that Emissions crap did my 91 a lot of good.Glad it worked out for you. |
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| myredvert | Dec 23 2014, 08:13 PM Post #13 |
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myredvert
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I'm thinking that's got to be a record for the widest tires ever on a Metro.
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| Cobb | Dec 23 2014, 09:12 PM Post #14 |
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BANNED
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I had issues with oil consumption, so I added a catch can to the pcv circuit. That seemed to make it worse. Oil would settle in can from casual driving and a good WOT caused it to flow out into the intake and smoke out the rear. I plugged the pcv valve and the vacuum port. Now no smoke and oil stays in the engine.
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| Cobb | Dec 23 2014, 09:12 PM Post #15 |
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BANNED
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You cant shoe horn 235/75 r 15 tires on your geo? I got a geo tracker, I mean suzuki sidekick ljx. Same difference.
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Welcome to the all new Geo Metro Forum. We hope you enjoy your visit.






I EAT, DRINK, SLEEP, SMOKE and BREATH HEAVY METAL!!!!
It pulls to redline and I am shifting at 6 grand.
Im use to people zipping around me as I do 20 over the limit in the honda, I can go the limit in the kick and they just get smaller and smaller in the mirror.
7:57 PM Jul 10