does taking off my catalytic converter increase hp

[racing_240sx]

by removing my catalytic converter and welding on a straight pipe can i increase my power?

[daniel577h]

yes

[Fenvy]

but don't do it, not exactly contributing to the already horrid air quality

[AZhitman]

The correct answer to the question is: Yes, but not enough that you'll notice.

There are lots more ways to make power (cheaply) that aren't irresponsible.

If you feel the need to remove it, at least replace with a high-flow cat.

Also, you may wind up with a Check Engine light after removing the catcon.

[95nismo240]

both my cats are gutted and it makes the car sound alot better. performance goes up but no really noticable.

[PoorManQ45]

Would you lose a little low end torque do to the decreased back pressure?

You'd gain it back in the higher RPMs though.

Either way, don't do it. A $1k fine and possible impoundment just isn't worth a few HP.

[NISTECH]

WOW!! I thought this was an intelectual forum.

My bad

I'll have to visit this one more often:P

[Q45tech]

Yeah! I have to keep a close look here........my banning finger is at the ready!

[unichi]

umm... just look at athsma rates for young kids and how much they've gone up in the last 10 years. Please don't remove your cat.

[NISTECH]

car pollution is a small part of that. Bad air pollution is not only from cars, but they are up there as one of the leading causes, only thing is government heavily regulates car polluttion since they can make money on it from the general public. There are so many other influinces to pollution the government doesnt even touch.

[PoorManQ45]

umm... just look at athsma rates for young kids and how much they've gone up in the last 10 years. Please don't remove your cat.

Not related.

A single volcanic eruption emits more toxic gases at one time then the collective human race does in one year. Also, the greenhouse effect is NOT happening. Note that this last year was the COLDEST it has been in quite some time.

ANyway, I say just don't do it. Isn't the fine close to $1k for not having cats? Why not just spend ~$400 and get a set of freeflow cats?

[Q45denver]

How about just removing the precats?

[PoorManQ45]

On th eQ arn't they integrated into the manifolds?

[Q45denver]

Yes, but I have the Jap manifolds that don't have precats. Also, I recall something about em pluggin up.

[Florida240sx]

Or live in Florida no emissions

[PoorManQ45]

Florida: You might want to check that out still. IIRC it's still illegal to remove the cats in florida.

[JimmyMethod]

Well, the way a Cat works is by taking the poorly burned hydrocarbons, that form CO instead of CO2 and runs them by a catalist (hence the term catalyltic converter). This catalist is platinum. SO, if you'd rather just 'borrow' some from your local jewery store, melt it down, and spray it on the inside of your exhaust system...you could, guilt free, remove your cat.

[NISTECH]

But jimmy what about the rhodium in the cat that seperates oxygen from the oxides of nitrogen(NOx) to be used to combine with the hydrocarbons(HC) and carbon monoxied(CO) in the paladium bed to form water (H2O) and carbon dioxide(CO2)?

[JimmyMethod]

Rhodium = more expensive than platinum and also difficult to find.And also, Rhodium isn't on the 'funny item' list. Words like: pen15, Goiter, Orangutan, Aluminum, Platinum, Shuttlecock, and Poop, are on the list...Rhodium doesn't make the cut. If Rhodium was funny, then you'd have to let a whole bunch more elements, like Fluorine, and such. That would degrade the lists crediblilty.And anyway, if you were REALLY taking me seriously...it wouldn't actually work, because, even though it's not laminar flow, there's not enough contact with the sides of the exhaust to really work. And you'd also need palladium, otherwise, you'd still be leaving all that CO in the exhaust gases.Twas only a joke.

Edit: Sorry, I didn't see that you had palladium in there.P.S. You spelled it wrong.
Modified by JimmyMethod at 7:08 PM 6/28/2005

[NISTECH]

P.S. You spelled it wrong.

Yea thats cause I dint finish my english major. and not to good at proper grammer and spelling and punctuation and capitalization and excessive use of the word and and run on sentences that dont seem to end.

Hence why I lack snobbish qualities and fix cars for a living.

[DAEDALUS]

No worries bro, I'm a snob. That's why I know how to spell "goiter", "fluorine" and "credibility".

[JimmyMethod]

*looks innocent*I don't know what you're talking about...

[NISTECH]

LOL except that big "modified by" at the bottom of your post.