in the near future i plan on replacing header, cat and exhaust. the one question i have is whether or not a high flow cat is a worthy investment. or is it more trouble than its worth. i'll be getting my va emissions the day before the swap.

 

What about the year after that? One thing I have seen done is to put flanges on the cat and then build a flanged pipe that will fit in the cats place. Just swap before inspections. I will try and find a pick on my old forum.

pics

 

Wow, that actually looks like it would work out well, although I am still happy living somewhere where i don't have to do emissions tests (KS). I'm pretty sure you could do that to any year civic, and I think the 5, 6, ot 7gens would be even easier because of no bend in the pipe where the cat is.

Personally I would get a high-flow cat instead of just getting rid of it, but thats all a matter of personal opinion.

 

Mines gutted, so I pass the visual inspection. We dont have emissions testing in MI. My cousin that lives in Chicago used the method above to pass his tests. Works out well.

 

I would say that you just need to get a high flow cat. It would be a more of a hassle to get in trouble for emissions than it would to buy a cat. Good luck!

 

ok, so high flow cat seems to be the smartest route, but how much power would i be talking about losing if i just got another oem cat? thanx for the input btw. i love the flange piping idea but i'm worried about a cop sticking his head under the car and busting me like injenalltheway said. im in va so . . . yeah

 

You probably could do the same thing with two cats, one gutted and one ready for inspection. The only real problem with gutted cats are that they run a whole lot cooler than a non-gutted and if they shoot it with a temp gun your busted anyway. But, if they are just looking for it being in place, your good.

 

Torque-wise, no loss or gain of power.
Horsepower-wise, you wouldn't be losing a lot unless you have a dedicated track car. Just as an example, a header only gives you 2-10 HP more on the top-end of the RPM range compared to a stock exhaust manifold.
A good high-flow catalytic converter isn't that expensive anyway.

 

can u guys recommend anything? i have a 95 eg vtec d16 completely stock until i install the header - exhaust. thx!

 

I know a thread thats about to get JACKED!!!