Better Gas...Catalitic Converter removal

[RollinonZ34]

Hi to all,

Just wondering if i removed the Catalitic converter ( i thaik that is what it is called ) and then just spliced in a straight piece of exhaust pipe, would it give me better Gas Milage and maybe a little more pep? I live in Louisians and they don't require the converter to pass any kind of smog test.
Would it change any kind of critical backpressure or hurt anything as the OXYGEN SENSOR ( THAT I REPLACED ALSO) is before the cat.

I am just trying to figure out how to get better Gas milage as i have changed every kind of sensor i can think of ...all AC/DELCO and Timing Belt with all Pullies, and now my Gas Milage SUCKS...I had a shop check the Timing when i was done and it is correct and right on the money. Car runs like a bat out of Hell...just worse Gas Milage...since i did Lower intake Gasket & all Sensors while it was apart.
any thoughts?????

[Scott205]

Gas mileage no, I doubt if you will see an increase, you will probably see a slight decrease in gas mileage.

Pep yes, you should gain 1-10 hp from a free-er flowing exhaust, of course at the cost of gas mileage.

However beware, it is still highly illegal to do what you are doing, and if you sell the car to someone in Texas, California or NY they can sue you over the cost of having illegally tampering with the emissions on the vehicle, as well as they can write you a quite expensive ticket if you run by one of the smog testers in those states.

You can get practically the same pep by having a hi-flow or free-er flowing cat installed for your vehicle and be legal, as well as not smell that horrible smell it will have from running a car without a catalytic converter

[RollinonZ34]

This is Good information! My car has 170,000 mi. on it now and was just wondering how long the Cat lasts...Forever? don't know...but suspected that it has to be restricting air flow, therefore chocking off motor of More air.... If i do anything it will be the addition of the hi-flow or free-er flowing cat that you speak of...as i am totally ignorant about Cat-Converters, in fact i thought all this time that it was the Cat that made cars stink as i never could smell that bad odor in the early 70's with the muscle cars we drove. It wasn't until the Riceburners arrived with their cats when i started smelling that foul odor. Another member sugested that i just bore out the inside of the cat to still have the appearance of the cat instead of deleating it by cutting it out, and that seemed like a good idea, but you suggest that i may possibly get worse gas mileage without it.

Thanks for the input.....Paul

[spacecadetz26]

I believe they only last 150k... I know mine is dead now and it has 156k.. oddly OBDII cars let you know by blazing the check engine light.