Cat Converter vs. Test Pipe

[prelude98h22]

I have recently purchased a Skunk2 megapower exhaust and DC sports 4-2-1 headers for my prelude but i am unsure on what to do with my cat converter. Recently i took off the stock cat converter from the stock header and attached it to the new header and exhaust as im 16 and could not wait two weeks for a test pipe to be shipped to calgary.
I have heard that the cat will decrease power but it will also increase fuel economy.
What type of power gains will i recieve from a test pipe?
How much louder?
Are there any laws in Calgary on having test pipes on ur car?
How badly will it effect the fuel efficiency?

Are there any stores in Calgary that carry test pipes designed for specific vehicles.

Thanks for your help

[Justin_Inc]

stock or aftermarket Cat conv?

if aftermarket (eg magnaflow) then leave it in, the car will be stupid loud and raspy, you wont lose or gain any power with or without it and your fuel efficiency wont change enough to make a noticeable difference if any.

[prelude98h22]

it has the stock cat converter on right now
so u reccomend the magnaflow cat?

[s3v3n]

dont buy an aftermarket cat ($$)
just toss a test pipe in there for 20 bucks.

yes, it will be louder... but youve also already added a header + cbe so im assuming that it probably wont bother you much.

seems silly to me to open up your entire exhaust system and then bottleneck it with the old cat.

btw we dont have any emissions laws in ab so getting rid of the cat is fine.

[DelSoln]

Purchase a high flow cat.

[ShermanEF9]

Test pipe. your car won't sound as ricey, and it will flow a lot better... plus less to worry about later (clogged cats)

[RX-7_TWINTURBO]

Get a resonator instead of a test pipe, then your car wont sound like a swarm of angry bees

[Justin_Inc]

Originally posted by RX-7_TWINTURBO
Get a resonator instead of a test pipe, then your car will only sort of sound like a swarm of angry bees

fixed :rofl:

no seriously, head down to Partsource and pick up a magnaflow 'high flow' cat for under $100 bux and put it in place of the stoker. The magnaflow 'high flow' cats are just re-modeled GM cat converters. A true high flow cat (one that has an actual larger core) would be out of 90% of the markets price range.

you wont lose any power or torque by putting a cat in there, unless your boosted, or have an insane N/A build.

[Ukyo8]

Originally posted by prelude98h22

What type of power gains will i recieve from a test pipe?


If its going on your honda then it will make no difference in gains

[Revhard]

In my experience, the cat adds nothing to fuel economy at all.
Test pipe is best for flow, but it's likey you would not feel the difference unless you have a few other good mods to go with it. It will be louder though.

[88jbody]

as long as you don't live near me go with the test pipe. if you live down the street from me go with the 100% Stock exhaust to keep my neighbourhood quiet

[chican]

What year is your Prelude? If you use a test pipe, it may give you check engine light. For daily driving, just get a high flow cat or use your stock cat. The gain you get from test pipe is not worth the extra noise, smell and trouble with check engine light.

[prelude98h22]

Originally posted by chican
What year is your Prelude? If you use a test pipe, it may give you check engine light. For daily driving, just get a high flow cat or use your stock cat. The gain you get from test pipe is not worth the extra noise, smell and trouble with check engine light.
I decided on a high flow cat
I dont have it yet but ive gotten the check engine light twice with my stock cat
anything reccomended?

[prelude98h22]

its a 1998

[YamahaV8]

Originally posted by s3v3n
dont buy an aftermarket cat ($$)
just toss a test pipe in there for 20 bucks.

yes, it will be louder... but youve also already added a header + cbe so im assuming that it probably wont bother you much.

seems silly to me to open up your entire exhaust system and then bottleneck it with the old cat.

btw we dont have any emissions laws in ab so getting rid of the cat is fine.

We don't have emission laws but it is illegal to take your cat out or modify any of the original emission systems on a vehicle.

[prelude98h22]

Originally posted by YamahaV8


We don't have emission laws but it is illegal to take your cat out or modify any of the original emission systems on a vehicle.
ya i read about that,
i guess im just going to have to take a risk

[prelude98h22]

Originally posted by YamahaV8


We don't have emission laws but it is illegal to take your cat out or modify any of the original emission systems on a vehicle.
ya i read about that,
i guess im just going to have to take a risk

[cjay^]

If you can find a resonated test pipe I personally would recommend that. Its pretty much the best of both worlds, reduced noise, and more flow but thats just me, I can't stand obnoxious hondas.

[Mugenitis]

Im sure that when you go to a test pipe you lose bottom and mid power but gain top end id suggest goin with a high flow cat, your gonna keep the bottom and mid power but your exhaust will still flow nicely, and this way your not gonna piss your neighbors off its win win win

[rc2002]

Test pipe sounds like shit on the Prelude. It sucks inhaling the fumes too. You would also need an O2 sim to keep the check engine light off.

Resonator sounds like crap too. At the right rpm, the droning gets very loud and annoying.

The highflow cat is going to crap out on you a lot sooner than the OEM, but for your application it sounds like the best bet.

[lhatton]

I'll vouch for the stench without a cat in. I have my crx with band clamps on either end and a straight pipe the same length as my magnaflow. I only put my magnaflow in when i did aircare in BC.
It did get louder without it too.

[Kloubek]

PLEASE put some form of cat on. The reason it's illegal to remove it is because the resulting emissions kill our environment at an increased rate. The amount of extra power you'd get from a test pipe would be negligible at best, and will more likely cause more noise from the exhaust than power anyway.

[lhatton]

Im all for helping the environment. I have driven this car 200km in the past year and that was to the track and back and around town to enjoy it for a day here and there. I pollute far less than any of the 100's of turbo diesel trucks around calgary.

Im not telling anyone to remove it. I would prefer they didn't or at the very least put a high flow magnaflow cat in.