removing cat and the u-bend
 

how do i go about doing this? i went to shop not long ago to price out a new exhaust they wanted 400$ for 2 mufflers and a Y pipe :eek: . so i walked away. i did ask him about my CAT but he said its illegal to remove and he wouldnt touch it.. will certain shops do this? and i just have to find one? Also if i take the CAT out will that screw with my o2 sensor? i live in florida so we dont have emission tests or anything like that :cool:

Easiest way is to buy a premade - bolt in - downpipe from a place like ZZP. Any downpipe on there will remove the U bend, and you can also buy one that deletes the cat as well. 2 bolts on each end of the downpipe, and you're done.

I hate to say it, but depending what they were going to put on, that may not be too bad. If they were going to put on real stainless mufflers, and real stainless tips- then it may not have been that bad of a deal. If they just wanted to put on some painted mild steel garbage- then its way too high as you said, especially since its just going to rust away.

It is illegal for any shop to remove your cat and not replace it- they could actually get a massive fine for doing so, and most exhaust shops won't touch cars without a cat either since they don't want it being tied to their shop. That said, there are shops that will do it- but they are pretty rare, and it isn't like you can just walk in and ask away.

The shops generally won't do it because its not worth making $50 profit off selling a piece of welded in straight pipe over a $10,000 fine for getting caught. Also, the shops that do generally don't advertise that they do to random people- how would they know you won't report them?

IMO, your best bet with that- get your catback exhaust work done first- then buy a cat delete downpipe from zzp and bolt it on yourself.

The other thing to think of- it sounds like you don't have a lot of performance mods yet- is it really worth deleting the cat? I mean, its not really that restrictive- and isn't hurting your performance that much, especially NA. Most exhaust shops will delete just the u bend since it doesn't effect emissions.

Deleting the cat will throw a code. You have 2 O2 sensors- the front one (up by the engine) gives the pcm information to make various fueling changes and such. Your rear one (behind the cat) just gives the pcm information about how the cat is working. If you delete your cat, it will assume the cat is damaged and throw an engine light.

You can drive with it as is- or you can buy an O2 emulator that plugs in place of the rear O2 that tricks the pcm into thinking it is there, and is ok. Your last option is to buy a tuned pcm, or a tuner for yourself, or have someone local tune it- they can set the codes to 'not reporting' so you have no check engine light and you don't have to pay for an emulator.

i just looked up their down pipe that they have for my 3400 without a cat and its about 160$ which is a little more then i was looking for but would be an easier and more efficient way to do what i want.



this price i got was for 2 flowmaster 40 series and a Y pipe non stainless on everything.. and NO tips. the shop wanted 140$/EA flowmaster and autozone sells them for 75$/EA


i knew it was illegal and that doesnt bother me i just didnt put much thought into shops not wanting to do it.. for that reason.




I appreciate your very detailed response bumpin! basically the reason why i wanted to delete the CAT was because it is getting clogged.(from what a local shop told me) and it should be replaced. so i figured id just remove it, to make things a little easier and to make it louder. im gonna have to do some more looking around to see what i can find.

You may want to RUSH to a GM Dealer!! '00-'01 W-bodies had known CAT problems and GM extended the warranty!!
Here's the bulletin:
http://sm.gpona.com:9001/si/showDoc....703629&from=sm

So, depending on the date your Monte rolled out, you might have a free cat swap waiting for you to claim!!

NOW, that being said, if you can't get a free CAT, I'd be hesitant to remove it. In my area, when you take a car for an emissions check, they have a BIG mirror they sweep under the car to see if a CAT is present. And if you ever sell the car, that could become an issue. Check RockAuto Auto Parts, I believe they had some inexpensive bolt in CATs.

I had to gut my cat cuz it clogged up, so the check engine light is on all the time, ive also got the u ben & res delete, i wouldnt reccomend no cat atleast put a high flow one on, cuz the car dosnt sound to great without one

This is true, at least with a 3400. A highflow cat drops pretty much all restrictions of having a cat, but allows you not to have to worry. Without a cat will be loud, but coming from someone who drove a 3.4, it will sound like crap most likely. I had a Y pipe with dual flowmasters on it... loved the sound (and mine was about 325 for parts/install with a res delete). Do some more looking around, I think you'll find having the cats might be worth it in the long run.

im in daytona if you need tuning to remove the code for the rear O2 or a performance tune.

i'd say go for a high flow cat too. i know we dont have emissions test, but if you ever get pulled over and the cop wants to put you thru the ringer they can hit you for not having one. if price is a motive get a single muffler under the car and have a Y pipe going to a pair of tips. saves weight too!

I talked a shop into removing my cat, it took some patience but was dirt cheap(u bend and resonator delete were like under $100)

oh yeah 02 emulators rock because that CEL can get annoying