Exhaust question

[302@12psi]

Hey guys it's been awhile since I've posted on here and I have a rather silly question.

I'm in a position to possible snag a fox GT. Only mods of course are H pipe and flowmasters.

The H pipe deleted the cats so I'll have to get some kind of cat to pass the visual emissions. Where can I find a stock H pipe for the vehicle? I've looked online and kind find anything.

Is it easier to put it on for emission testing and then swap out the H pipe for another two years? To me that makes sense but do people actually do that?

Lastly if anyone has a factory H pipe in MD or knows of a place where I can get one rather cheap please post a link. Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[SteedaGT9150]

i swap mine out every two years

 

[302@12psi]

Would it be beyond "ghetto" to borrows someone elses to get it state inspected and for emissions instead of buying a OEM replacement for several hundred dollars?

 

[Darkwriter77]

Check the Craigslist classified ads (under Auto Parts in your area), or eBay. There's used stock H-pipes up for sale all the time.

If you prefer new, you can get a Catco H-pipe with high-flow cats for around $300 through Summit Racing and Jeg's.

UPR sells a cat'ed X-pipe for a similar price, however it doesn't have tranny crossmember hangers, and I had a LOT of fitment headaches with mine due to that little detail (the thing would sag constantly, requiring repeated lift-and-retightening chores), plus they welded the cats about 1" too far back so that they were hitting the tranny crossmember humps.

 

[302@12psi]

I assume with the catless H pipe there will be a CEL correct unless the MIL elimatnor is used?

 

[87foxstang]

just a word of advice for you...I bought a used set of catted pipes to pass emissions and they turned out to be shot, so i had to buy brand new ones to pass..

So I would consiter buying them new and not having to worry, unless of course you personally know someone that passed on the set that they have.

 

[SteedaGT9150]

it wouldnt be ghetto to borrow someones, if somebody i knew with a fox that needed mine, i would let them use it

 

[302@12psi]

it wouldnt be ghetto to borrow someones, if somebody i knew with a fox that needed mine, i would let them use it

Yeah I guess I'll have to check around. Worst case is I guess I could make a post in the local forum and see if I could "borrow" a set with leaving a deposit.

I'd buy the guy a case of their favorite adult beverage.

 

[foxmustangman]

Buy some used cats, rip off the shell of the converter and weld it on to make it look like the car has cats!

Thats what i'd do.

 

[SteedaGT9150]

where are you at in maryland?

 

[93GTosu]

I assume with the catless H pipe there will be a CEL correct unless the MIL elimatnor is used?

i'm not 100% familiar with MIL eliminators, but i believe they are for 96+ stangs.

i think:
96+ have oxygen sensors before AND after the cats. Foxes (and 94/95?) only have 2 oxygen sensors, and they occur before the gasses reach the cats, thus NO NEED for a MIL iirc.

my 93 GT has a cat-less X pipe no CEL, no problems.

i was swapping my cats every 2 years...now i'm registered in a county that doesnt do a e-check or anything. We'd take my buddies stock H-pipe out of his garage and pass the test.

Buy some used cats, rip off the shell of the converter and weld it on to make it look like the car has cats!

The guy at the check station was BSing with me once and after my results said "i bet you woulda passed without cats." So if you could weld some shells up, it might work. It all depends on the condition of the motor i'd say though. Its worth a shot though...

 

[Darkwriter77]

Correct, the OBD-II vehicles (pretty much everything from '96 on up, and some '94 and newer Ford vehicles such as the Thunderbird, Cougar, and Windstar) have O2 sensors before AND after the cats to measure the cats' efficiency. Earlier models only measured BEFORE the cats to adjust for air/fuel mixture, so they didn't know or care what happened to the exhaust after it flowed past 'em; OBD-II systems will freak out if they sense no change in exhaust emissions between the pre-cat O2's and post-cat O2's, and will throw a trouble code (lighting your "Check Engine" light).

MIL eliminators trick the ECM into thinking that the post-cat O2 sensors are still there and give a consistent reading all the time. It might eat into your gas mileage a bit because they're not giving a true reading, but otherwise, it has very little (or absolutely no) effect on drivability and/or power.

But that's all a moot point if you're dealing with a 5.0L Mustang, anyway, because they don't use post-cat O2 sensors.

 

[302@12psi]

where are you at in maryland?

Carroll/Baltimore County line area.