I'm gutting the cat this weekend with a straight pipe. I'm keeping the manifold for now as I can't find a header for the engine. Too much back pressure . Question. Is the pipe diameter for the cat pipe 2"? or 2.5"?
This just maybe my Car, but I have 2 cats. And to replace them is actually 2 pipes (pieces) which can run ya 600 CAD. You can't disesemble a cat itself (well not to my knowledge). By judging from my car you have to undue the Front pipe (to manifold) and undue it at the muffler connection. Now some told me to bang the living crap out of the cats to gut it. However, I am making a custom straight pipe out of 2" pipe and no even going to have cats on my exhaust system. I hope this helps you. Perhaps I'll take pics of it when I'm finished tomorrow.
The pipe on my car is 2.25". The only way to gut the cat is to remove the connectors from the manifold and the one that connects to the pipe that runs to the muffler. Then you need to cut the pipe a few inches on either side of the cat, preferably where it is straight. A sawsall or a hack saw will work fine. Before you cut scribe some indexing lines diagonal with the cut you are about to make. From there you need a pry bar and a hammer. You want to basically smash what is inside little by little. Turn it over and dump out the lose material as you go. Be sure not to breathe it in and try to keep it of your skin. Once it is completely empty get a flash light look in there and make sure. Then realign the marks and weld back together. If you don’t know how to weld, I suppose you can get a short section of 2.25id tubing and us it to connect the two pipes. As for the muffler the easy way to get it off is to cut it off. Then just extend the pipe into the new muffler. The hardest part there will be the muffler hanging bracket. I just ripped mine off and welded it to the new one but if you don’t know how to weld I duno, go for the rubber hanging clamp I guess. Hope that helps. But be forewarned, destroying a cat is illegal, it will also make your car have a resonating sound, not too loud but it is there, not that I would know though....
As no having a cat is illegal, from where I'm from (NS Canada) If your car is older then a 92 then its legel to remove it. So thats why I have no problem (mines a 90) but it is true that in some Provinces and States its illegal. I guess you would have to look up the laws in your area. This would be my third car I done away with the cat.
you can do it with out a welder. its just easier. And the reason i said to empty the cat rather then using a streight pipe is that it will fit better, and it will look like you still have it. You don't want the DEP to tow your car. U cna use tubing if you want. And to put the pipe back together you dont need to weld, you can simply get a pipe that slides over both sides and use muffler clamps, and for the muffler it self do the same thing and switch to one of those universial muffler clam muffler hanger things with the rubber ****nit.