Someone told me that catted Midpipes make more power then O/R midpipes..fact or myth?

[Craig Mack]

I was having a discussion with someone with a 2k1 Cobra, who has a bassani catted X-pipe and catback. He said that the catted midpipes make significantly more power than offroad ones, because our engines run off backpressure. I about fell off my chair at first, but decided to ask you guys since I am a newbie with this engine. It just doesn't make since to me though.

So, catted mid pipes make better power then o/r ones...fact or fiction?

 

[flyonthewall]

I was having a discussion with someone with a 2k1 Cobra, who has a bassani catted X-pipe and catback. He said that the catted midpipes make significantly more power than offroad ones, because our engines run off backpressure. I about fell off my chair at first, but decided to ask you guys since I am a newbie with this engine. It just doesn't make since to me though.

So, catted mid pipes make better power then o/r ones...fact or fiction?

I believe there are several tuners in your general area, I would ask them. I would say No Cats make more RWHP than Catted, IF tuned accordingly (Chipped).

 

[COBRA90GT]

More likely than not, it's just fiction.
If anything, the logic from "back in the day" used to say that off-road pipes made more power than catted pipes.
However, there really isn't much of a difference nowadays IMHO; off-road and catted aftermarket midpipes are very close to each other in terms of performance gains (when talking about the SAME BRAND here - IE - catted Xpipe by MANUFACTURER "A" Vs offroad X pipe also by MANUFACTURER "A").
Today's catalytic converters flow extremely well and "yesterday's logic" is pretty much null & void. The one example where you might see more gains with an offroad pipe today, will probably come on a supercharged application. Here, you might see more gains from the off-road midpipe once you start making serious power (because of less restriction in the exhaust).
If you are making natural aspiration motor comparisons, it's a pretty moot point...blah.

My .02

 

[missouri_guy197]

Someone did a test where he dynoed his car with the o/r pipe and then welded in 2 carsound cats(the cats that magnaflow uses) and there was only like 1-2 hp difference between the two with the catted pipe making the lesser...So pretty much, if it has high flow cats on it you aren't going to lose much...

 

[Craig Mack]

Thanks for the replies guys. I know that with todays technology catalyst converters can be made to flow very well, but what made me make this post is the person whom I was talking to said that catted midpipes make significantly more power than offroad pipes becuase the engines run off backpressure. The replies i've gotten here seem to make a lot more sense.

 

[Nazman]

Just as example I'll use my old set up of the MAC O/R H-Pipe vs. a Dr. Gax X-Pipe w/Cats.

Keep in mind this is a X vs. H and O/R vs. Cats so it may or may no apply to your comparo. The better test or just to be fair should be a SAME BRAND product.

Here a a Dyno Graph of the MAC O/R H-Pipe:

Here is a Dyno of the Dr. Gas X w/Cats:

I think that TXsnakecharmer conducted a test with a MAC Pro-Chamber pipe with and then added the Cats but I'm not 100% sure.

Just my .02

Naz