LT1's -cats or No cats?
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 253
From: NJ, USA
LT1's -cats or No cats?
I was just wondering if it is a myth that mostly stock LT1's make more power with a little backpressure in the exhaust...as provided by cats. Or do off road pipes let the engine make more power?
I don't see many other bolton A4's dynoing above 300RWHP, infact I don't think I have seen one. I'm not saying I'm the only one, I know there are more out there.
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 960
I ran without cats, and hated it, the smell was pretty bad, plus its bad for the earth, and against the law. I didn't notice any difference with power or torque curve, only time I do notice is with the cutouts open. Now a highflow cat will flow better and is much lighter, so if yours goes bad, I would suggest one of those. As far as any engine needing backpressure-its all myth. backpressure is gas going back towards the heads into the valves, if really bad. Exhaust pipes can create a scavaging effect which pulls out the exhaust better than it could normally do, but keep in mind it must be set up right, headers also work with this principle in mind. If engines worked better with pipes attached you would see hotrod dragsters running them, not open headers. Exhaust systems can change the rpm range of torque higher, thus some people think it goes away without pipes, when in reality it is still there. Just like a large cam gives more power, but bottom end may sacrifice. Many times a freeflowing exhasut will give more torque evenat a low rpm
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 121
From: Fredericksburg/Harrisonburg, VA
Originally posted by D James
As far as any engine needing backpressure-its all myth.
As far as any engine needing backpressure-its all myth.
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 121
From: Fredericksburg/Harrisonburg, VA
Originally posted by D James
As far as any engine needing backpressure-its all myth.
As far as any engine needing backpressure-its all myth.