Sup boys,

I've recently thrown a Warpspeed Y-Pipe on my 00 5spd SE, along with an intake and SRS catback. I just picked up the car this year and I've just got a gut feeling that I might not pass my first emissions test.

I've been thinking of adding a fast cat to my set up and I've got a few questions.

Would a new fast cat be worse/better at filtering emissions than a working OEM cat? Because they seem to be more focused on performance than emissions. I'm wondering if I could put a new fast cat on now before I even try for emissions to be safe or wait to see whether or not I fail with my current OEM one.

Also, how much of a difference in sound/hp gains would I expect just by subbing in the fast cat to my current set up? It's already about as loud as I can handle without feeling like a douche during DD

Thanks for any help!

 

Where are you located? I take it by your questions about catalyst efficiency that your emissions test includes a sniffer test? If not, is your SES/CEL on?

 

iirc, high flow cats don't offer much performance gain.

Even with a warpspeed Y pipe you're going to pass emissions just fine and dandy, unless you're throwing a code. Just make sure the car warms up before you go and test.

 

Your pre-cats and main cat are still there, whether it be a FC or not, you'll be fine. People have been known to pass with only the fast cat, and full headers.

OEM cat to FC sounds and gains will be, IMO, minimal/negligible.

 

Not necessarily. If he's FED spec his precats are gone.

 

Very good point.

OP, are you Fed or Cali emissions?

Also, Warpspeed makes a heavy loaded cat if your concerned about passing emissions.

 

I'm in Ontario, Canada, and I'm not even sure if there's a sniffer test as I've never been through emissions testing before (first car, first year). No CEL/SES

I'm Fed spec so both of my precats are gone which is why I'm concerned. I know warming up the car is supposed to let the main cat take care of everything but I just feel like my cat may be clogged or messed up cause most of the original exhaust system was rusted/turning-to-garbage so it makes me question the OEM cat as well.

My mechanic suggested a high flow cat to open up the last link in the exhaust chain (excluding headers), but now that you guys are telling me sound/hp gains are minimal at best I'm starting to consider the heavy loaded cat as an option instead. Would a heavy loaded cat actually cause me to LOSE performance over OEM?

If fast cats only add negligible performance how is there even a market for them?

 

one word: MARKETING.

Honestly...I wouldn't worry about it. Just keep filling the gas tank with premium and keep up with the maintenance. Drive for at least 30 mins before the test, and you'll be FINE. They may not even have teh sniffer test...and if not, then all they do is plug into your OBD port and scan. No big deal whatsoever.

edit - I did a google search for "emissions tsting, ontario canada" and look what I found:
http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/environment...lean/index.htm


So in other words....IF YOU'RE NOT GETTING A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, YOU'RE FINE.

 

more from the Great White North:

http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/environment...OD_102286.html


Since you have a 2000, you're ODB.

Be happy with this change...looks like they used to sniffer test, now they're not

 

Word! Thats what I like to hear.

How much do you wanna bet a engine light springs up randomly during the 30 mins I'm driving around before the test

 

don't talk like that.

 

Since you don't have to worry about the sniffer test and you just recently got the car, the only thing left to do is just make sure your SES light actually works. Make sure that it comes on with all the other lights when you first turn the key (just to make sure the previous owner wasn't hiding something from you). I'm dealing with removing rusty exhaust right now down here in the south eastern US, I can't imagine what the rust looks like up there...