I haven't really had the time or inclination to do the "cold cat" test at inspection station (park it overnight, then start it cold with the aftermarket Y-pipe and see how badly it fails emissions testing).

My newest suggestion is to install some sort of supplemental cat that connects to the end of the exhaust. It could be just like connecting a Random Technology cat to the end of the exhaust. You could fit a stretchy rubber connector on one side of the cat and that would connect to the exhaust. The other side you can leave open or partially close off. That way the exhaust that is produced when you start up cold doesn't escape easily and can be converted so it releases less pollutants. My only concern then is any damage you might cause by trapping those exhaust fumes. I guess we could make a small opening. You'd only have to leave the supplemental cat on until the car is warmed up, then you could take it off and put it in the trunk.

Now, I understand that the end-cat would also need to warm up before it is effective, so maybe we could use something like whatever is used in the pre-cats on the stock Y-pipe. Those don't seem to need to warm up before they work, right?

If nothing else, I plan to cut the pre-cats out of the stock Y-pipe and fit them into some sort of tube that I can attach to the exhaust on cold startup. If I do this, I will definitely do the inspection test to see if it helps. If someone wants to help make these and sell them, I'd like 20% of profits for my idea Just kidding... no, seriously...

 

With all due respect, Tanmann9, there's practically no part of your idea that I like. I simply cannot imagine anyone but you being willing to do what you're suggesting in order to prevent a little extra pollution from momentarily escaping into the atmosphere. But your idea is just twisted enough to appeal to me in a schizophrenic sort of way. And I applaud you for coming up with it.

 

It's official. You are completely and utterly insane.

Not trying to flame here, but.......well......okay, I HAVE to flame on this one.....

That is the worst, most retarted idea I have ever heard of. Are you going to put it on to run down to the store and take it off at a stop light along the way? We are talking about 5 minutes of "questionable" emmissions.

Sell the Y-pipe. SELL IT! SELL IT DAMMIT! PUT IT ON OR SELL IT!!!!!!!!!! BUT QUIT YOUR YAPPING ABOUT YOUR DERANGED QUEST TO SAVE THE MANATEE!!!!! ARRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

[/light-hearted, but mildly serious ball-busting]

 

Really, asu174. You simply have to come out of your shell and learn to express your feelings. Have you thought about seeking professional help for this morbid shyness of yours?

 

 

No, you'd only put the end-cat on when you're cold-starting after it's been parked a while. Like in the morning or before you leave the office in the afternoon. You attach it while the car warms up (3-5 minutes), then remove it and drive off. As it is now, I usually sit in my car and let it warm up for a few minutes before I drive it, but only in the morning and afternoon after work.

 

I understand that it may seem ridiculous and psychotic to some, but don't you ever have that feeling when you're about to do something you know is wrong, and a little voice in your head says "nuh uh, you know better"? I get that voice a lot since I tend to want to do a lot of bad things. So far, the voice has saved me from any serious trouble.
It's like that Tom&Jerry cartoon where Tom is trying to get into Heaven, and he needs Jerry's signature of forgiveness. Everytime Tom gets ****ed and wants to mash Jerry, the gatekeeper pops up and says "nuh uh uh uh", and Tom freaks and tries to do the right thing again. That's how I feel about the Y-pipe and other stuff.

 

OK. Lemme esplain somethin' to you . . .

The pre-cat has to be small and extremely close to the exhaust manifold because it has to heat up instantly. Otherwise, the main cat will fire up before the pre-cats and render the pre-cats useless. Installing a cat as far away from the exhaust manifold as you're suggesting simply won't accomplish what you're after.

So how much are you going to try to get for your Y-pipe, Greenpeace-breath?

 

I thought about that... maybe if I leave the end-cat in the engine bay while I drive, it will stay warm. With the hot weather in Houston, plus the heat of the engine bay, the end-cat should stay nice and toasty.

If this doesn't work, would it be possible to block off or at least severely restrict the exhaust gases from escaping, so they sit around until the cat is hot enough to work? Any danger in doing this? I'd assume it'd be just like having someone stuff a potato in your exhaust, which is bad. But maybe a porous potato would work ok?

 

ROTFLMAO . . .

Maybe if you stuck dat cat up someplace where da sun don't shine, you could get it to heat up even mo quickly.

 

I just got the Cattman Y-pipe used from DMAN2K for $200. I really do want to put it on, but I need to figure this emissions problem out first.

Maybe if I cut the precats out of the stock Y-pipe and cram them into the aftermarket Y-pipe, they can still do their work. Since the aftermarket Y-pipe is more free-flowing, I'll see some gains at least.

Another idea is to have a shop cut the pre-cats out of the stock Y-pipe, remove a portion of the new y-pipe, and weld the pre-cats in series with the Y-pipe, maybe right before the flex-section.

 

Measure twice, cut once.

 

So you like this idea?

 

I'd suggest you measure the pre-cats on your stock Y-pipe before I answer that question. Make sure you have your Cattman Y-pipe handy when you do. You'll need it for reference.

 

Here's an idea that might work. Check out the 8th picture down from the top of this page:

http://www.ws6.com/headersinstall.htm

I don't know if a cat of that size would fit on a Cattman Y-pipe, but if it does, your problem may be solved.

I believe this is the web site of the manufacturer:

http://www.ttspowersystems.com/headers.htm

 

The SC is not CARB legal, so you can't put it on your car.

 

Jeez. Neither is any aftermarket intake currently available for the 5th Gen Maxima. So they're all out as well.

How's a person supposed to mod their cars when they're stuck in the middle of so much red tape?

 

you ppl are sick. First of all, who would live a car overnight for smog testing? You're driving it to the station, means your engine is warm. Need I say more?

 

You'd have to go back to a previous thread to understand what's going on in this thread, Y2KMaxGXE-R. Let's just say that Tanmann9 has his reasons for wanting to do a smog check with a completely cold engine.

 

Yeah, I saw a label on the line going from the SC to the oil pan that says "not legal for use on public roadways".

How come Stillen's website says specifically for the Y-pipe that is is not street-legal, but they give no warnings for the SC?

 

So it's possible eh.. remove a piece of the Y-pipe and weld on a smaller cat. It would have to be around the flex-section so it can clean everything that goes through the Y-pipe. Definitely something I'll look into. Thanks for the link .

 

My only concern is that the cats may be too big to fit on the downpipes. But let us know what you find out.

 

ok now let me explain one thing to you, u dont even have to test it, take my word for it, my exhasut smells very bad, i mean fumes and gas smell all over the place when i first start it. but that only last about a min. no u dont see any black smoke just smeel the odor of the exhaust. now what ur sayin about puttin a cat near the end of the exhasut wont matter because in ordr for the converter to work, it has to be fired up. u see the main cat takes about min or two before its fired up, it would take about 10-15 mins for a cat to work at the end of the exhaust. ur point is to reduce emissions when the car is first started, but what ur sayin is impossible to do with a y-pipe. now look let me mention that i have no precats at all, just the main cat so thats why my fumes are very strong when its first started. now look at it this way, every yr a certain cars emisson standards changes. even without one of your precats ur car will pollute a whole lot less then any early 90's car with a stock exhaust system and that im positive of. so dont worry about it, those big v8s pollute 10times more then the max will. just do the y-pipe. if u cant understand this, my suggestion to you is to just leave the world of mods, becasue anything you do changes how the car runs, remember that im not tryin to offend you in anyway, im just tellin you what i know is true thats all.

 

2K1HoMax makes a good point, Tanmann9. Even with a missing pre-cat, your car still burns cleaner at startup than an early-90's model V8 at normal operating temperature. Just between us, I think you're making a mountain out of a molehill. But do what you gotta do.

 

You guys are right about me obsessing about this. My biggest hangup is where it's posted "not legal for street use". If they never posted that, I'd be ok with installing the Y-pipe. I've got this quirk where if it's in writing and not absurd, then I have to follow it. 55 MPH speed limit signs may be in writing, but I consider it absurd so I don't mind ignoring them. But everywhere I've seen the Y-pipe advertised, it says "not legal for street use". Sigh.

 

Well it's ridiculous to argue that you shouldn't follow your own ethics. But if you want to get down to the fine print, practically nothing you do in the way of a performance enhancement is going to be legal for street use. For example, every aftermarket intake made for the 5th Gen Maxima should have a label that says, "not legal for street use".

I think you need to make a decision, Tannman9. Don't modify your Cattman Y-pipe. Install it or sell it and move on. You've got bigger fish to fry.

 

How about if Cattman produces a new Y-pipe, the "environmentally- friendly performance Y-pipe". This product would have a high-flow unrestrictive pre-cat welded into it. I'd buy one

 

How about you just grind off the part about off road use only? A grinding wheel would nip that in the bud so you can sleep better at night. Also, you might not realize this, but once you have it installed on your car, NO ONE will be able to read that part.

Again, I understand your concern, but this idea is sick. Put it on. I can't believe how long you have been fixating about this. If you really want to stop air pollution, just carpool.

 

All good points, but you can't remove the warnings on the manufacturers' websites that say "not legal for use on public roadways". I don't think there's actually a label on the part itself that says this. Besides, with or without a label, we still know it's wrong .

I can't carpool because people who have been in the car when I'm driving think I'm a crazy driver. They're wrong of course, but I don't need my coworkers thinking I'm insane.

 

I certainly understand that. It's enough that WE think you're insane.



j/k

 

well my y-pipw doesnt say not legal for steet use, even if u try to find the badge u wont. why that is, is because mine is heat wrapped to its doesnt say that just another approach to the not legal issue. and in a way the heat wrap does help pollute less if u think about it becasue it causes most of the heat to stay inside the y-pipe, which is wrapped all the way to the cat, this i would think fires up the cat alot faster then normally, and look on the bright side it adds a few horses since it speeds up exhaust flow. oh and just to let every1 know, it took me longer to completly wrap the pipe, then to install the y-pipe and another tip, dont trust those little ties that come with it they r just a wast of money, all they do is break or stay loose once tied down, i used clamps on mine, the same kind u see on the coolant hoses just to give an example. and no they dont melt its stainless steel. and to any1 who is to use clamps just make sure the end that u tighten it with isnt at such and angle that it blocks the bolts or the y-pipe. (just tryin to make things easier for people) and another fact about the y-pipe that bees in a can sound is actaully an exhaust leak it from the gasket that goes on the top of the pipe, (the part of the pipe that removes the precat) this gasket isnt too secure when just on the pipe, and usually slighty pops out of place when the pipe is goin back it, so if properly installed, no extra noise will be present at all, just increased power, w/o the buzzing. just thought id clear up a few things.

 

Here's how you need to look at this:

SUV's pollute the air continually and guzzle gas.

Your car will pollute the air for the first couple of minutes and get much better gas mileage.

You aren't driving an old leaded gasoline Camaro with a straight tailpipe. This is a Maxima. Your car will still fall EASILY within the top 50th percentile of pollution friendly cars.

 

Great post, 2K1HoMax. Lots of good info.

 

Dude, that paragraph is so long and lowercase that it gave me vertigo trying to read it.......

 

Yup. It's a bit much to try to read through. But the info is great nonetheless. Perhaps 2K1HoMax is studying English as a second language.

 

I shouldn't talk too much crap.....He works within a moltov cocktail's range of my house........

 

 

Oh come on!!! That time you replied during the same friggin minute as me. How the hell do you do it? You live on here don't you......?

 

I have my secretary keep an eye on it for me.

 

hey first of all i know what im talkin about, and i not tryin to even watch what im spelling. i dont really care about it. do i have to actually use correct punctuation and to get my point across. im just tryin to get some info out to u guys that all. and yes i know im typing in all lower case, and yea i know im not typing incorrectly, and no im not supposed to start a sentace with and, and yes i do have a couple empty glass bottles at the shop with a couple of gallons of gasoline,and damn i used way to many ands, and no i wont roast ur @$$ for comments made towards the way i type, wait wait i forgot to use a capitol I and also i used too many commas. im on the org for god sakes who cares how i spell.