Forgive me if this is a "goddamn kids..." kind of question, but do I necessarily need a cat? I think mine might have kicked the bucket and a decent new one is very expensive... and I'm on a tight budget right now. Can I just swap it out with a piece of pipe or a resonator? Will that screw up my o2 sensors? Will those even function anymore? I don't want to lose ten miles to the gallon for the sake of saving on a new cat.

We don't do emissions tests here.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

u can replace it with a test pipe.. what year civic.. you may need to run a defouler for the o2.... u need a cat for emmisions but civics have passed without one before.. they run very clean

 

2000 civic ex
I don't think we bother with emissions in my area

 

You can run a test pipe but if you don't do anything regarding the O2 sensor your ECU will register a CEL.

You can get a Magnaflow CAT for about $80, which is probably what you will end up paying for a test pipe.

 

Someone mentioned that I could just stick another resonator on there and it would be good to go. Is that accurate?

From what I just read, a test pipe will make it louder. I want the thing to stay quiet if possible.

 

Just found this, not sure if it's what I'm looking for:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/HIGH-...Q5fCarQ5fParts

Would this actually keep my car quiet?

Thanks

 

No. It will make it twice as loud.

 

I don't know enough about this to know if you're being sarcastic or not.

 

How is anything I said sarcastic?

 

I said I didn't know if it was or not. That'll literally make the exhaust much louder?

 

literally.

buy a cat. its not that expensive.

 

Look around your area people buy used cats for at leas $50 or more at some junkyards so don't just toss yours. You can buy a direct fit magnaflow for around $110 or look in the market place for a used Magnaflow.

 

You want to make it quiet use a Vibrant Ultra Quiet Resonator as a test pipe where the cat goes. It is $100 then you need to have it welded and what not. I can almost guarantee it won't be much louder.

 

you dont need one but it is illegal in almost every state just depends on how big of an *** the cop wants to be, you will throw a cel like the others said which will mess up your fuel economy you are better off buying another cat imho

 

If you do decide to replace the cat with a new one, I recommend going to a muffler shop. The labor is relatively easy, but the part will end up costing more than the part/labor at a muffler shop. I learned this from a bad experience.

 

In Texas usually DPS/HWY Patrol are the only ones that'll get you for it, they use a thermal camera to see if the "area" where the cat is suppose to be shows up hot. Local/City cops usually don't have that kinda equipment, atleast not in rural Texas where I'm at. I've been using a test pipe for years and have only been ticketed for it once by a DPS. Maybe if you used some kinda resonator test pipe like in that picture, it would show up "like a cat" since it probably would retain a little heat. My car is entirely way to low for a cop to actually get a good look at the underneath and I've never had a problem getting it inspected. No emissions testing where I'm at, not yet atleast.

 

You think your cat is expensive on a EX....try buying one for a LX/DX that has the exhaust manifold on it, all in one.

Either way...You can score a cat for an ex for like 60-80 bucks....They are bolt in, so just buy it, and remove the old one...then replace it with the new one...its just a couple bolts...

Then look up in the yellow pages metal recycling and or scrappers, and sell your old cat to them for 50....they give us 75 here in NY...

I changed mine, sold the core, and only had like 35 bucks involved once I sold my cat/exhaust mani.

However...if your cat is actually bad, you'll be getting a check engine light...code 66 I think.

Id check that first, as 02 sensors and the like go bad far more often, and are a much easier/cheaper fix...