I was figuring how to put this together so I wouldn't have to weld anything, so I went to the muffler shop yesterday with an idea. I borrowed some of it from something I saw Joe R. do on the hybridforum page. For his JDM 4-1 header install, he used a magnaflow slider tube which is basically an adjustable pipe (that slides into the b-pipe that has a flange on it) to mate his b-pipe and the cat. It's secured by a screw clamp. Nice idea, but it reduces the inside diameter of the pipe, and I wanted a REAL 2.5" exhaust from the header back. I had 2 pieces of 2.5" aluminum pipe flared (1 piece for the JDM 4-1, the other for the b-pipe) and expanded so that they fit OUTSIDE the neck on the cat. They will be secured by a screw clamp. I then used 3" flanges that were cut a bit longer where the spring and bolt go to let them bolt straight up to the header. The result?

(The left side of the picture is a mirror of the right side, just in pieces.) That means the cat isn't welded in place, and going open header @ the track is done simply by unscrewing two screw clamps vs. unbolting 4 exhaust bolts. The cost? $20 for materials and labor.




[Modified by eternal21, 8:15 PM 11/29/2001]