bob200587

I have a friend, well a couple actually that don't see any reason why they should put the catalytic converters back on their cars. One still has them on but is thinking about taking them off. The other has them off of his 03 Mustang GT. He says it makes a big difference in power, even though we both agreed it sounded better with them on. He takes them on and off each year to pass emissions, then takes them off after he passes.

I want to stop him and figure out a way to stop all these people that do this from poisoning me and the rest of the world. CO2 is one thing. I'm not concerned with that. But Hydrocarbons and Carbon Monoxide are highly toxic chemichals and do not need to be put into the air if it can be avoided...no matter how little quantity one person's car may put out.

What can we do to stop people from doing this?

Adam F

Lock him in the garage with the car running for a while

Ringmaster

Pound a potatoe up his tail pipe. Engine won't run.

Tell him his/their lungs won't run either if he/they keep this up.

Mark in MD

Call a cop?

AH64ID

personally I think the 25K fine threat would do it

JamesD

How about the noise pollution?

James

91TPU

then tell them they make high flow cats...

bob200587

He knows that but mustang GT's have 6 cats from the factory. He's too cheap to buy them.

mt_goat

6 cats? Good Lord.... I thought the BMWs were bad with 4. What does it have dual exhaust with 3 cats in each exhaust stream? If they are running with a CEL all the time tell them that now they won't know when something else goes wrong with the engine that could ruin it.

bob200587

Yea, three for each side. It comes that way stock. He hasn't thrown a CEL as far as I know, I've never paid much attention, but I haven't seen it in the dash. He's got some sort of tuner that he adjusts the computer with.

engineerjoe

damm, if he's willing to take off 6 cats then reinstall them just to pass emissions once a year then I say let him.

There are many good arguments for leaving cats on (for future generations, for noise pollution, etc.) but obviosly he thinks the small (very small) gains in power is worth it.

kmcc78240

you could tell him about my friend, who was helping get another friend out of some mud. Got him self stuck. Then while attempting to get out himself a spark came out of the exhaust and started a smal wildfire. Took his bronco down to the ground

AH64ID

ALL cats these days are hi-flow...


Trying to convince a guy in another thread that if he insistis on doing it, this inst the forum to advocate it in, thats hard enough.. let alone getting them to put a cat back on.

Man4God

Well, speaking from experience with Cobras and Mustangs, yes, they have 4-6 cats depending on the model. The Mustang exhaust system is in 3 parts. It has the exhaust manifolds, mid-pipe (where the 4 O2 sensors are and cats), and the catback (where the Flowmasters go! Hehe). It is very easy to drop the mid-pipe and install a cat-less one and put O2 simulators in where the O2 sensors go. That gets rid of the CEL.

I ran around in Nashville on my 99 Cobra with no cats and Long Tube Headers. I am willing to bet you that car would have passed emissions. It ran great, got better fuel mileage and definately performed better. I don't see it as a moral or ethical issue. I see it as a way for the government to slip their hands in our pockets every year, or to keep mechanics employed, or any other thing on the planet that isn't designed to help the planet. When people who are conservationalists in their political leanings, 99% of them would never think of hiking up a mountain or anything. They just want to feel good about themselves.

My $.02.

etan

a lot of people run straight back piping. its definitely not good, but not much you can do
about it