Cats are gutted, what to do with the lines ? | FerrariChat
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Cats are gutted, what to do with the lines ?

Discussion in '308/328' started by Dino246gt, Dec 3, 2009.

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  1. Dino246gt

    Dino246gt Formula 3

    Mar 26, 2007
    1,038
    Winnipeg, Manitoba,
    Full Name:
    Dennis Ezmerlian
    #1 Dino246gt, Dec 3, 2009
    I had my twin cats gutted and a stainless pipe fitted for straight through exhaust, now how will it effect engine running? It's an 82 308GTBi. My body shop is going to install them but feels I've made a mistake because of the vacuum lines, what?
     
  2. miketuason

    miketuason F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Feb 24, 2006
    15,810
    Cerritos, CA.
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    Mike
    #2 miketuason, Dec 4, 2009
    It's a mistake if you live in CA and/or you have a good set of cat but decided to gutted it.
     
  3. Dino246gt

    Dino246gt Formula 3

    Mar 26, 2007
    1,038
    Winnipeg, Manitoba,
    Full Name:
    Dennis Ezmerlian
    #3 Dino246gt, Dec 4, 2009
    No need for cats here in Canada, car is over 25 years old, but will it affect the running adversly? We'll soon find out, but I was thinking not. Car is in the body shop being re-assembled but can't drive it until Spring because of all the snow now, can hear it running in the shop though once it's back together. Just wondering how it'll affect the engine as I've made no other changes to the engine, all the lines are still there. No smog pump though, that was removed long ago with no negative running issues. Comments? Opinions? All views are greatly appreciated. Thanks, Dino
     
  4. FF8929

    FF8929 Formula Junior

    Apr 12, 2008
    799
    Livonia, Michigan
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    Fred Flynn
    #4 FF8929, Dec 4, 2009
    Cats are out of my '83 308, no effect either way, other than cooler trunk. With the air pump out also, I can't understand what "vacuum hoses" your body shop is referring to. Do they mean the cat over- temp sensor wires? If never known body men to know much about the mechanical side.
     
  5. Dino246gt

    Dino246gt Formula 3

    Mar 26, 2007
    1,038
    Winnipeg, Manitoba,
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    Dennis Ezmerlian
    #5 Dino246gt, Dec 5, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    We should get it running next week, so we'll see. The shop that did my exhaust stuff said they would like all the lines removed at the other end, wherever they are attached. For now the body shop will re-install them to the cats, even though they won't be functional. I kept the cats for originality looks, and of course because it was easier to hook up the muffler I have. The shop (Jackson Autosport) replaced my chrome tips with stainless 1.5 inches longer, and removed all the stuff inside the cats and fitted stainless tubes, sort of test pipes with fake cats around them. Since the car was still in the body shop, Jackson didn't want to attempt test pipes because alignment would've been more or less impossible without the car there. I've got ONE cat on now, the other next week!
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  6. jonesdds

    jonesdds Formula 3

    Aug 31, 2006
    2,163
    SB,CA & Park City UT
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    Jeff
    #6 jonesdds, Dec 5, 2009
    Confused by "gutted". Sounds like you discarded the cats and put straight pipes in, is that correct? Love the black GTB by the way. Looks like a stainless muffler, tubi, xost or what? I'd assume more stink, less chance of fire, and normal if not slightly better throttle response with straight pipes. Have fun with it.

    Jeff
     
  7. lostbowl

    lostbowl Formula 3

    Apr 30, 2009
    1,246
    Michigan
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    Tom
    #7 lostbowl, Dec 6, 2009
    I also have an 82 and the lines you refer to are thermocouples that activate the slow-down lights. There is NO connection between the thermocouples and the FI so drive it! All will be fine if it ran fine before the removal and maybe even better if your cats were plugged. T
     
  8. DenisB

    DenisB Formula Junior

    Jul 21, 2007
    511
    Cape Cod Ma.
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    Denis B.
    #8 DenisB, Dec 6, 2009
    Would it pose any issue if ya just gutted then welded'm back together w/o a streight pipe in the middle of the cat housing?
     
  9. BAturb

    BAturb Formula Junior

    Nov 14, 2007
    550
    Australia
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    Allan
    #9 BAturb, Dec 6, 2009
    here in Aus all pre 1986 cars dont have cats, that includes all Ferrari's even my 85 Mondial doesnt have cats, runs just great
     
  10. Dino246gt

    Dino246gt Formula 3

    Mar 26, 2007
    1,038
    Winnipeg, Manitoba,
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    Dennis Ezmerlian
    #10 Dino246gt, Dec 6, 2009
    So what I had John Jackson do is basically the same as running the test pipes or straight pipes, but keeping the cats on just for looks. Everything inside the cats is gone and a straight stainless pipe is through the middle. All the lines that connect to the cats are still there, but do nothing. The main reason that I didn't just ditch the cats and have John make straight pipes is that he didn't have the car, it's still apart in the body shop. I took the muffler for new tips and the cats to him. He pointed out that to make the straight pipes without the car in his shop would be nearly impossible to guarantee a perfect fit. The way the exhaust system is for a sidewinder engine with 2 cats and the muffler means that if one of the pipes flanges was out just a tiny bit of alignment, the whole thing could be lopsided at the tip end. I really want eveything to lign up perfectly, of course. Ciao, Dino
     
  11. mwr4440

    mwr4440 Five Time F1 World Champ
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    Jun 8, 2007
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    Bavaria, The 'Other' Germany
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    Mark W.R.
    #11 mwr4440, Dec 7, 2009
    On my '81 NA 308, the cats have two things running to/out of each of them.

    One is the thin wire thermocouple (to the Slow Down Lights). The other is a large tube I have not had time to track down yet but may well be what everyone here is referring to as a "Vacum line." If it is attached to the airpump which is frozen solid/doesn't work, it is a "gonner."

    When I pulled my cats looking for the source of a hot bank of exhaust manifolds, I found the cats are origional (Made in Germany in 1980) and I cannot see ANY daylight thru them at all. I am assuming they are completely clogged, but my exhaust manifolds still glow even with the cats removed. :(


    On to the next possibility......
     

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