Thinking of a new mid pipe X or H and cats or no cats?

[gzbs197]

Thinking of getting a new mid pipe - anyone run the X or H and cats or no cats? I can turn off the rear O2's in my tune. Any recommendations on brands?

[NXcoupe]

X pipe. Depends on if long tubes are in your future or not. For me, I never use cats.

[gzbs197]

I am debating about long tubes or not. I know it is basically a waste to do shorty headers as the stock headers flow pretty well. I have Axle back deletes right now and I kept the stock mufflers just in case as I know with no cats and axle back deletes you can get some back pressure issues and it can be really loud and droning with deletes.

For right now probably not going to due LTH and just keep the stock ones on.

[redfirepearlgt]

X pipe V H pipe is more about sound than anything. Testing done reveals 1-3RWHP advantage on the X pipe in some testing with no advantage in other testing. It's all about your taste. Shorty Headers are clearly of no use on the 4.6L 3V. Other than for cosmetic purposes they have no power improvement value. The fox 5.0's however gained from them. In the day among the top used was JBA shorties, or at least out west when I was living in Caly while in the military.

I will advise you to b e cautious of Pypes LT's. While they have a lot of positive feedback one thing about them that I found out is that the welds at the collector is not the best in the world. ON the outside they look as if they could have come off the same line as the Kooks LT's. But inside the collector its a whole different world. IT took going through three sets of headers at "Brand B" before we found a left and right that did not leak at the collector. So buyer beware, while the price is way cheaper you may well get what you pay for. For the price they are okay, but if I had it to do all over again I would have gone with Kooks on my 2005. Stainless Works and ARH have good reputations as well.

[gzbs197]

If I do LT headers , I would do Kooks for sure.

[IWRBB]

What are you trying to achieve? All out power? Better sound?

Nothing beats the sound of long tubes. Nothing will make more power from idle to redline than longtubes will. Longtubes suck ass for ground clearance. Long tubes jack up the 02 sensors placement as well.

I hate not having cats on a vehicle- it stinks, bad. It makes the back of the car constantly black from all the soot. There's some risk to any engine from a clogged cat, but other than that and a few extra dollars, I see no reason to not run cats. Power differences between cats and no cats will be practically nothing.

[NXcoupe]

What are you trying to achieve? All out power? Better sound?

Nothing beats the sound of long tubes. Nothing will make more power from idle to redline than longtubes will. Longtubes suck ass for ground clearance. Long tubes jack up the 02 sensors placement as well.

I hate not having cats on a vehicle- it stinks, bad. It makes the back of the car constantly black from all the soot. There's some risk to any engine from a clogged cat, but other than that and a few extra dollars, I see no reason to not run cats. Power differences between cats and no cats will be practically nothing.

Really? No power gains without cats? I've yet to get soot on the back of my car. I think that may be your personal experience, mine differs. I like an x pipe sound personally. I have cats on my 14 for noww but my 12 hasn't had them for a year or so. I like the sound of it with the gt500 mufflers.

[IWRBB]

Ok, minimal gains. My Cobra might pick up 15-25 HP going to a catless Hpipe from all the dyno results I've seen. I mean yea, that's a 3 to 5% gain at the tires for my car, and every bit counts- but still it's just not that much. It's all relative. How much power are you making and how much power was the original exhaust designed for?

Every car I've ever seen without cats gets black shit all over the back quickly. I'm guessing you aren't running all that rich like most cars with OEM tunes? Still smells like shit all the time either way.

[04 Venom]

Ok, minimal gains. My Cobra might pick up 15-25 HP going to a catless Hpipe from all the dyno results I've seen. I mean yea, that's a 3 to 5% gain at the tires for my car, and every bit counts- but still it's just not that much. It's all relative. How much power are you making and how much power was the original exhaust designed for?

Every car I've ever seen without cats gets black shit all over the back quickly. I'm guessing you aren't running all that rich like most cars with OEM tunes? Still smells like shit all the time either way.

Agree. Catless stinks.

[S281SC]

I have run catless for years and never had a bad odor... strange. My car is tuned though so... and being that you are racing your car gaston, i think its worth the tenth or two you gain (10-20hp as he said above) to remove them. Just me. And it sounds much better.


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[gzbs197]

Thanks for all the opinions guys.

[firestang70]

When I had my 3v I ran an o/r h and ford racing axlebacks. I had several guys switch to this exhaust after hearing mine. This was with stock manifolds. Very deep sound with a 3/10 drone, it sounded amazing. I went thru several setup before I ended up with that setup.

[redfirepearlgt]

^^^ Very similar to the OR pipe and GT500 exhaust like I am running currently. It's loud when it needs to be. NO drone in the car. Smell? Way less than any carbureted pre 1975 vehicle that's for sure. Now add cams and your in a whole no realm is stink IMHO. Been there, done that.

[gzbs197]

Ordered the Offroad X pipe today. Should be in close to the weekend so I will have time to install. Glad I kept my stock mufflers in case it is too loud with my SLP Axleback deletes.

[gzbs197]

Just installed it today. OMG it sounds amazing!!!!

[gzbs197]

2 short videos of the exhaust sounds - https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B96G4GloGCiKWklYTHNXaG52MXc , https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B96G4GloGCiKX3A4LXhzTGl3R3M .

[draggin50]

Sounds good!

[gzbs197]

Thanks!!!!

[gzbs197]

So I put the stock mufflers on it for now till the Ford Racing GTA's I bought off the S197Forum get here. I drove it to work and my friend who works on the 2nd floor was like hey heard you car pull in the parking lot today. That and the GF laid down the mandate of she wont ride in it unless it is quieter. But it was fun while it lasted. Should have the new one's in a couple of days.