Gutting Factory Cats/H-Pipe??

[sleekkat232]

have an 86 lincoln mark vii LSC, modest bolt-ons, just needs a decent exhaust... i have mac 1-5/8'' headers and flowmaster mufflers, i just need an h pipe that will flow and help sound... i wnat to smash all the crap out of my cats and just reuse the factory hpipe (its in perfect shape). anyone ever do this?

i hear its a bit of a pain to get started, but once you get the first bit to break, it is pretty straight forward... yes? no? and suggestions?

 

[stang-geoff]

expect it to take some time to do. Your exhaust will sound raspier and louder afterwards. I used a pipe and a prybar to get down into mine. Do realize the catalyst material is worth good money though.

 

[sleekkat232]

yeah, i thought about cutting them open and welding them back, but that's a long process times four... argh! oh well... im open to suggestions still....

 

[Mustang5L5]

With what you could sell your factory h-pipe for (either whole, or cats) it would be more cost effective to purchase an aftermarket H-pipe.

Of course, i don't know if the h-pipe is longer on the Mark 7 vs a Mustang

 

[4rdnut]

I wouldn't chop up the catalytic converters especially if you have 4 of them, by hollowing out the cat your not gaining anything because now the exhaust enters a big empty cat and then has to be forced out the other small pipe end, so if you have 4 cats two on each side, the exhaust is just as restrictive if not more because of the hollow chambers. The ultimate is to hollow out the cat, then run a exhaust pipe through it and reweld it back, this way you look legal and have no backpressure.

 

[97gsr]

sell the converters your probably looking at around 20-30 a piece for them. I just sold 8 of them and got 210 for them

 

[2000xp8]

Don't do it, it sounds like crap.

If mustang mid pipes don't fit your car take the car to an exhaust shop and have them cut the cats out completely and weld in straight pipes in their location.

 

[tims 86]

i did that on my old f150 and it didnt change a thing. dont waste your time.

 

[v8only]

i've got a mark viii

my oem exhaust is only 2" thick, as I bet yours is too...that's as much a restriction as the 4 cats are....besides even true dual 2" exhaust is plenty for a little stock HO mustang engine...you don't need more exhaust until you get real power upgrades.

On a side note, getting rid of the cats and installing a good x or h will only make it sound better, but I'm specifically talking with a properly built custom or aftermarket exhaust.