Is a SPORTS CAT going to make a difference?

[Spedward]

Hello everyone,

got a question for all you performance experts out there.

I own a honda accord 1.8i vtech 1999 model. It has no engine modifications whatsoever but has been lowered / windows tinted etc.

In a few weeks I am definatally going to be getting a new stainless steel exhaust (cat back) fitted by longlife costing £299 and this has raised the question if I should pay an extra £250 for a sports cat as well - or should I spend the money elsewhere?

- Will a sports cat make any difference to performance / noise?
- if not, I have £250 spare - what mod should I spend it on instead?

I am clueless about performance modifications.

Thanks

 

[HDi fun]

It's likely to make the car a little louder, something I'd prefer to avoid, though you might see this differently.

The performance gains won't be huge to be honest but people who use sport cats (decent ones, at least) do report a slight improvement in fuel economy so therefore the back-pressure must be slightly lower, which will give you a bit more shove on wide throttle openings at high revs.

Like everything else really, performance mods are best carried out as a group of mods - the whole is greater than the sum of parts, as is often said.

 

[RobBentley]

To give you some idea of gains... changed the cats on my Audi RS4 B7 from Audi stock to Milltek 200-Cell and then put the car back on the rollers and the car produced an extra 12.7bhp. As HDi says, expect it to get louder. My RS4 already has Milltek cat-back on it, so now its pretty darn loud.

 

[T9 man]

To give you some idea of gains... changed the cats on my Audi RS4 B7 from Audi stock to Milltek 200-Cell and then put the car back on the rollers and the car produced an extra 12.7bhp. As HDi says, expect it to get louder. My RS4 already has Milltek cat-back on it, so now its pretty darn loud.

Well that's conclusive proof then! I have a 200 cell sports CAT on the Beast with a 3" from the turbo all the way through, it does rumble!

 

[kain35m]

It really only makes a difference on cars who truly need to breathe better. Turbo cars and big cubic inch motors have a reason to upgrade because they are a bit restrictive and these motors need to move a lot of air.

Smaller n/a motors however, will see very little in the way of performance gains from that alone. If you have an extra 250 to spare, why not get yourself a nice tune? you can get more out of a tune than what you'll get from a cat. Plus it's always fun to spend some time on the dyno. You'll get to know exactly how much power you're putting to the ground, and it will be very very streetable and smooth.

Get a tune!

 

[obi_waynne]

Expect a power gain in the order of 4% and then see if it's worth it. It will free up your top end but on NASP engines the gains are not massive.

 

[SLEEPER]

A sports cat will make the car a bit louder and give you more a bit more power but at £250 extra you are being well and truly had.

Any sports cat will work as long as its the right size (bore and lenght) but as they are making the system up they should be able to include any cat in it as long as the bore is the same .

There are civic cats on ebay from £50 and stainless systems at half the price you have been quoted. You would need to check the quality but if its stainless its not going to rust. Of course you will have to fit it which may not suit you.

Best bet for performance is to buy a decat pipe . This is a staight pipe that replaces your existing cat and you can get one for £50-80
You probably will have to swop it to go through an MOT which again may not be for you.

Either way spending £250 on a cat is simply daft IMHO

 

[Spedward]

It really only makes a difference on cars who truly need to breathe better. Turbo cars and big cubic inch motors have a reason to upgrade because they are a bit restrictive and these motors need to move a lot of air.

Smaller n/a motors however, will see very little in the way of performance gains from that alone. If you have an extra 250 to spare, why not get yourself a nice tune? you can get more out of a tune than what you'll get from a cat. Plus it's always fun to spend some time on the dyno. You'll get to know exactly how much power you're putting to the ground, and it will be very very streetable and smooth.

Get a tune!

Where can I go to get my car "Tuned" I am guessing a normal mechanic wont have the facilities for this?

Thanks

 

[Massive]

powerflow lifetime guarantee on there exhausts i think? tbh the less back pressure on a turbo = more performance? but on a N/A you need a certain amount otherwise you end up loosing power

a normal garage should have no problems fitting any aftermarket products at all, a tuning garage just tends to have thing like dyno and remap equipment, and normal garage will be able to fit your gear if you purchase in, most stuff will be a straight swap

 

[bigbadjoe]

No, not really. It would if it was a turbo, and you had a straight though exhaust on, but on your car mate, it wont do much. The only reason behind a d-cat it to allow the air to flow more smoothley out of the exhaust.

I have just had a bad experiance with my d-cat. Read my thread. :blink1:

 

[Prince]

For that £250 you will lucky to see a 5bhp increase. Also, if you are getting custom exhaust made then also make sure it is mandrel bent to retain the same width all the way through.