Fitting a decat downpipe

[househead]

Thinking of running a decat downpipe for the 364 days of the year the car isn't being MOT'd.

Regarding the o2 sensor in the existing cat, do I simply swap this into the new decat downpipe?

I read somewhere on here something about an "o2 conditioner" but couldn't find much more info on it. Can anyone enlighten my novice mind?

Most of the downpipes I'm looking at come with gaskets but not sensors afaik.

[Nvy]

Lambda fooler, google it. Its just a long extension to make the sensor sit further away from the pipe. I have ons fitted, no engine light on with it. The smell is rly bad tho.

[Carolyn]

Thinking of running a decat downpipe for the 364 days of the year the car isn't being MOT'd.

Regarding the o2 sensor in the existing cat, do I simply swap this into the new decat downpipe?

I read somewhere on here something about an "o2 conditioner" but couldn't find much more info on it. Can anyone enlighten my novice mind?

Most of the downpipes I'm looking at come with gaskets but not sensors afaik.

Why would you not want to produce clean emissions? 

[househead]

Thanks @Nvy I have a feeling that will be a more forthcoming search term!

So a bit like the maf mod ... fool the sensor by pushing it further away. Gotta love a good hack

[househead]

Thinking of running a decat downpipe for the 364 days of the year the car isn't being MOT'd.

Regarding the o2 sensor in the existing cat, do I simply swap this into the new decat downpipe?

I read somewhere on here something about an "o2 conditioner" but couldn't find much more info on it. Can anyone enlighten my novice mind?

Most of the downpipes I'm looking at come with gaskets but not sensors afaik.

Why would you not want to produce clean emissions? 

Simply for a little more power. I do take your point though, and if this was a daily car then I would not entertain running a decat pipe.

C'mon go easy on me, I've already had a lecture from the missus for even thinking about it 

[Carolyn]

Thinking of running a decat downpipe for the 364 days of the year the car isn't being MOT'd.

Regarding the o2 sensor in the existing cat, do I simply swap this into the new decat downpipe?

I read somewhere on here something about an "o2 conditioner" but couldn't find much more info on it. Can anyone enlighten my novice mind?

Most of the downpipes I'm looking at come with gaskets but not sensors afaik.

Why would you not want to produce clean emissions? 

Simply for a little more power. I do take your point though, and if this was a daily car then I would not entertain running a decat pipe.

C'mon go easy on me, I've already had a lecture from the missus for even thinking about it 

Now you've got one from me too.  Look after our planet, please? 

[wotugonado]

Bit of middle ground....
What about a 200 cell sports cat?

[househead]

Also, can we really call our emissions clean *with* a cat? I was also mulling over the sports cat option but it does seem a fair bit more expensive and less available.

Does anyone have numbers for how much difference this makes to actual tested emissions? I'm the first to admit I am a little uninformed in these matters.

[wotugonado]

Legend has it, if you get it warm enough it will still pass the mot. Never happened for me though.

Edit: I was referencing a sports cat with this comment

[househead]

Bit of middle ground....
What about a 200 cell sports cat?

Yea that's on the menu too. Can you name drop any companies that supply a decent one without any fabrication or hassling? It would get me a back in few peoples good books  (maybe)

[househead]

Legend has it, if you get it warm enough it will still pass the mot. Never happened for me though.

I'd colloquially trusted such legend for both the aftermarket decat manifolds (of which I'm running the toyosport) and/or the expensive 200 cell sport cats but I wouldn't trust it for a full decat.

[wotugonado]

Not really one off the shelf I can think of. I spoke to an exhaust fabricator and he quoted me around £150 iirc (was a while back though) to weld one into my original pipe in place of my cat.

Unless your mot tester is a good mate  you've got no chance of passing with a decat pipe and toyo manifold.

[househead]

Fair play @Carolyn

In my defence I've spent a lot of my adult life living in cities without a car at all and using a cycle and public transport to get around.

Ok it's not a blank cheque but I think my account is probably well in credit compared to many on here!

We all have to do our bit which is fair enough.

[shnazzle]

It's a lot of money, is a 200 cell. But, it certainly adds thr necessary oomph and when hot you're still passing emissions.

Or, accept that a big bowel movement has about as much effect on your power to weight ratio

I shit you not. My car, zero manifold, 200 cell cat, versus Helen's bone stock beautifully maintained 2....id challenge anybody to REALLY notice the difference on public roads at legal speeds.

[househead]

I do like a bit of oomph 

And if I forego the decat/ sports cat and just eat more beans and cabbage instead, I'll have much more than just a lecture from Niamh to contend with!

[wotugonado]

Sports cat might cost a bit up front, but surely just for the easy life of not swapping it out every year for mot, it'd pay for itself. Do you have to change gaskets everytime you swap the decat in and out? because they aren't cheap.

[househead]

I also very much like an easy life!

I'll get some quotes and whatnot and weigh up my options. I'm not sure I'd look to use fresh gaskets every time unless that's an absolute must, but I wouldn't use the same set of gaskets with 2 cat pipes

In all honestly I'm probably more bothered about my own time swapping it over than the extra 20 quid a year or whatever the gaskets will set me back.

[househead]

There is a Malian sports cat + downpipe for 175 on their site.

Does that get any love around here? Not sure many on this forum are using Malian generally.

[Petrus]

The emission issue is a tricky one.

On the one hand anyone with common sense wants to mess up the earth as little as possible.
On the other hand we are grossly misinformed and manipulated with the only goal to extort more money from us with the resulting pollution being secondary at best.

Doing longer with a car; reducing production, does more to reduce the eco-burden than reducing exhaust emissions.
That however does not generate business nor emplyment nor taxes so the public is not educated on that.
Mind, doing longer with a cleaner car is better still, but that is not my point.

Furthermore it´s all relative.
Also, going quicker through a corner pollutes more than a more moderate pace.
Sporty rubber lasting 20K miles pollutes three times as much as eco stuff lasting 60k miles.

I try run the farm eco-friendly and practice eco-tourism; see exotic destinations on the tele instead of going on a plane, cruise or ferry.

Oh and the average age of the cars we drive is 21 years/ two are on recycled tyres.
Sadly modern diesels are more tricky to run on veggie oil. The previous ones ran 50% recycled veggie oil for 15 years. This is illegal btw. Although a lót cleaner and reducing waste oil, the State considers revenue from taxes on fuel more important.

Lastly a question; what is the ecological footprint of a new cat?
And no you do not always need new gaskets.

[Petrus]

Or, accept that a big bowel movement has about as much effect on your power to weight ratio

Given that the circumstances on the public road set the boundaries of how you drive, reducing the car´s weight improves fuel economy, reduces emissions and tyre wear. It´s safer too.

[1979scotte]

De cat is a waste of time as is sports cat on stock ecu the tiny bit extra hp you make will be unnoticeable. Imho.

Keep the money save for turbo or more powerful engine.

[househead]

A friend at work still runs his old Land Rover on 50% veggie oil. Fair play to him I say!

I'm surrounded in London by drivers with huge engined SUV things often driven by a single person. I wonder often if they just hate speed bumps and figured it would be an answer. Then also 20mph zones and speed cameras. Limits which if followed by everyone it could be argued leaves more emissions in residential areas than is necessary.

It's a funny old world. I try to do my bit where I can, generally, whilst also allowing myself a few vices.

[househead]

De cat is a waste of time as is sports cat on stock ecu the tiny bit extra hp you make will be unnoticeable. Imho.

Keep the money save for turbo or more powerful engine.

Such things are also on the cards eventually, but not until this time next year I reckon. It will take me that long to decide which option, probably!

[MannyUK]

With regards to emissions and saving the planet, myself and wife decided not to have kids, so in my mind we have made the ultimate sacrifice to save the planet.  I can run decat guilt free brap brap

As a cynic I would like to know how much effort is put into making a catalytic converter, do the companies that supply and make the cats actually pump out more No2, CO & hydrocarbons then these things save?  The precious metals in cats have to be dug out of the ground, processed and then shipped to a factory.  The factory will burn energy like no tomorrow putting together these pieces of kit and then transport them to a car manufacturer.

For electric cars please replace 'catalytic converter' in the paragraph above with 'battery'.

In answer the original question, you can use a spacer to have the sensor mounted just outside the gas flow or you can use a something to alter the volts going through it, which is what I have but I cannot remember the £0.30 part I bought from CPC. I will have a look under the bonnet when it stops raining.

[jvanzyl]

I shall setup another weekly meet and you can have a go in my setup. There is a significant difference going full decat, with sound being one of the factors you should bear in mind.

Can you make it out to sort of towards Slough maybe South of that?