I'm about to order the R-SR Exmag GT2 exhaust and i was recommended to get the RT hi flow cats which I was considering but i saw that it is illegal to switch out your stock cats before a certain mileage and I know people have said there are ways around that but i'm not sure how easy that is. Plus i had seen that you either need to update the ECU or get a new one, else you will run lean. Would cats be a good idea? What other mod would you guys recommend that is about 500 or less and not really difficult to install?? Thanks

Chip

 

I would get a JWT Popcharger and save the rest for some things that are coming out soon from a vendor on this site.

 

fly by z, whats coming out soon for our cars?

 

Oops, forgot to mention. I already have Injen CAI and stillen grounding kit. Any other ideas? I'm really thinking i might still get the RT cats. Everyone really seems to like them.

 

You know we here all this stuff about high flow cats running lean, but Jason and my exhaust outlets say otherwise. They are so black from what looks like a rich condition? Mine has been flashed by T/S and Jason's has not. We really need to find a better way to check our A/F ratios.... I'm not sure about this dyno we've been using with a probe in the tail pipe.... something just doesn't make much sence.

 

HOw much does the flash by TS cost? I really want to get the cats but I dont want to worry about damaging the engine for it

 

600. however, I would be less worried about cats doing damage than the ECU reflash. I will get flashed after i do my motor mods and hopefully by then they will have the rewrite perfected. right now there are some people who have taken issue with their new program. they may be guinea pigs but I am not sure. they are both probably safe mods overall and generally but cats are going to be safer if that is what you are worried about.

 

None of the intakes out there are going to much if anything, be they a $200 popcharger or a $800 Gruppe M.....unless you want to ahve one, I'd deal without it for now, and get the cats..the reward is definately there with them (we are biased towards toe Ultimate Racing ones, becuase opf the specific type of cats they use, but either it or RT gets the job done well).

The cats in NO WAY will cuase your engine to run leaner or cause any ill effects whatsoever.

Crank pulley is also a very nice mod for the money, super easy to isntall, and yeilds a nice result afterwards (car just responds much better to throttle input)

 

I have the RT cats and really like them. However, on my car I got a dyno tune right after and it was definitely running leaner, and a lot. For an N/A car it probably is not a big deal, but I am further out on the edge with FI, and it is a big deal when the a/f trends lean at higher rpm. So as those who read the boards know, if you do anything at all to the inhale or exhale after you have installed FI, keep the rpms below 4000 until you get it retuned on a dyno just to make sure. I agree with Jeff at Performance on this one, and that is that something is going on, and we don't have the definitive answer yet. The suspicion is that the ECU and 02 sensor are involved as factors in the equation, and while the community of enthusiasts is narrowing in on the precise understanding of the problem, and alternative solutions to it, we are not there yet.
But going back to NA, I think this mod is great for both results and for sound. It is nice, and cost/benefit is solid.

 

just want to add that a popcharger is 100 not 200.

 

with just RT Cats and Exhaust with NA it shouldn't be a problem. Alot of people on this site have it without a flash, and its not a problem. As far as the legality, just say a rock hit them and they need to be replaced It differs state by state.

 

This is from the RT site:
"Under Federal EPA regulation, replacement of original catalytic converters is allowed only if the original converter(s) is missing, or the vehicle has more than 50,000 miles or is at least five years old and the need for a replacement has been established and documented, or a local inspection program has determined the existing converter is in need of replacement."

 

I had the TS ECU flash prior to installing the cats. When I installed the RT cats my A/F leaned out to 13.6 @ 6000 which caused some very audible pinging from about 5500 to fuel cut. Took my car to TS and had Tadashi reflash to richen the mixture and all pinging is gone.
I have not heard of issues with the stock ECU and the RT cats. The ECU could be correcting for any lean condition created by the cats.
If you currently have TS flash and want to add RT cats I would highly recommend you have the ECU reflashed to account for the cats. Tadashi at TS has some theories about the RT cats (specifically about the O2 sensor) but needs to see some more cars with RT cats. I believe Jeff@Performance, Richard350z (Jim Jones...) and myself are the only three that had the ECU reflashed for RT cats.

 

What are the theories if you don't mind?

 

I'm not an expert on O2 sensors or cats but this is the way I understand it- The RT cats either 1) position the catalyst closer to the O2 sensor or 2) the catalyst itself in the RT cats runs hotter than stock cats. The O2 sensor is sensing more heat than normal. Since cats tend to run hotter under a rich condition the O2 sensor believes that the engine is running rich and tells the ECU to attempt to correct the condition by leaning out the mixture just a tad.
With the stock ECU this condition may not be a problem since the stock fuel map tends to be on the rich side above 5000 RPM.
Again this is a theory. If you want the real scoop TS should be able to give you a more technical and accurate description.

 

How long did it take you guys to install the RT cats? Any special tools, specific torquing?

 

http://www.zchickz.com/header1.htm

 

Iwould go with an exhast for you next mod. I loved my Stillen exhast. I could really "feel" the toruge and the sound was great. For what it is worth.