chris_c201

Hi,

From reading some stuff on here i have deduced the following -

On my WRX Bugeye there are 3 cats, if i remove 2 i will prolly still pass emmisions tests for MOT's?? Is it only if i leave the centre cat or is it any of the 3??

If i remove 2 cats and leave the centre cat, put in a replacement filter (k&n prolly) will i notice any diff in performance and would i "NEED" to re-map right away?? Lastly, how much roughly to get the 2 cats removed and straight pipes put in their place??

Cheers again and apologies for the bombardment of questions on my first few days... i'm a quick learner though so maybe in the future i can help some "new" NEWBIE! lol

Chris.

Trap2Terrorist

iTrader: (3)

I can't answer the MOT questions unfortunately but it is something I'm interested in. I have just fitted a Magnex 6x4 Oval backbox and Magnex decat centre section and my MOT is booked for this wednesday - finger crossed!!!

As far as re-map is concerned, it isn't a must unless your changing your up-pipe/down-pipe for decat, then it's advisable.

With the cost, you can pay ~£100 per section second-hand/eBay or £180-£200 new.

Rich.

chris_c201

So potentially i could pay £100 for the centre de-cat pipe, could that be fitted to the standard exhaust..... ?? how much did you pay to get it fitted??

Do you notice a difference in power??

Lastly, keep me posted on the MOT, good luck!!

Trap2Terrorist

iTrader: (3)

You may even get it cheaper than that from someone on here. I managed to get my backbox AND centre second-hand from a SN user for £105 inc P&P. I'm well chuffed with it and I've seen the same parts go together for £180 on eBay.

I managed to get it fitted free by Subaru in Cardiff (CVC) because they were rebuilding my gearbox so had to take the exhaust of anyway. They just put the new one back on instead of the standard one. (gearbox costs me £1588 though!

To be honest, the car feels a bit more sluggish at lower revs (may be my imagination) but seems to have a bit more 'up top'. The fuel consumption seems less too, but again, may be my imagination.

I have a GREEN Panel Filter in the post and a Walbro 255 fuel pump on order, ready for a Powerstation ecutek remap in a few weeks!!!!!

FECKIN BEAUTY, GET IN!!!!!!



(sorry, as you can see, I'm excited about the remap!)

Edit: p.s. it should fit straight on to your existing exhaust

chris_c201

Depending on your MOT results i may try and just change the centre cat to straight through pipe...

If you don't mind me asking how much did you pay for the panel filter (and where from) and also the fuel pump, is the fuel pump necesary for the re-map??

My long-term goal (prolly about 12 months) is the re-map so i'm planning to do all the "smaller" things just now before i venture down that route.....

I would be as excited as you if i was gettin the re-map!! What you hoping for, bout 275? is yours a bugeye wrx

Trap2Terrorist

iTrader: (3)

Yeah, '51 plate bugeye WRX.

I've only had it since May this year and have tried to do the little things first but it's kind of snowballing!!!

Started with Crystal side repeaters and reflectors, then Momo Aluminium Sphere geanknob, then Magnex backbox and centre, then Green panel filter, then Walbro 255, then ecutek!!

I bought the GREEN panel filter from "Japan Import Car Bits" on eBay (item for sale now: 8004483356) for £42.49 inc P&P

Bought the fuel pump from flat4online.co.uk for £90 inc P&P. Powerstation have recommended an uprated fuel pump as a precaution. It isn't mandatory but highly recommended if you are having a remap.

Yep, expecting anything from 260-280bhp with the filter, exhaust and remap - HAPPY DAYS!

BrynO

T2T, so you still have up and down pipe cats then? if so, no problem at all with the MOT.. mines just been remapped with backbox & centre de-cat, 265HP, 279ft/lbs..
Chris, you are looking at taking out the up and downpipe cats then, which is different to T2T, the downpipe cat is the big one, not sure if you will get through the MOT with just the centre cat.. sure someone will be along shortly to answer that!

Trap2Terrorist

iTrader: (3)

What remap have you had done and to what car? Has it made as big a difference as people say???

BrynO

Had an Ecutek 2 done with a bit of tweeking on a rolling road, went from 230 to 265 BHP and 241 ft/lbs to 276, it's like a different car, much more responsive, great low down grunt and a lot smoother... wish I had done it a year ago!

Trap2Terrorist

iTrader: (3)

What car have you got? I have a bugeye that's 215bhp standard but with the exhaust, etc should go to at least 260bhp (at least that's what Powerstation have advised)

BrynO

Mines an '01 bug, same 215HP standard, it was making 220-230HP & 230-240ft/lbs with PPP fitted, so I had the Ecutek done and kept the Prodrive centre de-cat and backbox, also have a green filter fitted thats all, you should see a similar result then, somewhere between 250 - 270BHP...

chris_c201

Hi Bryn..

No sorry, think i confused myself....

Its the centre cat i'm planning to remove and leave the rest... standard backbox though....

Good to know about the MOT,

Cheers,
Chris

BrynO

Oh yeh, the 10 BHP/ft lb's variance ^^^ is because I had it on 2 different RR's when it was PPP's before the re-map and they gave slightly differing results...

BrynO

No worries with taking out the centre, the PPP removes that one... TBH I don't think you will really notice any difference with the cat out, change of back box will add a little, but it's really not a huge gain until you go for a re-map...

Greeny01

Firstly your car wouldnt get through the mot without the downpipe cat in place (unless you've got a friendly tester).

I have a 02 wrx bug, with turbo back exhaust. I did it in three stages. Back box first, centre section and de-cat followed by downpipe de-cat. Without a doubt the most noticable by a long way was the de-cat downpipe.

What a diffrence, the car feels so much smoother to drive, pulls harder and longer and sounds brilliant. Id say its an easily 10-20 bhp increase but will know for sure once I get it R&R'd.

I have not had a remap yet, although it is in the pipeline. I still have yet to get a cel on (check engine light) and the downpipe was fitted a few weeks ago. Also I and havent had any overboosting problems.

Iain

chris_c201

Yeh, my plan is to do the de-cat centre, maybe a very subtle back box change in the future but i don't want anything noisy.... then in the next 12 months a re-map...

What you planning to do about MOT then if you have removed your downpipe cat?

Cheers,
Chris.

Greeny01

I will either find a friendly MOT tester or swap it back come MOT. Sounds a pain, but trust me its worth it!

cookstar

iTrader: (6)

I have a 02WRX with just the up-pipe cat remaining, it passed the MOT last month no probs.

Well worth removing the centre/up cat as it made such a difference to the way the car drove, as above just cant wait till re-map time

chris_c201

Cookstar - Do you mean just the down-pipe cat remaining??

If i remove the up-pipe cat and the centre cat do you think i will notice a difference? Also, roughly how much do you think for both removed??

cookstar

iTrader: (6)

I have had the centre cat removed and the down pipe cat removed,

Cant comment on the up pipe removal as still have mine, (but not for long)


From memory the down pipe was about £175, centre pipe was about £120 and labour on top of that.

I have a down pipe waiting to go on, that cost £60 (from ebay) and the quoted labour for the swop is £100.



Yes you will notice a difference in power, but i have been told that the up pipe cat is the most restrictive.


HTH


Cookie

P.S Rip the silly resonator out as well, and get a straight through pipe put in its place, for propa scooby gurgle

chris_c201

Okay, think my plan will be to cut the centre cat and up-pipe cat..... leaving the down pipe.....

Anyone running this set-up currently and passed an MOT??

Where is the resonator and do you have to buy a "straight-through" pipe??

cookstar

iTrader: (6)

The resonator is towds the back of the exhaust, i think it in the pipe that the back box joins to!

Pipe again cost around £100 and 15 mins to fit.

Haywood and Scott are who supplied all my exhaust parts, through XtremeScoobies.

BrynO

IMO you would be best chopping the centre and then getting a sports cat downpipe (Prodrive STi ones go for about £200 second hand), no worries with MOT then, up-pipe is the most difficult to do as it is before the turbo, you need to remove the downpipe to get to it, bit of a pig..

Believe the downpipe is the most restrictive, it's the biggest cat in the system and makes biggest power gain when removed, when I had my map done they said removing up pipe as well would net maybe 5 BHP, but improve spool up..

Resonator is the last 'box' before the silencer, cutting it will not really make more power, just noise...

easyrider

Right..............Heres my 2penny worth

1st off,a remap isnt necessary on a WRX with a decat-it is on an STi though.

The most gain you will get is by removing the downpipe cat,as this is pretty restrictive.Removing the up pipe cat will get you a bit more power/better spool up and is best removed as a precautionary measure so it doesnt break up and then trash the turbo(this cat is more likely to break up when you start upping the power).
Removing the centre cat will get you a bit more power again.
Ive decatted my up and downpipes only and left the centre in-it passes the MOT easily still.This setup give you the best of both worlds-ie power/emmissions.
The only problem you get with the decat on a bugeye is that it has a sensor that measures the cat efficiency-so occasionally it'll throw up the check engine light(CEL)-the only way of resetting the light is by getting a dealer to do it or using a SECS unit or deltadash software.
Better still,you could put CEL fix on .You can get them from places like Scoobysport.
With my setup you get much better spoolup and noticibly more power in the upper revrange+ it leaves you free to up the boost if you feel like it without worrying about the uppipe breaking up.

Gary.

Trap2Terrorist

iTrader: (3)

chris_c201,

As requested I thought I'd just update you on my MOT test today.

Car passed no problems with the decat centre section .

Rich.

chris_c201

Excellent, cheers for the update!!

As far as the rest goes i think my plan is to remove the centre cat, that'll prolly be it for now if the up-pipe is a nightmare..... down-pipe won't be getting touched ever really i think.......

Only other thing that is likely is the panel filter and then a re-map in the future...

Any thoughts on the airbox and if there would be any benefit from sanding the inside etc..... i've seen some threads on "scoobymods" about removing some of the internals of it etc... is this advisable...

Also, tilting the intercooler, myth or magic??

Trap2Terrorist

iTrader: (3)

No probs. I would think that if you bought an exhaust system like the new Milltek 3", you can get the high-flow 100cell cat fitted to the centre section which would enable you to then get rid of the downpipe cat (correct me if I'm wrong anyone) as it will meet the emmision requirements for your MOT.

Expensive though, over £800 I think....

I've bought the GREEN Panel Filter for mine which should help a bit with airflow but I couldn't comment on the sanding or tilting mods you've read about.

killa

iTrader: (7)

Cookstar u seem to have me confused as u mention having the down pipe cat removed the later u mention that u have bought a down pipe from ebay and need to put this on the car? i think u have ur up and down pipes confused..

BrynO

Sanding the inside of the airbox - not heard of that one before... but be suprised if it made any noticable difference..

Tilting the I/C - threads on this on Scoobymods, I did give it a go before last Pod outing, I could only achieve about a 15mm tilt without overstretching the pipes and catching the scoop rubber, may be a worthwhile mod if you happen to live in a very warm climate, but in the UK...

why not rig up an I/C water spray instead, cheap and easy to do, gives you the benefit of cooling the charge when you feel the need..

chris_c201

Supposed to improve the air flow or something, thought it sounded a bit "simple"

Are there any threads with instructions for the IC Spray thing..... ??