Hey, all! yep. deployment is over. I've been talkin to a few folks from here on FB and YIM, and have made up my mind: I'm gonna go ahead with the 3" d/p and h/f cat. Then I can tune. One thing that I didnt make good on was that I wasnt able to research and learn that much about tuning while I was gone. Sorry. Guess that means Im gonna hafta read while doing and also ask a LOT of retarded questions.

Got back about 24 hours ago. Afghanistan was flooding, Kyrgyzstan was a bit on the cool side, Germany was cool but gorgeous, and TN is actually pretty nice. Here's hopin to catch up with yall. Finally.

Welcome home.

Where's my beer?

its good to have another member back on the board! just go catless, you'll like the sound so much better rick.

LOL on another board I'm a member of just mentioning going Cat-less makes you in danger of banishment. LOL.

Rick, I know we have talked about this many times before, but thank you for serving. If we ever do meet one day, beers on me.

As for the car stuff, I will do my best to help you with any of the questions that you have.

what is so bad about going catless?

LOL...you obviously dont have state inspections where you live! Besides a car not being able to pass inspection without a cat, its just a little Federal offense to remove it.

The local shop I go to for all my exhaust work, the owner told me he wouldnt be caught dead taking a cat off, because if it gets found in his scrap metal he will automatically have his inspection license revoked.

A hi-flow cat is not restrictive, so why roll the dice on a fat fine?

Rick, not meaning to start any stink but the debate over a 2.5 vs a 3in D/P has gone on forever it seems. The N/A 3800 engine delivers such good fuel mileage because of its low-end torque. A 3" d/p is no-brainer on a L67, but a member on the Bonneville board answered the question of the L36 better than I've read in a long time. His reply...
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"A 2.5" inside diameter gives you a flow area of 4.9087 square inches.
A 3.0" inside diameter gives you a flow area of 7.0686 square inches.

That's a 44% increase in flow. Math is funny sometimes, isn't it?


In my OPINION, I think you're borderline on the 3" DP. You MAY lose too much exhaust gas velocity, and might feel a decrease in low-end torque."
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As with any mod its all in what you want. If you want the extra top end at the expense of some torque then go for it. Personally on my Bonne, I want to keep the grunt and the fuel mileage that goes with it, so I'll be adding the 2.5 d/p w/hi-flow cat.

Welcome home!...and like ordonez said, thank you for your service!

If the car is going to stay on the street then 2.5. If it's going to the track all the time then the 3.

lol oh, ya we dont have inspections, just emissions. We go catless and delete the code in the PCM, and register the car in a different county where emissions dont matter....haha

Luckily we dont have emissions here in VA unless you live in certain areas...but state inspection once a year for any car thats roadworthy (meaning if it got plates...you get it inspected, or you dont ride)

@Bob: dude, I dont wanna hear it. Wanna know the funny thing? the bird I flew outta Kandahar on? C-130. Thanks for the freakin lift, HOMIE. Leaving me to travel gen pop like that means YOU owe ME a beer. So. Get to Campbell. Now. I'm thirsty! LOL

@Tim: sorry, I'm registered in AZ. I NEED my cat. Thanks for the suggestion, though.

@The Older Tim: Thanks for that. Now I'm really torn. I have a CAI and an HV3. The insert REALLY helps up top, and I'm told the CAI helps full-range. Judging from the comments after your quote, I think I'm gonna go with the 2.5". darn it. I thought I had it all figured out, too.

@Corey: yeah, we have. and I thank you, again, for those conversations. I would like to meet you, as well. Thanks for your continued support in, as I put it to Steve earlier today, "un-retard-ifying" myself with this whole tuning thing.

Thank you, gentlemen, for the warm welcome and continued support. a bit cliched as it may be, but it's good to be "home" again. I sure as heck missed this site.

Nope. Go with 3" no matter what.

great. now Im really bloody confused.

3in always. Cat if you need it sure, I would just buddy up and they usually pass em. My friend had a 3in cat he was throwing out so I hollowed it out and ran my 3in dp through it so technically I had a cat :P

Welcome back! Glad you back safe also its good to have more people back on here giving the forum some breathe to stay alive lol.

Slick went with big tube headers on his L67, and he claimed it killed his bottom end.
To me, the L67 needs the 3in hands down, and I would agree on a 3in for a heavy modded L36 (cammed, nitrous, etc)...and like Herc said, if the car is gonna see track time. All sitiuations aimed at the improvement of top end power.

The reality of a street driven, seldom (if ever) raced L36 powered car is to stay away from overkill. I'm considering a HV3, Stage 1 HVTB, P-log and 1:8 rockers. It would be very easy for comparable money to say I should go with a Northstar TB, headers, 3in DP and a cam for the greater power it would deliver.

Would it be faster at the track? Absolutely. Would it be more streetable? Probably not a huge difference. Would it be more efficent and get the same or better fuel mileage? I doubt it.

I've been given grief before over this kind of logic, and been told I shouldnt mod anything if I cant afford the extra gas. Truth be told, it all about choices, and if you choose more extreme performance mods then those are your choices, but I've heard more than one hot rodder lament the cost of living with a car they got over zealous modding, with some getting disgruntled and reverting completely back to stock.

If there is one thing I've learned over the years with cars,its the fact that there are very few blanket statements that cover every application.