Hollow out the cat?

[4TraxRider]

How much of a difference in power does it make to hollow out the cat on a motor. I have a s-10 with the 4.3 vortec, and am looking for a little more power. I have many little things on it already, but next time i'm bored, I'll probably end up gutting the cat. Just wanted to know if there is would be a noticable gain in hp or not. Thanks

[dj416]

its not worth it

[UglyMotha™]

i punched out the cat in my cutlass

did it make a differance, uuuuhhhh......nope

caused the graphs on the e check to peak a little more;)

[RideRed04]

I haven't done it, and won't unless the guts are rattling around inside. It will stink to high heaven if you do it. Don't do it unless you are poor and it's clogged up.

[JHF219]

dude i have 4 s-10s in my family dont do it its not worth it there is no gain at all !! it just makes for another annoying asss v-6 that wants to be a v-8 my little bros s-10 is the one wiht a gutted cat and it is so annoying !! if you want some power from your s-10 get the Vortec motor that is what my moms blazer has its all stock and it pulls my trailer better then any of the other 3 we have !!

[4TraxRider]

I have the vortec motor. Thought I had that in the first post.:huh My friends old POS cherokee had the cat gutted on it, and it made a big difference, but it was probably clogged. I've already got open pipes on it, k&n air intake assembly, throttle body spacer, and the engine was rebuilt last year. Just lookin for a few more easy ponies pretty cheap. Looks like the takin the cat off isn't a good idea. Thanks for the input.

[JHF219]

*cough*cough* TURBO CHARGER cough cough :D

[UglyMotha™]

:huh i'm pretty sure that chevy dosn't offer any other option besides the vortec 4.3, unless you get the four banger

[4TraxRider]

I can get a supercharger for the 4.3 vortec for $2200, and it's not totally out fo the question, but that's money not going into my quad, my truck has 115000 miles on it, and if my dad ever found out, he would kill me. I've got 1200 saved forsoemthing for my truck sofar. We'll have to see.:)

[RideRed04]

Get a tb spacer, they make a bit of a difference. Make a cold air intake if you havent already. Don't buy one, they are cheap and easy to make, if you need help, ask. After that, cam it. You could bring it in and get the heads milled for some gas milage increases and more balls. Headers and a real exaust are next.

[4TraxRider]

Is there a big difference between the K&N intake that I have, or a cold air intake. Mine doesn't take air from ouside, just uder the hood. The open pipes I've got on now give it more power than regular pipes, but are down on a little torque, but they let it rev a lot freer. I can't seem to find any cams for it other than torque cams for towing.

[skemp]

Gutting cats is generally a bad idea, unless it is really clogged, but on a functional cat, gutting does weird things to exhaust flow-- Causes a lot of turbulence from all the jagged edges if you don't get all the screens out, and having a big empty bulge in the middle of the exhaust messes up the flow.

I have a Ford Ranger, and although I'm not really into modding it, I have done a few things to give it a little more power, and it is pretty much the same principle on an S-10.

A good 2.5" exhaust and Flowmaster or similar muffler is a good, cheap addition. With open pipes, it is loud as hell, and may give it more horsepower, but you won't really feel it like you would with a setup like mine. I ran without a muffler for a day, and then threw on the muffler/tailpipe, and noticed a lot more torque and acceleration. A chip can really do a lot for these motors. I have looked into it, and if I found one for a decent price, would probably get one. They boost gas mileage, throttle response, and overall performance. A larger mass airflow sensor or throttle body will also give a nice gain, along with good air filter. From what I hear, a set of headers, chip, larger MAS and TB, and a decent muffler are a really good combination. By far, a supercharger will be the best bang for your buck, but on a motor with mileage like that, could tear things up in a hurry, likewise with nitrous. Another thing to look into would be a transmission kit (if it's an auto..). It will shift a lot harder and tighter, and can actually increase the life of your tranny (assuming you don't beat the living hell out of it).

That's about all I can think of right now, aside from motor mods, but that can get spendy, and might not fit into your interests or budget. Have some fun with it though, V-6's can be decent and reliable if set up right. :D

[F-16Guy]

This thread could have gone one of two ways... I'm glad it's about exhaust!:D

[cudaman]

if you want accelaration then change the gears in the rear end. maybe 4:10, 4:56 just a thought.

[LERaptor660R]

350!!!!!!! :macho

[F-16Guy]

Originally posted by LERaptor660R
350!!!!!!! :macho
I second that. When my 4.3 gives up (150K and still going strong!), it's small block time.