Flowmaster install... still quiet??

[COliveira95]

Hey all, I installed those 2 1/2" flowmasters on my car today and noticed, well to say the least, no difference in power/sound. Actually, something strange is up with this car. It doesn't power up to redline when I punch it... the low end power is OK but when it starts getting up into the secondaries, the engine sound rips open (great sound!) but the car seems to fall flat on it's nose and doesn't speed up... Actually, passing someone on the highway is impossible... if I floor it, it downshifts and the speedo takes FOREVER to speed up, hardly moves. The car has always been like this since I got it. Is something wrong or is this how the car is with the 3rd cat in place? Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated!

<small>[ November 21, 2003, 05:13 PM: Message edited by: COliveira95 ]</small>

 

[AutoSHO]

Sounds like a plugged catalyst.

 

[COliveira95]

AutoSHO:
Sounds like a plugged catalyst.

That's what I thought. I bought the car with a cracked cat housing on one of the front two cats. I replaced the y-pipe with a good used one. It looks like maybe my 3rd cat is junk. Can I use a piece of straight pipe do bypass the 3rd cat and resonator? I would also have to weld in a ****** for the flex pipe correct?

 

[DavidT]

yes. you can replace the 3rd cat and res. with straight pipe.
I had a power loss problem in my gen.1 because of broken up cats. High end is where the power loss was most obvious.
Midas can perform a backpressure test for around $20. This will let you know if your pipes are stopped up.
Word of encouragement... after I had my pipes cleaned out, I was grinning from ear to ear every time I drove it. It was like a 75-100 shot of NOS, literally. It was like night and day.

 

[JaySHOguy]

Chris, you should definitely notice a sound difference with the Flowmasters.

I agree with Dave/Chris on this one(for once ) and it seems that you have some cloggage in the exhaust system.

With the resonator and the 3rd cat out, the car should sound pretty damn mean

 

[DavidT]

lol

 

[COliveira95]

i've been trying to find someone to bypass my third cat and resonator. NO ONE wants to do it. Obviously no exhaust shop will touch it because it's "illegal" to remove a catalyst. Has anyone done this themselves? Kirk has even looked at it and said that it seems like there's a clogged cat. He is too busy to do it for me. Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[stephen newberg]

Well, it may be too obvious, but you could go to your Ford Dealership and get it all of the cats replaced properly, and there is a chance that it would be at low cost, since the coverage term on emission control items is rather long.

pax, smn

 

[SHOZ123]

JC Whitney has a flex pipe and ****** for under $70. Then go to a muffler shop and have them just put new bolts in the cat to y pipe ******. This way you can come home and take it apart yourself. You will need a sawzall to cut off the cat from the cat back.

 

[Steve Dionne]

I had Flowmasters installed on my 98 in August at Lou's Custom Exhaust in N. Reading Ma. They had no problem removing the 3rd Cat and resonator.

 

[SHOGHOST]

I have ran into the same problem with the 3rd cat removal. I have been everywhere within a 50 mile radious and nobody can do it because it is illegal.