[Dvtchmxn]

So in the future I would love to go catless on my car. The only problem is state inspections. For those of you who have already gone catless what do you do? It would be nice if I could find a dp that I could just take off when inspection time comes around and throw my cat back on. I was looking at the vrsf racing dp but idk if I could slip it on and tighten it with a v-band clamp.

[Mason Hatcher]

I've wondered this too. Isn't it a violation of federal law to remove the catalytic converter, and even some state laws?

[cristo]

Yes and yes
… even for “off road use”

(and since someone will say “Really??”…)

https://19january2017snapshot.epa.go...hsysrepair.pdf

[TwoTonic]

Who needs clean air, right?

[cristo]

Almost 8 billion people, and countless
other critters.

[ookoshi]

Yeah. Unfortunately, the law as it is written is ridiculously strict. The cat must be stock, and can only be replaced with an OEM cat if it fails. There's really no reason to limit it like that. It should be based on the actual performance of the cat in reducing CO and NO2 emissions. There's no good reason I shouldn't be able to run a high flow downpipe as long as the emissions are handled.

[morphomeman]

Yes, a high flow downpipe might be reasonable, but AFAIK, the value of going catless is somewhere below that of wearing no underwear in order to reduce the weight of the vehicle.

[TrboMike]

In NJ:
If you go a state run inspection station, which is also free, they plug into your ODB2 to see if you have any codes, then drive over a camera which goes to the stock location of your cat and records. You dont have to have an OEM cat, but it has to look OEM and be in the stock location. As long as your software says you dont have codes, you get a free inspection.

If you dont have a cat, but your car still passes the plug in, any mechanic who does pay inspections will scan your car and plug into your ODB2. At that point the state emissions machine is satisfied. The law says the mechanic is supposed to then visually check your cat and PVC system. If he knows you, he doesnt HAVE to. But if he doesnt know you and you're an undercover EPA guy, it will cost him a $20,000 fine. When I moved to NJ I didnt know any mechanics and desperately looked for a local guy who knew a friendly mechanic, couldnt find one. I had to no longer street register the race car and my other fun car got a stock cat 1.25" cat installed in a 3" exhaust, sucked.

[Ron Jeffries]

seems tacky to me to go catless. no big harm, just feels thoughtless. ymmv, of course.

[Dvtchmxn]

Originally Posted by Mason Hatcher

I've wondered this too. Isn't it a violation of federal law to remove the catalytic converter, and even some state laws?

yeah so even if I wanted to get the cat taken off I couldn't go to a muffler shop and get the same old one put back on because it has to be new. Something with federal law apparently

[dradernh]

Inspections are not required in my OH county nor in most other counties in the state.

Coming from a combined 48 years of inspections in CA and New England, Ohio's lack of required annual or bi-annual inspections in my county came as a pleasant surprise. I have no plans to change my cat, but it's nice not having to go through the inspection exercise and expense.