Topic: Muffler and Cat question

[Thorn4run]

I'm looking for a good quite exhaust setup. I'm running a header with 2 1/4" pipe (no cat) into a stock style muffler 2" inlet/outlet and 2" pipe out the side behind rear drivers tire. IT SOUNDS LIKE A TRACTOR AND I DON'T LIKE IT! I have seen threads mentioning that without a cat it will smell funny and I kinda agree. Will putting a cat on quiet it down or will a duel muffler (glasspack type) setup work better?  It would be nice to only hear my electric fan when I'm sitting at an idle. Any ideas?

[Snowtoy]

On my '91 I run an aftermarket cat and a raptor Turbo muffler($22 at O'rielly's).  The turbo muffler is nice and quiet on the trail, no drone on the highway, yet throaty when you get on the throttle.  My '91 doesn't have headers, but I run the same muffler on my '91 3.0 which does have headers and it is just as quiet unless you are the throttle.  The downside to the Raptor muffler is that it is made from fairly thin steel, so if your area salts the roads in winter you might have to replace it more often.  Here in CA salt isn't used, so the two raptors I use are coming up on 9 and 8yrs old, and are still in good shape.

Running a cat would help with some with sound, as well as low end performance.  I know it sounds counter intuitive for a cat to help with performance, but the 22r(e) engines were designed to use a cat, and for my buddies who have tried running w/o one, they have all experienced poorer mpg's and low end torque.  I had similar results running a high flow muffler(when turned right, you could see through it) on my 3.0 when I first installed headers.  It was great for top end power, I could cruise right to 75 in 3rd gear w/o the engine screaming stop, but take offs took a lot more throttle, as did maintaining 70/5th gear on the highway, and I lost about 3 mpgs.  With the raptor turbo I only lost a little high end performance(70/3rd) but regained low end torque and regained the 3 lost mpg's.

[Thorn4run [OP]]

Thanks Snowtoy. Thats the answer I was looking for. My 22RE is underpowered so I have to be on the throttle all the time to make it move and my gas milage sucks So I'll start looking for a High Flow Cat ASAP.

[Snowtoy]

Looking at your other post, a Cat wont help that much.  I avoid putting a new cat on until you have the running issue worked out, unburnt fuel will burn the cat out rather quickly.