Extractors/Cats... worth it?

[Mitch089]

Hi guys.. well I thought I was done spending money on my car but it turns out the mod bug is creeping back into my head lol. I've got an 07 SV6 and what I've done so far is an Airhammer CAI, MACE manifold insulators and redback rear mufflers. I've also had a bench tune done.

Now I've got the idea of pacemaker extractors with high flow cats and possibly replacing the crimped section of the exhaust with 2.25" pipe.

So my question is mainly would this be worth the money for the gains that would be achieved?

Would there be much power (or torque hopefully) increase?
Better fuel economy?
Change the exhaust noise level/note etc?

Any feedback would be great.
Cheers

[Rusty]

You may as well get it done to compliment the CAI and mufflers plus it is the next stage as far as bang for buck. Any "performance" mod afterwards is big bikkies.

I noticed better fuel economy and a little more power but that was after getting full exhaust etc done at the same time. Sound should also be slightly different.

[HussySV6]

Soundwise, the highflow cats will not give any sound difference, only better flow. There was an argument somewere here about the extractors giving a different note or not. I think it gives very little bit of difference. but search for that thread as it will give u a proper answer. but cutting the crimped section will, talk to KUZMAN about it. Also get yourself the underdrive pulleys, from mace. There worth it.

Together the hiflowcats and extractors will give you better figures indeed.

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

Hi flow cats will absolutely change the note. It will be louder and barkier. Extractors will increase acceleration and highway economy. Cut the crimped section out too, every little bit helps.

I can do extractors and cats for $950 shipped. Hurricane extractors and 200 CPSI metal hi flow cats.

[kuzman89]

I did headers, but I reckon the stock cats will flow enough, apart from noise and abit of economy I doubt you'll pick much up with cats.

[HussySV6]

Thats funny because X-PLODE on this forum PMed me saying this "Hey buddy they will not affect the sound at all and will allow for more flow and more power." I asked if it will change the note! and thats what they said.

[Mitch089]

Thanks for the replies dudes.

If anything I was thinking extractors would make it a little quieter, and cats would make it louder. I'm not doing either to make it louder, so that doesn't matter. With the redbacks there is a little bit of drone at times and I DEFINITELY DON'T want to do anything to make that worse. Would any of these mods create more drone? I thought extractors would help this possibly.

With the CAI it's like I'm pumping more air in, so I would think extractors would be good to help "more air come out" to get full effect of the CAI. That could justify it in my head haha.

I also thought that if I do anything I might drive down to CHE or Sureflo in Sydney, has anyone dealt with them?

I can do extractors and cats for $950 shipped. Hurricane extractors and 200 CPSI metal hi flow cats.

How do these go against pacemaker? I'd really only thought of getting pacemaker TBH.

[SV666]

Hi flow cats will absolutely change the note. It will be louder and barkier. Extractors will increase acceleration and highway economy. Cut the crimped section out too, every little bit helps.

I can do extractors and cats for $950 shipped. Hurricane extractors and 200 CPSI metal hi flow cats.

Can these be used with the sidi motor? Just curious

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

The 3.6L they can but not the 3.0L.

Extractors will make the drone less if you are experiencing it now. High flow cats will make it louder, guaranteed, despite what other people tell you. The stock cats do flow well enough for the VE. The Hurricanes on their own are $480, to be honest, on the street you would never tell the difference between Pacemaker and just about every other brand. Pacemakers are a good product, but would you get any extra performance out of them that justifies the cost?

[astroham]

i did extractor cats and cat back all at once with the underdrive pulley and a tune sounds really good (bit of drone though) and picked up 30kw's at the rears ... i already had the CAI done

[Mitch089]

I forgot changing the cats will bring up the check engine light and I don't really wanna spend the money getting it tuned again (I'm assuming that's the only way it can be fixed). Getting cats as well would push the price up closer to $2k... again, not too keen on that lol.

I emailed Sureflo exhaust in Sydney who said replacing the 2" section with 2.25" would cause more drone, so that basically rules that out.

So this leaves just doing the extractors. Is there much benefit in doing only extractors or does this just move the restriction in the exhaust further down the line? To the cats etc. Although you said the stock cats flow well enough, so I guess not.

Pacemakers are a good product, but would you get any extra performance out of them that justifies the cost?

I have no idea... but I've been quoted $1000 for ceramic coated pacemakers. And they said pacemakers are the better product. Do the hurricanes come ceramic coated? (possibly stupid question). It will also be another couple of hundred to have them fitted obviously.

Also, where in the rev range would the extractors pick up in power? I don't think there's much point in it if they only give more power higher up.

[Mitch089]

Also, where in the rev range would the extractors pick up in power? I don't think there's much point in it if they only give more power higher up.

Does anyone know about this?

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

Power is the mystical figure everyone raves on about, its not about power, its all about torque. Extractors will give you better usable torque. You will feel it in the acceleration. It will pick up quicker, this means the torque curve starts climbing lower in the rev range. As for when the power figure gets higher? It will be higher in the rev range because the power figure is calculated from the torque, and the torque will be higher for longer, so the power figure will be higher up top.

Ceramic coating will make them look nice and shiny but it will make very little difference to how the car drives. If you are chasing every poofteenth of a second on the 1/4 then yes, ceramic coating will improve your times, but on the street, I challenge anytone to tell the difference by driving it if they didn't know. To answer the question, yes, Hurricanes can be ceramic coated, $830 will get you ceramic coating, but IMO, it's not worth it unless you like pretty things.

[Mitch089]

Thanks a lot mate. Yeah sorry, I did mean torque. The way I'm thinking, if it only imporves torque higher up the rev range, there's not much point because it's un-useable most of the time on the street. But from what you've said that sounds good.

I've been told "The ceramic coating cuts the heat by half and stops rust flakes clogging your cats and looks like polished aluminium". That's a lot of heat to cut out if true? Anyway that can be decided later if i end up doing it.

The same bloke also said extractors will improve it a bit, but the cats will make much more of a difference. So I'm not sure about that one.

Anyway thanks a lot, you've been a great help.

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

I say the opposite. Extractors will make more of a difference to how the car drives, and cats to how the car sounds. If you keep the car for 15 years, then yes, the extractors may rust and flake and block the cats, but I have never seen them do it on a modern car. The extractors run too hot to rust internally. I wouldn't make a claim as to cutting the heat by half though, that's a big stretch.

[Mitch089]

Well I'm no expert obviously but I think I can see the logic. The less CPSI the cats are the less restriction there would be to airflow. Perhaps it's only minimal.