To good to be true

Discussion in 'Modifications & DIY how-to' started by thrasher722, Aug 16, 2010.

  1. thrasher722

    thrasher722 Member

    I got a full 3" megan racing TBE from a person on NASIOC for a good price that claimed it was catted. When I got it.. I found it only has 2 resonators and there is no catalitic converter. (They look brand new)

    Where I live I don't have emissions checks but I have gone without cats before (about 10 years ago), and I just wanted them so I could be legal. I might put them for sale on here but I am wondering if any others are running a setup like this.
     
  2. Jake

    Jake Active Member

    lots of people run non-catted setups on here. i had a resonated ebay exhaust on my car. you may actually be able to pass emissions with a good tune on such a setup.
     
  3. b reel

    b reel Active Member

    it's a high flow cat, or at least that's "they" are told. Haven't had a problem in years, only failed once and that was a gas cap.
     
  4. Alex

    Alex Community Founder Staff Member

    I've seen some setups where the cat is actually labeled with an attractive metal tag/plate. I would imagine this isnt the case for you. Most full length downpipe's either have the cat right after the bend from the turbo OR right before the intermediate pipe / axelback.

    Post a photo of your setup?
     
  5. oneiguy

    oneiguy Active Member

    It might work. The only issue you could have is if they do a"sniffer" test.
     
  6. b reel

    b reel Active Member

    they've sniffed every time
     
  7. bixs

    bixs Supporting Member

    i can vouch that you can pass with a test pipe w/ a heat shield of a cat around it...sniffed
    and with a vehicle that removing the cat made the o2 sensor come on...an o2 simulator does the trick for their odb2 test

    semi worst case is the person just fails you, you didn't know. and you get a free retest
     
  8. thrasher722

    thrasher722 Member

    Here are the pics, I don't have emissions so I guess I'm not going to worry about it, looking at the pics I don't think that I would be able to pass with a good tune but I have no idea.

    Muffler w/ silencer
    [​IMG]

    Other side of muffler (when taking the pics I saw the new gasket on it)
    [​IMG]

    Mid pipe with resonator
    [​IMG]

    Closeup of mid pipe resonator (inside)
    [​IMG]

    Downpipe
    [​IMG]

    Downpipe (shot of bell mouth)
    [​IMG]

    Downpipe (shot of resonator, you can kind of see the new gasket on it)
    [​IMG]

    Downpipe to turbo gasket & I think up-pipe to turbo gasket on the right (tell me if I'm wrong)
    [​IMG]

    Bolts w/o nuts
    [​IMG]

    Lots of pics but I got lots of stuff for a good price. I haven't seen a flex downpipe before but I hear they are good.
     
  9. b reel

    b reel Active Member

    Do yourself a favor and throw those gaskets away. The stock Subaru gaskets are ten times better than the ones you got with the kit, they will fall apart in a matter weeks. I'm referring to the up-pipe and down pipe gasket, the one further back may work a little longer. I have some of that exhaust left on my car, good quality with robotic TIG welds but the gaskets are trash and you will have to tweak and trim the heat shield otherwise you will have a rattle that will drive you nuts.
     
  10. thrasher722

    thrasher722 Member

    Is there a good place to get 3" gaskets (as well as the others)? I have seen them online but I have never had to purchase them before.
     
  11. Alex

    Alex Community Founder Staff Member

  12. b reel

    b reel Active Member

    Barnett, Summit Racing, local muffler shop, just stay from that type gasket, as for the turbo's gaskets just stay with stock ones. There's still a Subaru dealership in Macon right?
     
  13. thrasher722

    thrasher722 Member

  14. BelvnAWD

    BelvnAWD I'm Vin, Bell-Vin...

    Yes, please, get new gaskets. Trouble shooting a leak, especially in the DP/UP area can be a massive PIA!! See my sig...
     
  15. integroid

    integroid Supporting Member

    and I am almost positive that is not a Megan Racing downpipe. That looks like the ebay downpipes since Megan never had one with a flex section in it. ACtually, that whole exhaust system looks like an ebay special. Does it have Megan badges welded on anywhere?

    [​IMG]
     
  16. b reel

    b reel Active Member

  17. Trancetto

    Trancetto Active Member

    screw cats, who needs them
     
  18. thrasher722

    thrasher722 Member

    Yea, I will check when I get home but it looks more like a godspeed TBE than a Megan Racing. It is light weight and in good shape (I don't think it has ever been used). Guess I payed about what it was actually worth, no deal to be had. Question is should I sale this and get another or use this one?
     
  19. b reel

    b reel Active Member

    There's nothing wrong with it other than what I pointed out, mine was hacked up trying different mufflers
     
  20. thrasher722

    thrasher722 Member

    Yea, I am waiting for a JDM catless up pipe to come in from 92ra-r.

    I think I am going to run this TBE and at least see how it sounds. I have to get the stage 2 map on to my version 1 Accessport (I have a USB/serial adapter from work) and then get the map to my car. I think Scott Siegel might have done it before for the person that owned my car before (his business car is in my car's booklet). I wish I had instructions on how to use the thing and what is the difference between a runtime map and things like that.
     
  21. b reel

    b reel Active Member

    cobbtuning will have everything you need though the V1 is no longer supported. They were offering a $200.00 credit on trade up to V2 at one time. If you remove the baffle it gets kind of loud, but I have a wagon with no sound deadening on the floor pans.
     
  22. thrasher722

    thrasher722 Member

    Cool, I will leave it in, don't want to attract too much attention. I set the seller a PM on NASIOC b/c this is not what I ordered. We will see how this turns out, doubt anything will happen. Don't know if I will buy on big forms again. I have had good experiences prior to this.
     
  23. thrasher722

    thrasher722 Member

    Sent it back to the seller. A friend did some research and found that all Megan Racing mufflers have a marking. The guy claims he got it from a NASIOC dealer but I find that hard to believe. I had to pay the shipping charges but lesson learned, unless its from a store or I can see it first I'm not going to pay for anything. The guy still says its catted, I got my money back (other than shipping), I think he was scammed and doesn't know it (and also does not know the difference between a resonator and a catalytic converter).
     

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