Exhaust system with catalysts?

[FormerFF]

I live in an area where cars will be emissions inspected yearly. This entails a gas cap integrity check, a visual inspection of the catalytic converters, and an OBD check. Does anyone have details on the exhaust system for the 818S, and whether one that includes catalysts will be available?

[JeromeS13]

According to the current manual, it looks like you'll be able to re-use any donor's OEM catalytic converter.

[Evan78]

I have no idea what FFR plans to make available.

The WRX has 2 cats after the turbo - one in the downpipe and one in what is commonly called the midpipe. Here's a diagram:

exhaustsystemaq9.jpg

I'm not looking at any 818 photos right now, but I assume that midpipe would stick out past the rear bumper, so any requirement that you have both those cats in place will be a challenge.

[Goldwing]

From what I've gathered through my questions, the downpipe gets cut up a bit and reassembled using the Cat with a few FFR adapters to fit the available space. I haven't heard much talk about mufflers, but the cat is accounted for. My plan was to use a larger 3" downpipe and some kind of muffler. on the 3" pieces, the adapters/welding will be on me. Those who have reached that part of the build, of course, can further clarify or correct me. The above came from FFR.

[FormerFF]

Thanks. Since an 818 isn't in my immediate future, I'll just keep watching to see how other builders do their exhaust systems.

[RM1SepEx]

I've went with a header and catless up pipe to the turbo vs my stock catted up pipe. FFR provides an adapter from the wastegate flange to mount to a stock downpipe with cat. That should meet the Cat req. They also provide a short stainless pipe to add to the downpipe to exit the car, it has a bung for the last cat's O2 sensor. You could add a shorty cat there too.

It's a kit, do whatever you want/have to do to appease the "man." LOL

Many have made up custom exhausts... I'm sure in CA they will need to jump through many hoops, we don't have anything beyond a check for ODB2 codes and even then only in one county of Maine. (Naturally mine! I live 8 miles too far south)

[ClemsonS197]

As an FYI, you have 3 years before you will technically need cats. Your car will registered as the year it's registered. So if you registered it today, it would be a 2013 Factory Five 818. New cars are emissions exempt for 3 years.

[wleehendrick]

I'm sure in CA they will need to jump through many hoops, we don't have anything beyond a check for ODB2 codes and even then only in one county of Maine. (Naturally mine! I live 8 miles too far south)

We should be able to register an 818 similarly to how GTMs have been in CA... under one of the 500 per year SB100 #'s with "no recognizable previously produced body style" Lot's of hoops to jump through during registration, but then the SMOG assessment only has to meet emissions requirements of a 1960 model year .

[FormerFF]

As an FYI, you have 3 years before you will technically need cats. Your car will registered as the year it's registered. So if you registered it today, it would be a 2013 Factory Five 818. New cars are emissions exempt for 3 years.

I hadn't thought of that, so that gives any one of us some debugging time. Since we have a significant ground level ozone problem in the area, I'd want the car running clean from the get go. Also, it's a matter of personal pride for me, I see no reason we can't have fast cars that don't pollute excessively. I realize a car like this isn't going to get driven that many miles in a year, but the days it would be driven would be in the middle of smog season.

[WRX Dave]

You'll definitely want to get a catless uppipe if you use a 2.0l engine. My '03 WRX passes the sniffer test as a low-emissions vehicle using only one post-turbo cat with a fairly conservative tune. The front cat in the "shorty" downpipe right after the turbo will be enough.

You could probably run clean catless with a really good tune on the car. I know a few guys running catless who pass the NC tailpipe test every year. With the back-pressure from the turbo, there isn't much unburned fuel getting into the exhaust in the first place.

[icky]

Its expensive but I could only get my fxt to pass with a gesi catalytic converter, and only a loss of 10 hp on the dyno.

[Goldwing]

For those that have reached this point, does the FFR exhaust downpipe adapter have a bell mouth or a similar setup to the stock flat plate mount? Thanks.

[RM1SepEx]

flat, you can see it in these photos

rear view camber.JPG

Attachment 22312

[Goldwing]

Thanks. I may stick with my aftermarket downpipe plan then to free up the waste gate exhaust stream side. My plan was a basic stage 2 tune. Opened exhaust w/cat & muffler and stg 2 tune. Modest in the wrx world, more than enough for the 818. For now, Lol.

[Justen]

I will have to see what up pipe I have when I get home, but my donor came with a catless 3" turbo back exhaust. I'm guessing I can use the catless DP and just attach a muffler to it, but I am not sure yet since my kit does not get delivered for another couple weeks. I guess I will wait until I get the kit to see what will fit/make sense.
Good to know about the 3 year leniency on the exhaust inspection though, It will give me time to use it as is, and then figure out a differnet solution if I need to.

[wleehendrick]

Good to know about the 3 year leniency on the exhaust inspection though, It will give me time to use it as is, and then figure out a differnet solution if I need to.

Careful with that assumption, you may be in for a nasty surprise when you try to register the first time! The emissions testing exemption varies by state and typically only applies to new production vehicles. Every state is different, especially how they handle specially constructed (home built) vehicles. Look here for info on all states:

http://www.bipac.net/page.asp?conten...olbox&g=SEMAGA

[metros]

^^^Great link. I haven't found a lot of information for VA on what the requirements are (i.e. wipers, cat., airbag, etc).

Going to dig through your link and see if there is anything spelled out.

[Oppenheimer]

Here in CT, they use the ODB port to check for codes, run some diagnostics, and of course the visual inspection for the Cat. They just have a mirror on the ground and look to make sure 'its' there. I don't believe they take it as far as counting how many Cats and their location for that car as it was manufactured. They look for a Cat, they see a Cat, they run the test. With a car as modified as the 818 is from the Subie it started as, even if there is some sort of diagram that shows where all the Cats are supposed to be, none of them are going to be in those locations with the 818. So the tester would not be able to use that as a guide anyway. I guess I'm saying you could probably get away with just the one main Cat after the Turbo.

I would suspect its simialr in other states that use the ODB port and a visual inspection.

Also, here if there is some reason they can't run the test off the ODB port, they will instead use a sniffer. So I would think you could say that although the drivetrain is part Subie, its really a hybrid, with parts off other vehicles as well. So that would mean the standard ODB test run for a Subie WhateverYourDonorIs would not be valid. That should mean they should default to the sniffer test, which I'm betting you would easily pass with a good Cat.

Again, I suspect other states that use ODB port to test can also fall back to sniffer in some scenarios.

[Mechie3]

On my WRX in NY the AP took care of the OBII plug in. I had a friend do the inspection so visual was never a problem. Just in case, I had a midpipe with a...ahem....heat shield welded on that conveniently looked like something else. It was manufactured that way, though it's no longer available.