I finished installing the high flow cat from RRE today.

Mike, I don't now the part number for the flanges, they are listed on the RRE invoice as Down Pipe flanges. The flanges are a good deal bigger than the stock flanges. There isn't much overlap between the two flanges but it seems to be enough. The stock hangers are welded onto the new cat and are close enough.

As far as I can tell the flanges are not leaking. After a spirited drive there were no spots of black soot around the flanges.

There is no difference in the sound at idle, and the low end has not been affected at all. The car's top end (6-7K rpms) seems to have smoothed out a bit. The sound at that rpm range seems to be a bit smoother too, a tiny bit of the "edge" has been taken off the exhaust note, but not enought to really make a difference.

As for performance improvement, besides smoothing out the top end (which probably means I'm getting some improvement int he top end) I can't really tell, so we'll have to wait until wednesday to see if it drops the 1/4 mile time a bit.

Now, here's the question. On one half of the new cat, there is an extra sheet of stainless steel on the outside of the cat. Now, I don't know if this should be on the bottom of the cat facing the road, the top facing the car, or if it doesn't make a difference.

Maybe it is to help protect the cat from rocks if it's on the bottom? Maybe if it's on the top of the cat it acts like a heat shield? What do you think? How are cats usually oriented?

Well, I wanted to have the extra sheet of steel on the bottom facing the road, but I screwed up when I gave the cats to the welder. :rolleyes I had the thing flipped upside down when I gave it to him, so while the flanges lined up just fine in either orientation, the hangers did not fit, so I flipped it the other way and it fit and the extra piece of steel faces the car. Oh well, next time I'll pay more attention.

Oh well, I'll figure out something, eventually.

The extra sheet of metal is a heat shield, with it facing up is the way it is meant to go. So without meaning to, you installed it correctly ;-)

Una salus victus.
It's not about being invincible, it's about being ready; for anything.



Michael J. Kulaga
e-mail: Michael_97RS@2gntDSM.zzn.com aol IM: MJKulga
http://highlander.dsmpower.com/

Injen CAI, 55mm TB, Hooker 4-1 Stepped Header, GS-T Muffler, AFX UDP, S-AFC, 8.5mm Magnecor Wires, Crane Fireball HI-6DI2, SS Clutch Line, NRG Susp. Motor Mount Ins., FU/RU/RL STBs, TSW Blade 17x7.5, Bridgestone Potenza RE730 215/45ZR-17. Front KVR Cross-Drilled Rotors & Carbon Fiber Pads

To Be Installed: P&P Intake Manifold 1/2, P&P Milled Head, Rear Disc Brakes, Rear KVR Cross Drilled Rotors & Carbon Fiber Kevlar Pads, SS Brake Lines

>The extra sheet of metal is a heat shield, with it facing up
>is the way it is meant to go. So without meaning to, you
>installed it correctly ;-)

Yup, I guess you could say I screwed up correctly Mike :)

I asked a mechanic about it, he said it's a heat shield too.