348 Cat bypass

[craigw]

Having been told over the weekend that my catalytic converter is "On the way out" I have been given two options.

1. Replace both cats, approx £1400 ukp + labour
2. Install Cat bypass pipes, apparently more power, sounds better etc etc. Not sure of exact costs but radically cheaper.

Anybody here have any experience of cat bypass pipes & likely performance gains/any problems?

The car is a 1994 GTS and has a stainless steel sports exhaust and k&n airfilter.

Thanks guys.

ps. I know about the emissions & MOT thing.

[kenyon]

I have taken the cats off my 1994 348 spider. I have kept them incase I sell the car. The exhaust is 316 stainless , polished inside (like Dairy pipework), have cat replacement pipes on my car. The car sounds like a F1 engine. Horsepower has increased, no problems with idling, or power delivery its runs better now then with the cats on. I will never go back to cats. It took me 45 mins to take the cats off and install the replacement pipes.
Any of the ferrari specialist companies do cat replacement pipes. I had some made up using highly polished 316 stainless steel pipe. I ordered a set of Tubis and copied them and return them. So easy to make. I believe QV London to cat replacement pipe for £200.00. I have had the cats removed from the car, straight through exahust with a small single box at the rear. The ECU has been chipped, K&N air filter, upgraded fuel regulator and racing platinium KNG plugs. I have had it on the rolling road pushing out 375 BHP at 8000 RPM (10 BHP off a 355). The only thing with the cats removed the emissions are higher. I am going to get the car lowered this winter. Putting on Tarox racing disc.

[craigw]

wow, sounds fantastic! Where did you get the chip done ?

[456mgt]

This is at least the fourth 348 I've heard of with knackered cats. They must be made out of cheese. If you don't need them to get through an MOT I'd ditch them altogether.

[craigw]

apparently they are a very weak area on both 348's and 355's. For the record I think its stilton but will report back once they are off the car

[ADI]

Just had one of my cats replaced as it had a hole in it hence was disbalancing the engine. Now the power is fine but I discovered a foot long flame coming out of the back - as the cat is now working it has highlighted a new problem - when the cat gets to temp, it is igniting unburnt fuel - sounds like a sticking injector feeding neat fuel into the exhaust system. Looks very batmobile but obviously means it's back to the mechanic....sigh!