E85 and Cats..... keep or delete? Help!

[aedfam]

Spoiler

I'm planning on switching over to E85, on a Whipple SC '17 Mustang, and am wondering what are your thoughts or experience on having E85 while also still having the stock cats installed?

I eventually plan to have the cats deleted once they seem to be going out, but in the mean time can I run E85 while I have cats? I've heard it speeds up the destruction of the stock cats, but then I've also heard it's not really having to do with E85 but also the oil you are running and the mixture of the E85 that speeds up destructions of cats?

I was thinking of eventually going with the MAK cat-delete and a cat back exhaust system. What are you guys experiences with E85 and cats? And what other possible options do you guys recommend when replacing the stock cat (either a straight delete or upgrade)? I've also heard the Kooks green cats are said to hold good with all the extra power, can anyone comment on this?

Honestly, if I didn't live where I lived at now I probably would had deleted the cat's right away but since that's not really a go-to option I'm kind of looking for alternatives (hence why I say I'll use them 'till they start going out, which I'm skeptical of doing).

EDIT: Thanks everyone for your input.

PS: Can anyone recommend a cat delete set up/exhaust system that is still fairly quite (if such a thing even exist) after the cat-delete?

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[Jordan @ Lethal]

Short answer, yes It's best to go catless for e85 and because you're boosted.

The green cats aren't going to hold up to the boost or effects of the e85 any better than your stock one's really. They are designed for helping people pass the readiness test. They will inevitably fall victim to your set up every time. As far as the oil thing with the e85, that has to do with some of the additives in your oil, how e85 reacts with them and then how that reaction destroys your meows. These additives are present in your oil to help keep the oil stable at high temperatures and reduce wear. Many of the additives actually penetrate the metal in the valve train; this quality allows for the damage to happen to the cats. E85 is very reactive with phosphorous (a very common additive) combining with it to make new compounds that strip away the special coating on your catalytic converters' internals. This eventually renders them useless. Ya know, if your boost didn't already

 

[db252]

I’m running E mostly all the time, I’m Whipple’d and have catless headers. Your adding more power with E so let the car exhale better. Green cats do nothing for us passing emissions in CA and your tuner will cancel out any O2 sensor issues. Ditch the cats and the restriction they cause as well.

 

[NGOT8R]

What about aftermarket high flow cats coupled long tube headers? Wondering if they will live a long life on E85 both NA and boosted?

 

[Bmaughan]

I'm planning on switching over to E85, on a Whipple SC '17 Mustang, and am wondering what are your thoughts or experience on having E85 while also still having the stock cats installed?

I eventually plan to have the cats deleted once they seem to be going out, but in the mean time can I run E85 while I have cats? I've heard it speeds up the destruction of the stock cats, but then I've also heard it's not really having to do with E85 but also the oil you are running and the mixture of the E85 that speeds up destructions of cats?

I was thinking of eventually going with the MAK cat-delete and a cat back exhaust system. What are you guys experiences with E85 and cats? And what other possible options do you guys recommend when replacing the stock cat (either a straight delete or upgrade)? I've also heard the Kooks green cats are said to hold good with all the extra power, can anyone comment on this?

Honestly, if I didn't live where I lived at now I probably would had deleted the cat's right away but since that's not really a go-to option I'm kind of looking for alternatives (hence why I say I'll use them 'till they start going out, which I'm skeptical of doing).

I run green cats and e85 on my pro charger daily driver... about 750whp. No issues at all

 

[Andrew@Lethal]

I'm planning on switching over to E85, on a Whipple SC '17 Mustang, and am wondering what are your thoughts or experience on having E85 while also still having the stock cats installed?

I eventually plan to have the cats deleted once they seem to be going out, but in the mean time can I run E85 while I have cats? I've heard it speeds up the destruction of the stock cats, but then I've also heard it's not really having to do with E85 but also the oil you are running and the mixture of the E85 that speeds up destructions of cats?

I was thinking of eventually going with the MAK cat-delete and a cat back exhaust system. What are you guys experiences with E85 and cats? And what other possible options do you guys recommend when replacing the stock cat (either a straight delete or upgrade)? I've also heard the Kooks green cats are said to hold good with all the extra power, can anyone comment on this?

Honestly, if I didn't live where I lived at now I probably would had deleted the cat's right away but since that's not really a go-to option I'm kind of looking for alternatives (hence why I say I'll use them 'till they start going out, which I'm skeptical of doing).

Long story short. Delete the cats. In the meantime you can leave your stock cats on until you go catless.

 

[Jordan @ Lethal]

I run green cats and e85 on my pro charger daily driver... about 750whp. No issues at all

Nice. How long have you been running this set up?

 

[Bmaughan]

Nice. How long have you been running this set up?

Maybe a year and a half...

 

[Jordan @ Lethal]

That's fairly impressive. Many usually run into issues way before that. I can't tell you haw many times someone has had their high flow cats break within a few hundred miles. One gnarly pull can do it right on the spot. I've been told that the tune can definitely make as well as the green cats but a year and a half is honestly impressive/surprising. Keep us posted if they decide to change their minds on ya.

 

[Bmaughan]

That's fairly impressive. Many usually run into issues way before that. I can't tell you haw many times someone has had their high flow cats break within a few hundred miles. One gnarly pull can do it right on the spot. I've been told that the tune can definitely make as well as the green cats but a year and a half is honestly impressive/surprising. Keep us posted if they decide to change their minds on ya.

Yeah I’ve heard that too but so far as I can tell they’re more than solid... and if I remember right they’ll replace them for free if there is any issues... they guarantee them at 850whp

 

[Jordan @ Lethal]

That is correct^

They've made a reputation of taking care of their customers and standing by their product. Who tuned your car?

 

[Adamone92]

Yeah I’ve heard that too but so far as I can tell they’re more than solid... and if I remember right they’ll replace them for free if there is any issues... they guarantee them at 850whp

my only concern is they wont replace your engine if there are issues.

to OP, I don't see a reason to get any aftermarket cat. If you are modifying your cats, (deleting them OR putting a different type on) it is illegal (for "street use"). So if you are going to do it, might as well take less risk of blowing something and less $$$ for the cats and just go catless. Unless you care about the smell of gasoline or...something.

 

[Bmaughan]

my only concern is they wont replace your engine if there are issues.

to OP, I don't see a reason to get any aftermarket cat. If you are modifying your cats, (deleting them OR putting a different type on) it is illegal (for "street use"). So if you are going to do it, might as well take less risk of blowing something and less $$$ for the cats and just go catless. Unless you care about the smell of gasoline or...something.

For sure... Lund tunes the car

the legal thing is legit unless you need to repair your cats which you can replace with equivalent or better aftermarket parts and it’s still legal. My factory cats were actually going out so me swapping for new cats was perfectly legal.

 

[WildHorse]

you get what you pay for. a good high horsepower catalytic converter will run you 1K+ each. And when I say good, i mean boosted 700+ horsepower that'll pass emissions.

 

[Adamone92]

For sure... Lund tunes the car

the legal thing is legit unless you need to repair your cats which you can replace with equivalent or better aftermarket parts and it’s still legal. My factory cats were actually going out so me swapping for new cats was perfectly legal.

that's partially true.

Beyond it being federal law..each state has their own specific laws as well. OP is in fresno it seems. I BELIEVE California doesn't allow any non-OEM cat. I could be wrong on that, but I believe their newer laws ban use of any non-OEM cat even if it is a repair. If it is a repair, then there is also needed paperwork by yourself and the installing technician. Regular joe smo cannot just switch out their own cats and say it was a repair. It has to be signed off (not saying yours wasn't, just for OP information.) California (like new York) also doesn't allow installation of any used cats. OEM or not. Like I said, each state has different laws and I do not know all of them, but research should be done and whats true for one person may not be for another. Either way, swapping out cats legally will at the very minimum require them to be in need of repair, and signed off saying so by an appropriate entity.

I don't personally care. But I like to provide what info I can to someone who may care.

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