00XJ49 wrote: I was going to try and yank it out with the tranny and transfer case still attached... Without pulling the hood off (I don't want to mess with re-aligning it), that's not really a possibility... Also, putting the whole mess BACK after such an attempt is... ...challenging...
I don't know why people recommend to pull it all when the engine alone comes out just fine without removing any body panels. Of course you need to be careful when the balancer comes up and watch the header panel.
I'm probably going to go with Gibson from the main cat back (love the sound), but I'm not quite sure what to go with on the pre-cats/collector.
You like the sound of the Gibson? I have the cat back and it just sounds like noise, nothing spectacular, but I also haven't heard it from out side while underway. I would go with a magnaflow muffler and 2.5"-3" pipe. high flow cat of course.
Catco seems to be well regarded, and I should avoid Walker.
Yes, anything from Walker is guaranteed to be a kinked up POS.
However, I came across a Magnaflow (albeit about 3 times as expensive), and was wondering if anyone had any experience with it?
While it is going to be a better piece I would go through the exercise and expense of eliminating the precats prior to putting down that kind of money on that. Go with your header of choice (pre or 00+, if your going with pre then get some O2 sensor bungs welded in the appropriate places. If 00+ the bungs are already there. Then sim out the post cat o2 sensors... either by PCM modification, precat plug in sims, or some mini cats on the o2 sensors.
I am also looking at cams right now for my 2000, but mine is a WJ. When I talked to the Comp tech the other day he told me that the 68-231-4 was for pre obdII vehicles only. He told me I needed the 68-232-4 to run in my 2000 WJ plus new springs and lifters and if you are decking your block, pushrods as well. Do you think its the same way for your 2000 sport?
akadeutsch wrote: He told me I needed the 68-232-4 to run in my 2000 WJ plus new springs and lifters and if you are decking your block, pushrods as well. Do you think its the same way for your 2000 sport?
Comp doesn't know shit about Jeep engines, which is one reason I recommend requesting a custom grind from other companies. Comp simply doesn't care. The 231 would work fine but you do need to replace your springs.
Alright, did some more research, and the only pre-cats that I've been able to find (granted, there are several manufacturers out there - Catco, Magnaflow, Davico, Eastern, just to rattle of a few) stop right after the Y-pipe collector. Alot of the Magnaflow pictures show a pipe that snakes all the way back to the main cat, but in reality they stop at the same place as the others. I would like to go with a Magnaflow set because of their reputation, but Catco seems to have plenty of yea-sayers too, and they're half as expensive.
Now, we're all aware that 2000 was a transitional year for many aspects of the XJ, not the least of which is the exhaust system. Throw in the different emissions packages, and it's a royal mess. My stock system was entirely slip-over/clamp connections (minus the header to pre-cat connections) - apparently some of them were all flange connections, which makes pulling components somewhat easier when needed, and still more were a combination of both styles. ALL of the pre-cats I've come across end in a three bolt flange, and the only front pipe I've been able to find (Walker, bleh - I'll probably have my exhaust shop weld up a mandrel-bent one some day) has the same type of flange on either end. I'm going with Magnaflow for the main cat, and the flanged ones feature an O2 sensor bung which, since I've got the pre-cats, I have no sensor for (que the appropriately pitched bolt with high temp threadlocker). The muffler-side flange on the main cat is a two bolt ball flare flange, which will mate nicely with a Borla system.
Now, I'm still a little on the fence about my header. I keep reading how the Banks Torque Tube style ones flow much better than the stock ones, but can crack at the flange. The Borla two piece ones, on the other hand, don't feature this cracking problem, but also come with the sharper angles of the factory header. Any further opinions?
Lastly, I started looking into intakes - "cold air" (cone filters, basically, which don't really provide cold air) led me to snorkels, which are true cold air, but are rather restrictive because of all the bends (unless you go custom) and can have problems sucking in water. Cowl induction seems to be where the magic is, with the only big drawback being alot of noise in the cabin. However, the Jeep is already a singer, so that's not really an issue to me.
"Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads..."
00XJ49 wrote: I would like to go with a Magnaflow set because of their reputation, but Catco seems to have plenty of yea-sayers too, and they're half as expensive.
Catco isn't bad either. I would go with whom ever has the least kinked pipe. Some of them don't mandrel bend the pipe.
ALL of the pre-cats I've come across end in a three bolt flange, and the only front pipe I've been able to find
Have a flandeg welded on the down pipe or cut the flange off the precat side.
Now, I'm still a little on the fence about my header. I keep reading how the Banks Torque Tube style ones flow much better than the stock ones, but can crack at the flange. The Borla two piece ones, on the other hand, don't feature this cracking problem, but also come with the sharper angles of the factory header. Any further opinions?
There is also Doug Thorley but pricey and their customer service person I had to talk to has a stick up his ass... he might not work there anymore though. However, there are many options for headers for your system if you are keeping the cats. Borla, JBA, AFE, OBX, Banks, Thorley. Pacesetter makes one but I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot stick even just for a short poke.
Cowl induction seems to be where the magic is, with the only big drawback being alot of noise in the cabin. However, the Jeep is already a singer, so that's not really an issue to me.
Do you have a need to move the intake to the cowl, e.g. water crossings? If not considered making your own air box, tubing and a good filter that is the largest you can fit on. Mine is in my sig.
