Cat Removal Questions

[Recall]

I have searched and can not find a thread on how to remove the Cats from the stock pipes on a 2015 Tri Glide. My previous ride Victory X-Country Tour, I just dropped the mufflers and pulled the Cats out of each pipe. I want to do the same thing with the Tri Glide, I just cannot find anything. I have searched to no avail!

If I just pull the cats out, will I need to install a tuner or will the ECM be able to handle this one change? I want to help with the heat issues, but hold off until fall before I change out the full exhaust system and install a tuner.

The big plan is to do exhaust and tuner this fall then add cams before the start of next riding season.

Any thoughts or help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Gorilla]

It's a little more entailed then just pulling the cat out. The area on the header where the pipes come together is where the cat is located. You have to cut that area open dig the cat out then re-weld that area back together. Yes a tune will have to be done, because you will have seriously changed the flow of the header pipe.

- - - Updated - - -

Also if you are going to add a cam wait and do it at the same time. You want a cam that is designed for lowend torque. The TTS-100 is one nice choice. If you read the postings on the forum there are a couple of other ones also recommended.

 

[FuzzyWuzHe]

The cat can be removed without welding ... but it's a bugger ... I did one for a friend ... took me four days with long drill bits and a brake cylinder honing kit with an extension ... when I decided to de cat my tri ... I bought a decatted head pipe off ebay for $135, I figured the time I saved was worth it.

 

[screwball]

I left the cats in our: '09, 11, and 14 Tri-Glides, and '15 Freewheeler. Figured they were fast and powerful enough. Major pain to trade in a de-catted bike, trike, or car in California.

 

[msocko3]

I left the cats in our: '09, 11, and 14 Tri-Glides, and '15 Freewheeler. Figured they were fast and powerful enough. Major pain to trade in a de-catted bike, trike, or car in California.

99% of the folks who remove the cats are doing so for cooling, removing the cat does very little for the power. It's not like 1974 when they 1st came out with catalytic converters on cars and they choked off the exhaust, and removing them gained you some decent power. These days the catalytic converters are quite free flowing, they may not look it, but they are.

 

[Recall]

Thanks everyone for the replies. For the moment, I was wanting to get rid of some heat as the hottest part of summer is upon us. I was hoping there would be a simple solution for the CAT removal and not need a tune with just the one mod.

The end game is exhaust, A/C, cams and tuner. I am not looking to do a major build, just get the biggest bang for the buck and keep her reliable and ride able. I have not been able to locate a good Indy/tuner in my area, so this complicates things a bit.

I am still researching and deciding on what combination (exhaust, A/C, mufflers, cams, and tuner) I am going to go with. I really like what I have read about theTTS100 cams. I want to see what those who have them installed think at the end of the season. Fullsac seems to be the header of choice at the moment too. Time and knowledge from those who have made the mods will factor into the decision of the combination that works the best for both reliability and performance.

Thanks again for the insight. Any further thoughts or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

[HDB0B]

 

[riden2low]

Fullsac headers is a very good choice but there are others out there. I went with the Fuelpac FP3 for a tuner. It has autotune and can use your smart phone to dial it in. A/C, I think stock is pretty good but I went with S&S as I like the looks. Good slip on mufflers of choice. I havent done the cam yet. I have enough power and happy with the way it runs now. You can do the extented floor boards to get your foot out away from the exhaust pipe. I still get a little heat from the exhaust even after putting on a Fullsac headers but you have to remember the pipes are close to your foot, cat or no cat. My foot starts feeling the heat after a fews hours of riding, hiway pegs.

Get your foot out in the wind.

 

[WindyOne]

Fullsac headers is a very good choice but there are others out there. I went with the Fuelpac FP3 for a tuner. It has autotune and can use your smart phone to dial it in. A/C, I think stock is pretty good but I went with S&S as I like the looks. Good slip on mufflers of choice. I havent done the cam yet. I have enough power and happy with the way it runs now. You can do the extented floor boards to get your foot out away from the exhaust pipe. I still get a little heat from the exhaust even after putting on a Fullsac headers but you have to remember the pipes are close to your foot, cat or no cat. My foot starts feeling the heat after a fews hours of riding, hiway pegs.

Get your foot out in the wind.

Did the heat move down from your thigh to your foot after the change? Just about ready to change out the headpipe as the heat on my right thigh is more than I like with the Summer heat.

 

[msocko3]

Thanks everyone for the replies. For the moment, I was wanting to get rid of some heat as the hottest part of summer is upon us. I was hoping there would be a simple solution for the CAT removal and not need a tune with just the one mod.

The end game is exhaust, A/C, cams and tuner. I am not looking to do a major build, just get the biggest bang for the buck and keep her reliable and ride able. I have not been able to locate a good Indy/tuner in my area, so this complicates things a bit.

I am still researching and deciding on what combination (exhaust, A/C, mufflers, cams, and tuner) I am going to go with. I really like what I have read about theTTS100 cams. I want to see what those who have them installed think at the end of the season. Fullsac seems to be the header of choice at the moment too. Time and knowledge from those who have made the mods will factor into the decision of the combination that works the best for both reliability and performance.

Thanks again for the insight. Any further thoughts or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Not sure how far your willing to travel, I also know nothing about this dealer except they have the DJ250ix which is the dyno needed to tune a trike.

They are about 160 miles from you.

Buckminn's Harley-Davidson

1213 Cincinnati Drive

Xenia, OH 45385

937-346-3344

 

[Recall]

Not sure how far your willing to travel, I also know nothing about this dealer except they have the DJ250ix which is the dyno needed to tune a trike. They are about 160 miles from you.

Buckminn's Harley-Davidson
1213 Cincinnati Drive
Xenia, OH 45385
937-346-3344

I am willing to travel for a good tuner. Took my X-Country to Gainesville, FL to one of the best tuners around. Just want to be sure it is worth the trip. Besides, it is a good excuse for a road trip.

 

[FuzzyWuzHe]

Just so you know ... I did a de catted head pipe on my 11 Ultra ... didn't tune, didn't do anything else. (already had stage 1 air cleaner and download) Only thing I notice was less heat. A lot less heat. And maybe jus a touch deeper sound, but that might just of been wishful thinking on my part. That bike ran strong and got 50 mpg on country roads and 45 on the highway. I could ride it all day long in shorts with little or no heat.

 

[FuzzyWuzHe]

99% of the folks who remove the cats are doing so for cooling, removing the cat does very little for the power. It's not like 1974 when they 1st came out with catalytic converters on cars and they choked off the exhaust, and removing them gained you some decent power. These days the catalytic converters are quite free flowing, they may not look it, but they are.

Before I did my one de cat, I thought flow was bad with them as most people do ... I actually rigged a pool flow meter to the pipe with the cat and again after removal of the cat. The difference was negligible, I'm not sure how accurate my test was, using a shop vac as a flow source ... but it looked cool ... LOL

As I understand it, it's the chemical "conversion" of toxic stuff (hydro carbons and such) to water that generates the heat, hence the material that causes the reaction, usually platinum, needs to be removed to stop the conversion.

The hardest part of the de cat process was making sure no loose "dust" left in the pipe. I took the pipe to a filter cleaning place and had them ultrasonically clean it after I got most of it out.

 

[WindyOne]

Before I did my one de cat, I thought flow was bad with them as most people do ... I actually rigged a pool flow meter to the pipe with the cat and again after removal of the cat. The difference was negligible, I'm not sure how accurate my test was, using a shop vac as a flow source ... but it looked cool ... LOL

As I understand it, it's the chemical "conversion" of toxic stuff (hydro carbons and such) to water that generates the heat, hence the material that causes the reaction, usually platinum, needs to be removed to stop the conversion.

The hardest part of the de cat process was making sure no loose "dust" left in the pipe. I took the pipe to a filter cleaning place and had them ultrasonically clean it after I got most of it out.

Is there a danger if any "dust" is left accidently in the pipe and being run?

 

[FuzzyWuzHe]

Is there a danger if any "dust" is left accidently in the pipe and being run?

As I understand it ... if dust does make it's way up to the head, platinum will burn as dust and could cause lots of issues. I was doing it for a friend, so didn't want to take any chances ... now you see why it was one and only ...

 

[WindyOne]

As I understand it ... if dust does make it's way up to the head, platinum will burn as dust and could cause lots of issues. I was doing it for a friend, so didn't want to take any chances ... now you see why it was one and only ...

I was just talking to a guy after I made my last post. he has a nephew with a welding business. He thinks that the nephew could cut a pocket in the pipe and remove the cat for me. I have to wait until Monday to find out for sure though. Might be the way for me to go and the cost will be much less than buying a cat less pipe from someone.

 

[Gorilla]

I was just talking to a guy after I made my last post. he has a nephew with a welding business. He thinks that the nephew could cut a pocket in the pipe and remove the cat for me. I have to wait until Monday to find out for sure though. Might be the way for me to go and the cost will be much less than buying a cat less pipe from someone.

WindyOne The factory header is a good configuration for up to mild tuning. So if you are just caming for low torque, a/c and mufflers the stock de catted header should do just fine. You will need a good tune to bring it all together. Good luck.

 

[WindyOne]

All I had planned on doing to this trike was the AC, headpipe, PV tuner, and maybe, not sure yet a different stock type muffler for quiet operation.

 

[Gorilla]

All I had planned on doing to this trike was the AC, headpipe, PV tuner, and maybe, not sure yet a different stock type muffler for quiet operation.

Try it with the stock mufflers after you decat the header but before you tune. There is a tone change that if you are not looking for load just deep you may like it. Also I have had some people just have the stock mufflers baffles opened up by removing the blocking plugs to allow straight thru flow. Makes a nice sound also.

 

[riden2low]

Did the heat move down from your thigh to your foot after the change? Just about ready to change out the headpipe as the heat on my right thigh is more than I like with the Summer heat.

If I in am bumper bumper traffic, that rear cyclinder gets warm. I have my EITMS turned off. Maybe, might be better on for riding around in the city but I live on the Coast so the temps are milder. Plus I don't care for the wierd sound when it EITMS shuts off the read cyclinder. But back to your question, yes the heat is more around my boot. Now I don't wear shorts and I don't wear tennis shoes. I have been down a few times on my bikes in the past 40 years and the asplalt doesn't take too kindly to human flesh. So for me, it is old riding habits. Rode 800 miles last summer on a trip and rode pretty comfortable I think.