Best option for headers + cats

[spooni]

My car is 95% street driven, so trying to avoid going catless for smell, not to mention attracting CHP. My best option so far is AA/cats, about $1600. Other than that the price basically doubles or triples. No real luck finding used stuff so far.

[Tbonem3]

"Best" is pretty impossible to nail down, but Megan headers for about $500 with $800-1000 euro cats is a choice that will be on the cheaper end but still high quality, good fitment, passes smog.

This issue really is the cats. Good cats cost money. Euro (OE) or HJS (supersprint & fabspeed) even GESi cost more.

Avoid AA - cheap chinese stuff. Megan's are cheap/chinese, but have good fitment quality (in my hands) seemed much closer to factory standard than other ebay headers I've held/installed.

Avoid cheap chinese made unbranded cats Magnaflow hi-flow, for example. They might just scrub enough to make the post-cat O2s happy, but they still smell. and they'll fail SMOG after they get older/more used.

Cheapest, but most labor intensive would be to cut the cats out of your headers and have them welded in line into your stock sect 1 (if clearance allows - I'm not sure - stock cats are big) then weld in straight pipes back into the stock header to, essentially, turn them into euro headers OR get the Megans and you're only out $500 and whatever labor to relocated the stock cats - if you find a guy willing to do the work.

[Chas3n]

"Best" is pretty impossible to nail down, but Megan headers for about $500 with $800-1000 euro cats is a choice that will be on the cheaper end but still high quality, good fitment, passes smog.

This issue really is the cats. Good cats cost money. Euro (OE) or HJS (supersprint & fabspeed) even GESi cost more.

Avoid AA - cheap chinese stuff. Megan's are cheap/chinese, but have good fitment quality (in my hands) seemed much closer to factory standard than other ebay headers I've held/installed.

Avoid cheap chinese made unbranded cats Magnaflow hi-flow, for example. They might just scrub enough to make the post-cat O2s happy, but they still smell. and they'll fail SMOG after they get older/more used.

Cheapest, but most labor intensive would be to cut the cats out of your headers and have them welded in line into your stock sect 1 (if clearance allows - I'm not sure - stock cats are big) then weld in straight pipes back into the stock header to, essentially, turn them into euro headers OR get the Megans and you're only out $500 and whatever labor to relocated the stock cats - if you find a guy willing to do the work.

Mostly this.

I did the GESI high flow cats when they were still for sale on Amazon, however I have no emissions testing or standards in my county, so I can't comment on passing smog with them. For the price, and being able to weld them directly int a factory section 1, it was a no brainer.

I'm fairly sensitive to smells, and I rarely/barely smell the system with the GESI's and Megan headers. Fitment of the Megan's was nearly as good as OE Euro and the construction of them is better than early years of agency power ect. I'm usually the Mr. Nothing from China poster, but the Megan's are certainly the exception

Power/sound wise, the car is no different than when I ran euro headers and s1 on a previous e46.


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[simon_c]

Euro headers and cats is the best bang for the buck. Esp if you live in California since you should be able to pass smog relatively easily.

[Kdubski]

Some kid on Instagram just discovered a Japanese tuner who realized the e46 m3 exhaust is "unequal". They made a section 1 with an unequal pipe layout to compensate for this difference in exhaust length in the headers to smooth out the s54 sound.

https://sunbeam8store.com/en-us/collections/e46m3/products/racing-front-pipe-for-e46m3

@jjjaacoobbb Instagram

[0-60motorsports]

Some kid on Instagram just discovered a Japanese tuner who realized the e46 m3 exhaust is "unequal". They made a section 1 with an unequal pipe layout to compensate for this difference in exhaust length in the headers to smooth out the s54 sound.

https://sunbeam8store.com/en-us/collections/e46m3/products/racing-front-pipe-for-e46m3

@jjjaacoobbb Instagram

Sunbeam are awesome. Now if they offered this with high quality cats and competitive pricing Vs SS......

[spooni]

Mostly this.

I did the GESI high flow cats when they were still for sale on Amazon, however I have no emissions testing or standards in my county, so I can't comment on passing smog with them. For the price, and being able to weld them directly int a factory section 1, it was a no brainer.

I'm fairly sensitive to smells, and I rarely/barely smell the system with the GESI's and Megan headers. Fitment of the Megan's was nearly as good as OE Euro and the construction of them is better than early years of agency power ect. I'm usually the Mr. Nothing from China poster, but the Megan's are certainly the exception

Power/sound wise, the car is no different than when I ran euro headers and s1 on a previous e46.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I was leaning something like this. I could make a trip to summit in Reno and grab some 49 state legal cats. What diameter is the oe section 1?

I know I’ve been told by a few people to avoid AA, but they make a bolt in catted section 1. So that’s also a possibility. There’s a local guy selling some Fabspeed headers for $600. Wonder if that AA S1 would mate up.

[spooni]

Euro headers and cats is the best bang for the buck. Esp if you live in California since you should be able to pass smog relatively easily.

I’ve yet to see euro cats for sale. Where’s the best place to hunt them down?

[Cubieman]

I’ve yet to see euro cats for sale. Where’s the best place to hunt them down?

Apparently they have CSL Sec. 1 for sale but they are quite expensive, look around the site, they may have the non-CSL Euro.

https://www.apmotorsport.co.uk/produ...s&currency=USD


Edit: 1 in stock

https://www.apmotorsport.co.uk/product-page/bmw-m3-csl-catalysts?currency=USD

[Nate047]

So is there a consensus about euro cats passing CA smog including visual inspection? Because in that long LA smog thread I thought we figured out that they will pass the sniff test, but it's a matter of finding a smog tech who doesn't look that closely, and hoping they don't look at the diagrams.

[Gearhead55]

Some kid on Instagram just discovered a Japanese tuner who realized the e46 m3 exhaust is "unequal". They made a section 1 with an unequal pipe layout to compensate for this difference in exhaust length in the headers to smooth out the s54 sound.

https://sunbeam8store.com/en-us/collections/e46m3/products/racing-front-pipe-for-e46m3

@jjjaacoobbb Instagram

Those are resonators in that piece, not cats, unfortunately. If they produced that with cats I would buy one immediately.

[usdmej]

Sunbeam are awesome. Now if they offered this with high quality cats and competitive pricing Vs SS......

Those are resonators in that piece, not cats, unfortunately. If they produced that with cats I would buy one immediately.

i sent them an email using google translate asking about a quality hfc option, haven't heard back yet

[Gearhead55]

i sent them an email using google translate asking about a quality hfc option, haven't heard back yet

I would 1000% put a deposit down on that if they will make it for us. I have a friend that speaks Japanese, should I ask if he can help translate or is google sufficient?

[ATB88]

So is there a consensus about euro cats passing CA smog including visual inspection? Because in that long LA smog thread I thought we figured out that they will pass the sniff test, but it's a matter of finding a smog tech who doesn't look that closely, and hoping they don't look at the diagrams.

I got through with euro headers and cats just fine a year ago in Pasadena. I have no idea if it's because they guy didn't check or care.

[Cronenberged]

Google translate.

This "Racing Front Pipe for BMW E46/M3" is a collaboration product between SunBeam and muffler manufacturer Volucano, just like the E92/M3.

E46/M3 has different exhaust manifold lengths, so the front pipes are made to have the same length.

In addition, during the production process, we asked Vehicle Engineering Company to provide a test product for us, and we conducted a power check by changing the standard pipe to a racing front pipe.

Compared to the stock 309 horsepower, it has increased by 11 horsepower to 320 horsepower.

It does not mean that the horsepower is increased only in one part, but the power and torque can be increased in the entire area.

Also, since I think many people already have a rear muffler installed, check the power in combination with a typical rear muffler.

As with E92/M3, the front pipe is the deciding factor for power up.

Furthermore, if you perform DME tuning with our partner Vehicle Engineering, you can expect an additional 10 horsepower increase in output. (If you do this DME tuning, the check engine light will not light up.)


Stainless Steel: Weight approx. 5.8KG
[Genuine front pipe weight approximately 11.9KG]

*The check engine light may also come on.
*Products for export

If the item is out of stock, it will be replenished within one month.