I've heard the 3rd cat refereed to as a dummy cat why is this
can someone please explain what it does and why it is called a dummy cat
is it actually a cat can it be removed legally and replaced with a higher flow cat or removed compleatly

3rd cat?

Sure you dont mean its a muffler?
No point in having a dummy cat fitted, the tooling costs dont make it viable for a pointless object.
And legally, no, cat converters cant be removed 'unless' replaced with a system that meets or exceeds the noise and pollution requirements of the OEM system

There's info here if you search.

It's also called a "white brick". It's a catalytic converter which does nothing because it doesn't contain any of the rare metals that do the "catalizing" (is there such a word?!).
The explanation I have heard before is that MMAL designed the 380 exhaust system to meet and exceed Euro 3 emissions regs, with three cats in the system.
But they found that the exhaust met Euro 3 regs without an operational 3rd cat.
However, by then, it was a bit late in the design phase and it would have cost a bomb to redesign the exhaust system to delete the third cat.
So the quickest and cheapest way was to keep the third cat in the system, but with a "dummy" core containing no expensive rare metals.

"catalizing"

Almost . . . try "catalysing".

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Catalysing

Me? Pedantic? Never! lol

Interesting info on the white brick though.

To confirm I had CCC cat converters test the third cat from one of our wrecks and they confirmed that there were absolutely no precious materials in this third cat at all so is not just hear say.

If you choose to remove it, although you have not changed anything as such emmissions wise, trying to prove that to the average mechanic doing an inspection or the EPA for that matter would be interesting

I'd just fit one of these http://www.frozenboost.com/dsm-intercooler-piping/high-flow-cat-p-572.html

It's also called a "white brick". It's a catalytic converter which does nothing because it doesn't contain any of the rare metals that do the "catalizing" (is there such a word?!).
The explanation I have heard before is that MMAL designed the 380 exhaust system to meet and exceed Euro 3 emissions regs, with three cats in the system.
But they found that the exhaust met Euro 3 regs without an operational 3rd cat.
However, by then, it was a bit late in the design phase and it would have cost a bomb to redesign the exhaust system to delete the third cat.
So the quickest and cheapest way was to keep the third cat in the system, but with a "dummy" core containing no expensive rare metals.

Thanks for the clarification TreeAdeyMan I was just curious about this white brick dummy cat thing
Funnily enough i saw on yesterday day off a car and sure enough theres nothing there
I bought some headers with the cats removed as I'm in 2 minds as to wether i will use the extractors I have or stock headers without cats being that so many people have had issues with RPW extractors
I have 2 options with cats 1 being a single 400 cell ceramic which will pass emissions or a pair of 200 cell metal cats which may be touch and go for emissions both cat sections are 1 into 2 and a easy change out for testing
Duel exhaust soon
But the blower will be first set up stock as per TMR set up

To confirm I had CCC cat converters test the third cat from one of our wrecks and they confirmed that there were absolutely no precious materials in this third cat at all so is not just hear say.

If you choose to remove it, although you have not changed anything as such emmissions wise, trying to prove that to the average mechanic doing an inspection or the EPA for that matter would be interesting

Cheers Mal
As I mentioned to TreeAdeyMan I was curious about the whys and wheres of this 3rd cat thing
Once the blower is in the whole exhaust will be changed out for duels
This is not going to be a backyard job full certification will be in place once complete
I dont want any unnecessary hassles with Police RTA or insurance or any other legislative bodys
Thanks for the info on the cat and the heads up on inspections and EPA

Do one thing at a time....fit the blower.

The exhaust will be one headache after another.

The "400 cpi" cat system is probably a mess.

The TMR380 setup is completely stock exhaust..including the dummy cat....it's quiet, refined, roadworthy.

My opinion?

Make your GTL a supercharged class act...not a boy racer, twang twang, boof boof, engine checklight flashing , mess.

With the intercooler setup you will still have the fastest supercharged 380 on this forum....
but instead of 201kw atw you might end up with 199...
so why bother messing with the exhaust?


.

Andrew, I gotta agree with zilo.
I spent several thousand $ on my old 380 on extractors and dual exhaust systems, much of that on about six different pairs of rear mufflers trying to get a decent performance gain without excessive noise or drone. I tried pairs of Magnaflows, Berklees, stockers, all sorts of different cats and resonators, and never achieved the result I was after.
In my opinion it is not possible to achieve that result with RPW extractors and dual exhausts, and the RPW extractors are the main problem.
The best sound I had was from the second muffler I fitted, a single Berklee, with everything else stock.
Save your money, don't bother fitting extractors or a hi-flo cat, and if you want to fit dual exhausts for the "balanced" look just get another stock rear muffler, same as the TMR.

Do one thing at a time....fit the blower.

The exhaust will be one headache after another.

The "400 cpi" cat system is probably a mess.

The TMR380 setup is completely stock exhaust..including the dummy cat....it's quiet, refined, roadworthy.

My opinion?

Make your GTL a supercharged class act...not a boy racer, twang twang, boof boof, engine checklight flashing , mess.

With the intercooler setup you will still have the fastest supercharged 380 on this forum....
but instead of 201kw atw you might end up with 199...
so why bother messing with the exhaust?


.

Thanks Zilo I can always count on your grounded advice sometimes I get carried away with myself lol
Right now Im removing for sale the doof doof sub and amp lol but seriously its coming out
as you know I have the second muffler section as well as the complete duel exhaust and extractors but the stock set up as you previously suggested is the right way to go i know this i just dream sometimes and forget about the headaches likely to follow you've been there lol just need a hanger and the 1 into 2 section easy peasey lemon squeezey
Im sure I can move on the duels easy enough just grabed them in case same with the stock headers too cheap to pass up
I have PMéd you let me know If all is well
thanks for the reality check

This is your blower in the manual 380 that it came out of Andrew16.

real shame what RPW did to that car.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWNyPY98v-g

This is your blower in the manual 380 that it came out of Andrew16.

real shame what RPW did to that car.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWNyPY98v-g
I'm so excited! !!!!