HF cat downpipe & CEL - NY Inspections

[woodchuck]

before I get a bunch of hate for not using the search bar - I know there's some good information out there, but a lot of that is quite dated. I want to make sure I'm getting relevant data to current tech and laws.

B8 A4, APR downpipe (pre EPA lawsuits). this is their high flow cat'd downpipe. Also have a AWE Touring cat-back system. I thought a j-pipe would eliminate the need for a stage 2 tune and let me build some play $$ back, silly me.... never bothered to get said stage 2 tune, and now I can't (apparently? please correct if wrong) because of these EPA lawsuits flying around.
My problem now is, it's difficult to pass inspections with the low efficiency bank2 CEL that I have 80% of the time. If I drive like a grandmother, it will go away eventually and I can get the inspection done.

So my question for all you wonderful gear heads that have played with this much more than myself... what do? Should I play with the insert on the J-pipe? are there other tunes out there that would de-sensitize the 2nd O2 sensor so I can pass natively? Are there tunes that let the 2nd O2 sensor still do it's think, just alter the variances on it? I'd prefer a system where I don't need to switch out parts.

And funny story... when I got this car from a used-car dealer... it had the stage 2 tune on it already apparently.... I tuned it with stage1 not too long after getting the car, didn't see any difference... odd! Buy downpipe, put on... notice the "stock" cat downpipe had no cat in it anymore - it was all bashed out. So had I just done the downpipe first, I wouldn't have any need for all this work... Hindsight is always 20/20!

[bakedziti]

The Roc-Euro 45° spacer used to work for me back in my B8 A4 days with a CTS HFC. The only time I ever ended up with a CEL was when it was super cold on the early morning commute and it only would kick off while getting onto RT5/the Skyway.

Anyway, not sure if Roc-Euro still makes the spacers or is even still in business, but they were an APR dealer too back in the day and are local to you per your location.

[woodchuck]

well I have a 45 spacer on already - j-pipe, w/e you wanna call it.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/vpe-11619
lost the other 2 inserts somewhere, i'm almost positive... Guess I could just order a new one.

did you use any insert? was it just a fixed size?

[bakedziti]

Well that just isn’t the same.

The one I’m speaking of was 2 pieces and had a chamber with a catted substrate.

I don’t see them on their website but I found an old image online.






The closest thing I could find.

https://sandanstore.com/product/1pcs...53121cb3ca3ad3

[woodchuck]

oh that's really neat. thank you!

[GIACuser]

The J will work fine but the inserts are the key. The system is looking for a significant differential between pre and post cat. You just need to run a smaller insert to expose the post sensor to less. Pretty much will have to run the smaller insert if you are tuned. Tuned cars run rich.