What is this

I am wondering what the northstar throttlebody is? Also the U-BEND delete, is that the catalytic section or what is the u bend.....Thanks phil

Okay... Cadillac has an engine called a NorthStar V8.... a NorthStar throttle body is an upgrade option for those with a Supercharged 3.8 to upgrade to and get a little more air into the engine.  It is really just a throttle body off a NorthStar V8.
 
A u-bend is not part of the catalytic converter.  From the front to the back, when you go past the catalytic converter, the pipe bends down, and the oxygen sensor is screwed into the top of it.  It squares out here as well.  A u bend delete can be done by many exhuast shops, they just cut the u bend out, drill a hole in a regular piece of pipe, and put hte oxygen sensor in at an angle instead of protecting it with a u bend.  The u bend was something GM did to sacrifice power for what they thought would be slightly more reliabiliy.  If you like offroading in your Monte, then don't remove the u bend.  otherwise, for $30-40 you can have it removed.
 
Somebody around here has a picture of the ubend to better illustrate what it is. 
 
Hope this helps...
 
 
Duane

Oh ok, well i just have an 01 mc with the 3.4, so the throttle boby on the 3.4 and the 3.8 are not interchangable? That is a perfect description of a u bend. Is a u bend mod good for a couple of tenths in the 1/4 mile you think?  Thanks  

i iddn't see any better number when i had mine cut out.  these guys claim it helps, but personally i think its in there head.  my numbers don't show any difference.  actualy, i think i picked up like 5 hundreths, or about half a tenth.  that could have been the weather..  they say it picks up 4-5 hp.  thats not enough to really make much of a difference so.... i don't know. 

if you have a 3.4 the northstar throttle body will be too much.  and i'm not so sure if a 3.8 and 3.4 are interchangable or not.  heres a good site to check out, ZZPerformance does a lot to work on the 3.8 GM engine and performacne... but htey have stuff for a 3.4 too i think.

www.zzperformance.com  go to the Grand Prix section, all of htes tuff there fits a Monte Carlo.  i do'nt know if the other 3 cars there on the home page ever came with a 3.4 or not, so you may be better off going to one of those sections.

sure it helps to do the mod.  50hp is about a tenth at the track.  if you picked up 5/100th's off the u bend delete, the mod served you well!   

I have a 07 MC.  I had my flowmaster put on last week.  I did not see this ubent.  Is it not on the 06-07 MC's?

i do'ntk now... my times by almost that much every time depending on how i get off the line.  i think 50 hp is more than a tenth at teh track. 
 
the 06-07 monte's did not have the u bend.  this was only 00-05's

the 3800 and 3400 TB are not interchangable.  they are diff engines... also when you say 3.8 and 3.4 they refer to much older engines and not the engine either of you have the 3.8L was 92 and older the the 3.4L is the DOHC like my car.
 
60degreeV6.com has TB upgrades for the 3400 and also the grandam section at ZZP might have them.  http://milzymotorsports.com/ also carries stuff for the 3400.
 
 
as for perf gained from the Ubend.  you prob wont feel it... the main gain prob will be in throtle responce.  and as you get more mods it will make more and more diff.  (just like breathing out your mouth.. if your mouth is open... there isnt much diff if you try opening even more and exhaling...same concept)