Catalitic Converter

[stefan]

My exhaust is cracked off right before the cat. And with 260,000kms its probably close to plugged. If i just remove it and put in a straight pipe, how will my exhaust sound? Will it be louder? What are my options, because i like a quiet exhaust system.

[monkeyracing]

It will be louder.

[stefan]

loud LOUD, like it is now with the pipe cracked off at the cat, or just a bit louder?

[skeeters_keeper]

it won't be as loud as with it cracked, thats for sure, but i bet with a really quite muffler you could make it as quite or quieter than stock even w/o the cat... if your stock muffler is good and your going to keep that, then.. well its up to you. it will be louder than w/ the cat, but not that loud...

[elcamino1]

Put a new cat back on it lets try to keep the air clean.

[oxbrain]

Doesn't do much if you don't live in a city. NOx emissions break down pretty quick, cities just get overpolluted from the sheer amount of cars/trucks running.

I would run one anyway because without it your car will smell like an old truck. The cat makes it smell a lot nicer.

[Bowls]

it doesn't really matter where you live, if your in a city, all your doing is contributing and making it worse, doesn't matter how much everyone else is making.
It is illegal not to have a cat, personally i think its better to just put one on, deal with it, than get the fine. Especially considering its the only planet we got to live on eh?
and yes it will be LOUD!

[rotinaj13]

it doesn't really matter where you live, if your in a city, all your doing is contributing and making it worse, doesn't matter how much everyone else is making.
It is illegal not to have a cat, personally i think its better to just put one on, deal with it, than get the fine. Especially considering its the only planet we got to live on eh?
and yes it will be LOUD!

No thanks I will take mars!! Umm as for the sound it will have a more beefy sound like you put a cherry bomb or something to the effect on. I have also seen them make a crackle when going down hills in a low gear. I have two cars with them and two without. As far as saving the planet is concerned it is like the idea of a smog pump lets rob 50-100 hp for an idea that doesn't help that much.

[WmWatt]

Don't understand "Close to plugged". As long as the car passes the emissions test it's okay. There is quite a scam to get people to replace converters when they are really okay. Midas, where I have a lifetime guarantee on the muffler, was trying to get me to replace mine before Ontario brought in testing. They told me the converter was decomposing and blowing stuff back into the muffler, when in fact the muffler was rusting out, as all mufflers do. When Ontario brought in emission testing and I had to take the car in, it passed with very low carbon readings. Nothing wrong with the converter at all.

If you think it's plugged you could do the plugged exhaust test with a vaccum guage plugged into the carburettor or the PCV socket on the valve cover. Look in file www.ncf.ca/~ag384/Cars.htm for a description on how to diagnose vacuum guage readings.

I still have the original converter on my carburetted '89, but the car only has 106k km on it.

[stefan]

well thats what im looking at

[festivaWES]

holly crap!! Replace the cat IMO.

[warlocke]

it doesn't really matter where you live, if your in a city, all your doing is contributing and making it worse, doesn't matter how much everyone else is making.
It is illegal not to have a cat, personally i think its better to just put one on, deal with it, than get the fine. Especially considering its the only planet we got to live on eh?
and yes it will be LOUD!

acutally in the states the cat is not illegal on all vehicles

if the vehicle came from the factory w/o a cat then id does not have to have a cat, if it came w/ a cat then it has to have one.


just an observation =)

[rotinaj13]

Well for one you are looking at more than just a cat. You need to down pipe repaired since it cracked off right b4 the cat. Now as far as the cat goes it is up to you. one way or another. I do not think they are worth what they cost. To me it would be like replacing a smog pump. hmmm why bother in my eyes.

[WmWatt]

Appears to be solid. It's an afterburner so it's bound to look like the inside of a woodstove. If you can get the old pipe flange off the front end I'd just install the new pipe and save the $200 or so for a new converter. It's supposed to be an ECONOMY car.

[stefan]

im gonna try get the old pipe flange off the cat. aside from this spot my downpipe is still in good condition, so i'd like to just cut off 6" or so and weld a piece in with a new flange.. any idea where i can get a new flange that i can just weld to a piece of pipe? or a short piece of pipe with a flange already on it?