Question: Catalytic converters

[401KVet]

;help My Vette still has the original with 42,800 miles. I've heard by replacing it with a new one such as the one I've seen at Eckler's, they call it The Super cat. Con.. Woo nelly!, that everthing will be better.

Are the new ones that much better. Should I get better fuel and performance.

Way back when you could just get the replacement pipe, and take the conv. complety off. I don't know it you can still get those.

I don't want to replace my whole ex. system now, just improve things somewhat.

Recommendations ?????

 

[6880 Mike]

Catcon technology has changed the same as everything else. Newer cats have better flow and clean better.

You won't be retiring on fuel savings and you may not notice an increase in horsepower.

It's now against the law almost everywhere to replace a catcon with a "test pipe." Your muffler shop will tell you they can't legally make the swap. For that reason, you almost never see them in the aftermarket catalogues anymore.

 

[duke94]

This place has a good unit.

Random Technology

 

[401KVet]

Thank You

 

[Hib Halverson]

Here's the other side of the story.

You want to be a skeptical consumer when shopping aftermarket cats. Some, but not all, are substandard products which main contain an insufficient quantity of reactants. In some cases, this means the cat won't last as long as did the OE cat and in a few cases, won't even have enough reactant for the cat to adequately catalyze the exhaust. If that happens, the car may flunk an emissions test, even though the cat is brand new.

 

[centsless]

Hib is correct. Also, while it is near impossible to get caught, it is against federal law to replace a converter without sufficient reason. No one would probably ever be able to do anything about it, but it is the law. I had to research converter replacements for our police car fleet, that is how I know.

 

[401KVet]

Even for earlier models such as my 80 Vette?? Here in Louisana, they don't do the sniff test until after 1984, they only look to see if it's install.

 

[centsless]

Yup. Like I said, I would do what you want. Especially if the state does not have any emissions requirements. I was just passing the Federal information on. It is a weird law. How about this: If you are driving your vehicle and the converter falls off, you stop and pick it up. You then drive to the closest muffler shop and ask them to re install it. They can not. It is against federal law for them to install a used converter that has not been "certified"! Unless they physically remove the converter, they can not re install it! I don't know who came up with it, but it is true! Our fleet liason asked us to remove the cats off of one police car and install them on another car. I told him it was against the law, and he made me prove it. That is how I had to research it. We did swap the cats for him, but we all did learn from it. The best thing to do would be to have a reputable shop perform a backpressure test if you think the converter is failing. If you are simply looking to increase performance a little, then a hi-perf cat wont hurt, but I think the gain would be minimal. Do the cat and the mufflers, then if it doesn't perform any better, at least it will sound like it is!

 

[401KVet]

Thanks for the lead from duke94, I just ordered a stainless steel High Flow Cat. from Random Tec.. $220.00. I'll let everyone know if I feel any difference on performance. It does have the original cat on now.
Hey!! my part for the environment.

 

[duke94]

You will be surprised at how HEAVY the original one is.

 

[401KVet]

Very Heavy:

You will be surprised at how HEAVY the original one is.

Man you were right. The old cat. must weight abouts 20lbs compare to the new one which is about 7 or 8lbs. The think I have notice that it may be a more responsive.

 

[bradfordsvettes]

If the old cat is a bead type which would be flat instead of round you may find an increase in power the bead type were quite restrictive as for the new ones I really think you would be wasting your money unless it was bad or you were looking for all out performance at high rpms.They are all honeycomb design now with very little restriction just my 2 cents Steve

 

[401KVet]

CAT CON.

If the old cat is a bead type which would be flat instead of round you may find an increase in power the bead type were quite restrictive as for the new ones I really think you would be wasting your money unless it was bad or you were looking for all out performance at high rpms.They are all honeycomb design now with very little restriction just my 2 cents Steve

Yes, the original one that I took off was the flat type. I thought there was a pretty good chance it needed to be replaced. My Vette only has 48,000 miles, but it is almost 29 years old.

 

[Jack]

Right or wrong ... I believe a well-tuned, 4-cycle, non-cat car/light truck has minimal impact on environment. Also consider how many miles-hours special-interest car operates/year.

When/where smognazis do NOT sniff ... I'd have been inclined to gut the cat of it's innards & put it back in place. It's not uncommon for old cats to have blown their guts out into the muffler anyway.