Are all catalytic converters created equil?

I need to replace mine. My brother can get one from honda for $830. Napa has one for $120... ...and there is one on ebay for 15 bux.

What do you guys think of this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...ZWDVW

 

i would go with the magnaflow carsound cat . works great and not that much either ..bought mine new off ebay for 60 bucks shipped

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by dewoine &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i would go with the magnaflow carsound cat . works great and not that much either ..bought mine new off ebay for 60 bucks shipped</TD></TR></TABLE>

I agree car sound cats are great- oem dont waste your money unless you can pick one up from a junk yard for cheapo - ebay that bish and you will most likely need flanges and a bell welded on

 

Are honda cats really $830? Damn. PM wantboost to see how much he can get them for. May be able to get you a better deal depending on where your brother is on the Honda foodchain.

 

I got mine at a junk yard for $50.00, complete exhaust manifold and cat. I had to use a torch to heat up the front pipe bolts at the bottom. They were rusted solid. After torching them to red hot, and a slight cool-down, add a little pb-blaster or Kroil, the nuts came off clean, no thread damage.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by LeonardDB &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I got mine at a junk yard for $50.00, complete exhaust manifold and cat. I had to use a torch to heat up the front pipe bolts at the bottom. They were rusted solid. After torching them to red hot, and a slight cool-down, add a little pb-blaster or Kroil, the nuts came off clean, no thread damage.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Are you talking about the bolts from the Cat to the midpipe? Mine had like 1" of rust all the way around. I said **** it and went to town with a grinder and crowbar.

 

i wouldnt' buy a used cat (junkyard). they get clogged up over time and don't flow as well. magnaflow carsound gets my vote too. Under $60 shipped on ebay.

 

Nobody here can really ehlp you until you answer this question:

What year and make is the car?

Some Civics have the catalytic convertor inside the exhaust manifold, in which case you might as well buy the Honda one if he plans on keeping the vehicle stock. If the cat is inside the manifold then the only way to run an aftermarket cat is to buy a exhaust manifold or header for models that had the cat under the engine (like most cars) and then cut your exhaust shorter and have the aftermarket cat put in between the new exhaust manifold/header and the now shortened exhaust.

If the car is a 1996-up then the chances of any aftermarket cat lasting over a year without throwing a "catalyst efficiency low bank 1" check engine code are very slim.

If the car is a 1992-1995 Si, LX, EX, or Dx then aftermarket cats are the way to go for sure. No check engine bullshit, and no cat in the manifold.


Modified by B18C5-EH2 at 10:43 AM 8/25/2005

 

1999 Civic EX VTEC D16Y8
Cat is under the car by the shift linkage...
Basicly, heres what happened...
My car has been loosing power in a bad way over the past year...
I had to floor it to get it up to speed. No pickup at all, it took like 10 seconds to get up to 45.
The other day I had it floored in 2nd gear trying to get up to speed, just passed 30 MPH & BOOM!!!!!!
This big cannon sound went off under my car...
Everyone was lookin' around in this intersection to see who got shot or something...
All of the sudden my exhaust was REALLY loud and I had all my pick up back.
Works fine, all but the exhaust coming up from where my shifter is and its LOUD!!!

I figure the cat was clogged and there was enough pressure to blow a hole in it or a weld or something...

Do you think I need to replace the manifold... Get headers?
I dont really care if the car is stock... as long as it works and no cheap crap is put on... ...but, then again... I dont want to spend 800+ on a cat...

 

buy a magnaflow cat on ebay, take it to a muffler shop and tell them what happened. They'll install the cat and fix your leak pretty cheap. You'll prob be out $100-$150 for the cat and labor.

 

random technology makes decent aftermarket cats also.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jayswift &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">random technology makes decent aftermarket cats also.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Random technology makes great aftermarket cats, but they are not cheap. He can get a magnaflow cat and install for less than the cost of a universal random technology cat.

 

Man... I must have gotten ripped off... Have a look at these pix...
I thought cats had a a mesh inside that the exhaust flows through...
This looks more like a resonator doesnt it?
Why then does it have the mounts just like the cat mounts?
Is this a cat?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by chrisknight &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Man... I must have gotten ripped off... Have a look at these pix...
I thought cats had a a mesh inside that the exhaust flows through...
This looks more like a resonator doesnt it?
Why then does it have the mounts just like the cat mounts?
Is this a cat?



</TD></TR></TABLE>

That's a test pipe dude.

 

it looks like a resonator made to fit where the cat goes. I have a test pipe, and its just a piece of pipe, not quite the same as that.

 

You should have researched more. Those ebay ones are mostly testpipes.

 

What the hell is a test pipe?
Im guessing I cant use this and have the right back pressure, right?

They dont do exhaust tests where I live... Should I get a real cat for it?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by chrisknight &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">What the hell is a test pipe?
Im guessing I cant use this and have the right back pressure, right?

They dont do exhaust tests where I live... Should I get a real cat for it?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Right backpressure? lol

Just install the test pipe and be done with it it. You probable won't even notice a difference. Your car might be a little louder, faster, and smell a little worse.

 

I would see if I could sell that first, and then get a high flow cat.

If you can't sell it you might as well use it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by chrisknight &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">What the hell is a test pipe?
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Just a piece of pipe, nothing more. That is not a test pipe, it is a resonator, but it will serve the same function a test pipe does. Your exhaust will be louder and kind of raspy with it, but you'll have a little more HP.

 

I don't see a bung for a secondary O2. It's not a test pipe because it is bowed out in the middle and has a mesh inside on the walls. My test pipe is straight without anything inside. Just call up NOPI or something and get a Magnaflow cat for about $90. Mine is working fine and I have the secondary O2 attached with no codes.

EDIT: The OEM cat is around $1000 +/- 200 depending on where you go. Only because it is warrantied for 80K or 8 years, something like that. Get a cheaper one.

 

Look at the back right side. Looks kinda like an O2 bung, but its on the back part of it instead of the front.

Is that the ebay one?

 

That looks like the catalytic converters that are all over ebay...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by blaze the chemi &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> Just call up NOPI or something and get a Magnaflow cat for about $90. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Ebay has magnaflow carsound cats at under $60 shipped, just make sure you buy a magnaflow brand one.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by LShatchie &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">That looks like the catalytic converters that are all over ebay... </TD></TR></TABLE>

that aren't really catalytic converters... I wish someone would police that site for false advertising.

 

It is the one that is all over e-bay... I got this from e-bay...
In my pic it has the O2 bung but to use it would be dumb on my car.
The end of the manafold under the car, right in front of the flange where the "test pipe" will mount there is the stock O2 bung less than 2 inches away.
I guess on some modles the sensor is located in the cat...

Im going to e-mail that guy & bitch him out! lol