I'm working to get my "new" car smogged. I thought all I'd need was a catalytic converter under the car and a stock air cleaner assembly. I called NAPA to price the cat. The guy said there are two cats, and the one I didn't know about costs almost $500. Now I'm worried that I've bitten off more than I can afford to chew.

Can anyone tell me if I am indeed supposed to have TWO catalytic converters? This exhaust manifold definitely looks different than the diagrams I've found, but none of the diagrams on the parts sites show what comes after the exhaust manifold. I'm guessing it's the first cat.

Do you think I'll pass a California sniff test if I just put in the second cat and the tester "overlooks" the missing first cat? I'm starting to think maybe I'll just drive this car until the registration expires and then sell it to someone for a parts car, even though it runs and drives great.

I just don't want to start sinking tons of money into getting the thing smogged. Maybe the previous owner did some other things to the engine that will cause it to fail. I don't know.

 

Nope, just one cat right after the header under the car is the only one you need. I know some civics have the Cat on the header.

 

just go to muffler shop and get a universal cat put on. should cost about 100.00. or get a direct fit from advance auto parts for 140.00

 

Okay. Thanks. That's good news. I was starting to freak out a little bit. I have to hunt down a stock air cleaner assembly and get one cat. I can't afford another one at the price the guy quoted.

Does that manifold look stock to you? I think I found a pretty cool smog guy, but if something looks WAY out of line I don't know if he can ignore it.

 

No, that is an Ebay 4-2-1 header. Not stock.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HONDA-CIVIC-CRX-DEL-SOL-88-00-D15-D16-VTEC-STAINLESS-EXHAUST-HEADER-GASKET-BOLTS-/121040960115?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item1c2e9a7a73&vxp=mtr

 

Thanks, that helps. I'll see if I can find one of those too.

 

FYI you cannot use a universal cat in CA. I bought the correct CA compliant cat for my car (same car) last year and it cost roughly $240 including labor. Coincidently I bought another one for my daily (94 Civic) yesterday and it cost almost $280 including labor.

 

Based on my recent research, you can't even buy non CARB compliant cats in California, and nobody will ship them here either. The cheapest I found in Eureka is $300 installed. I can get a direct fit Magnaflow for $257 and put it in myself.

I knew this car was going to be a project for only $600, but right now I gotta do a bunch of unexpected crap just to get it registered. Oh well, it's a learning experience. Right? Riiiiiiggghhhhhht....

 

Yup! Teaching you bigger government will always cost you more money! But for $600, you really can't complain. I also doubt the junkyard will have your cat, I think they scrap those right?

 

Yeah, they can't sell used cats at the junkyard. I don't know what they do with them. BUT....

I just found out if the car is transferred to a family member you don't have to smog it. I got the car from my brother, so now I can worry about the transmission. All I had to do was fill out this form http://www.dmv.ca.gov/forms/reg/reg256.pdf and sign it.

 

I believe that is only bypassing smog for the title transfer itself. If it has up to date registration you'll be fine but if it has lapsed you'll still need to smog to get new stickers.

 

Junkyard recycles the cats for precious metal - platinum I believe.

There was (and still might be) a big chain of cat thefts going on a couple years ago. People would park their truck or SUV while the go to work, into a store, or at home and come out to an open exhaust. Cat would get sold on eBay or black market recycled.
It got so bad that there are even anti-theft devices http://www.catclamp.com/

 

^Still goes on here in San Diego, local muffler shop put on their facebook page that they will tack weld the cat bolts if asked so that they can't be removed. They mentioned the targeted vehicles are the Toyota and Nissan trucks mainly.

 

i have an aftermarket universal cat (put on by the previous owner) and i pass.

ive never even seen the smog guy look under the car.

as long as it passes the sniffer, they have no reason to look.

if youd like to find the regulation that says "you cannot use a universal cat in CA", then ok... but in my experience, they wouldnt enforce it even if it were. so no biggie.

then again, my engine looks stock (its not completely, but nearly is) so i dont give them a reason to bother to check anything other than the standard hoses and stuff during visual.

 

My mistake, I should've rephrased that as you cannot BUY them in CA anymore (at least legally, the shop gets fined if they get caught). You're right though, nothing against already having them in place and I haven't had a smog tech actually check but I did have the smog REF raise an eyebrow at me for mine (CATCO hi flow).

 

^^
I've had them look under the car with a mirror on a stick to verify that I actually had a cat, but they don't go poking around to see if the cat is marked showing that it is California certified.
also, using the term "universal" isn't really correct. Magnaflow offers 50 state universals that meet both Federal and California requirements.

 

The term "universal" doesn't mean it won't pass in California. It means it has to be welded in. The cats come as either "universal" or "direct fit." The direct fit ones have the bolt-hole flanges built into the pipes so you can install them easily. Universal ones just have pipes sticking out with no flanges and require you to cut out the old one and weld the new one in.

The labels for California vs everywhere else are "CARB Certified" or "49-state."

 

You bring up a good point "4drEF" since I use that term incorrectly. I understand it to mean something else but you're right, it's technically incorrect basically for the [literal] reasons "haydeon" pointed out.

 

Hey? just noiticed something in the original pic with the header.
Car has a water leak. Everything is green.

 

I'll look into that. Thanks. I haven't seen any leaks, and I had the car running for about 20 minutes with hood open the other day when I locked the keys inside while showing it to some friends at the grocery store. :\

 

This is what I meant by universal. It has to be welded in, not bolted in.