Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Posted: **Tue Dec 04, 2007 10:35 am**

worth replacing for $250

or what should i do???

LWB with a G16A in her

Posted: **Tue Dec 04, 2007 10:41 am**

Well you have to have it for emissions, if youre caught youre in the poo, but the car doesnt actually need it to run if you do remove it.
See if you can get one second hand, it wont last as long obviously, but one of equivalent size and surface area should do fine from another vehicle second hand, say if ur mate has a wreck in the front yard.

Posted: **Tue Dec 04, 2007 10:51 am**

A good reason to replace or remove a cat convertor

My Cat Convertor got blocked up (60%) with carbon deposits.
Blocked Cat = Exhaust Gases Not Escaping = Cracked Engine Block

You can replace the crapped cat with a hot dog (Still Not Legal)

Posted: **Tue Dec 04, 2007 10:51 am**

A good reason to replace or remove a cat convertor

My Cat Convertor got blocked up (60%) with carbon deposits.
Blocked Cat = Exhaust Gases Not Escaping = Cracked Engine Block

You can replace the crapped cat with a hot dog (Still Not Legal)

Posted: **Tue Dec 04, 2007 11:05 am**

While over time Cats will block up, they can also block from poor engine tune. If you are running rich, the excess fuel can get down to the hot cat, melting the honeycomb section of the catalyst. Check that your engine hasnt has an issue too, otherwise you might be replacing more than one catalytic converter.

As for replacing or not - VN v6 cat, cheap as chips, and get a decent exhaust fitted at the same time. The fine for having no Cat is huge ($10,000 or somthing like that) as its an environmental violation.

Layto....

Posted: **Tue Dec 04, 2007 11:10 am**

just bash the centre out least it still looks like you got one

Posted: **Tue Dec 04, 2007 11:14 am**

mrRocky wrote:just bash the centre out least it still looks like you got one

Posted: **Tue Dec 04, 2007 3:26 pm**

Blocked cat?

Kick it in the arse

Posted: **Tue Dec 04, 2007 7:35 pm**

just cut the centre out and make it a straight through my son did it to his tx3 laser that way if the cops your sweet

Posted: **Tue Dec 04, 2007 10:10 pm**

hmmm makes me think
200-250 for the cat installed
plus i can sell my old one for $70 so if i get it done for say 230 its only costing me 160 and no messing about and its legal less hassles

Posted: **Tue Dec 04, 2007 10:13 pm**

also mine is welded to the exhaust line if it was bolted then i would consider allot easier but ite not so ye

cheers guys

Posted: **Tue Dec 04, 2007 10:18 pm**

how much is the VN V6 cat worth compared to a zuk? i would have thought the zuk one, even a vitara one, would be cheaper???

Posted: **Tue Dec 04, 2007 10:21 pm**

alien wrote:how much is the VN V6 cat worth compared to a zuk? i would have thought the zuk one, even a vitara one, would be cheaper???

well i would like to hope so have you seen how big a v6 commodore cat is compared to a zooks

Posted: **Wed Dec 05, 2007 7:44 am**

But it will flow much better. Plus i had one lying round when i destroyed my old exhaust. It was about 2 inch diamiter or so, so fitted the exhaust fine (if you have a 2 inch exhaust that is

)

Layto....

Posted: **Wed Dec 05, 2007 8:30 am**

that sounds like a good option for me then... with the 1.6 and weber going through extractors to the old 1.3 cat and out to a 2" pipe its definitely restricting things.

Posted: **Wed Dec 05, 2007 9:10 am**

just because you can get away with it doesn't mean its ethical. we all have to breath that shit.

Posted: **Wed Dec 05, 2007 10:06 am**

muppet_man67 wrote:just because you can get away with it doesn't mean its ethical. we all have to breath that shit.

+1

Layto....

Posted: **Wed Dec 05, 2007 1:00 pm**

Try_Me wrote:
alien wrote:how much is the VN V6 cat worth compared to a zuk? i would have thought the zuk one, even a vitara one, would be cheaper???
well i would like to hope so have you seen how big a v6 commodore cat is compared to a zooks

economy of scale... they sell a lot more commodore ones and will likely have it on the shelf....

it's whats in mine i must admit... about 100/120 from memory..

Spock

Posted: **Wed Dec 05, 2007 4:26 pm**

i like fumes

Posted: **Wed Dec 05, 2007 9:20 pm**

A) $250 is outrageous. New Cat's aren't that expensive.

B) V6 Commodore cats are a good fit. They are NOT much bigger than a stock sierra one, and the advantage is that they are 2.25" and have two bolt flanges at both ends, making it very easy to pull the exhaust apart later on. They are also very cheap second hand. I have one on my 660 car. That car didn't even have one on it in Japan, and neither did the original 1.0, but the cat makes me feel nice and looks like I am trying if anyone looks under the car. They're also very strong compared to suzuki cats.

C) Ahhh, outers and the dodgy fix. If you have gutted your cat, please don't advise other people to do it on here. Its illegal, unethical, and there is no benefit over a properly working cat. likewise, please don't tell anyone to remove a cat where the engine was required to have one. My car will run without seatbelts too, but that doesn't make it right.

Lil loki, not having a go, but I think you might have been fed a bit of a line here by someone.

A) Can you explain how the carbon deposits got into your cat
B) a 60% blocked cat will still flow better than the 1.5" pipe on each end of it, the CFM ratings of most cat cores are higher than the pipe going into and out of them
C) How did it crack your block?

Steve.

Posted: **Thu Dec 06, 2007 6:59 am**

FFS I have had enough of Fwits hollowing out cats. I know people who spends thousands of dollars on making their cars faster and skimp by hollowing out cats. I got a whole 2 inch system with high flow cat and straight through muffler including a new flange for the header to suit the G13B installed for $500. Stop being such a cheap skate.

Oh and by the way, all those people who say you'll be right if the cops pull you over are wrong. A functioning cat is very hot when compared to a straight pipe. Police have carried laser heat guns for years to test if a cat is hollowed out. So If you can afford the massive (read some thousands of dollars) EPA fines then go ahead. idiot.

Posted: **Thu Dec 06, 2007 8:18 am**

Those of you fitting commodore cats, and you welding them in yourselves? or specifically asking for a commodore one at the shop? If your welding them yourselves, do you use a MIG at lowish amps? I'm new to welding, just wondering. Fluxcore wire good enough, etc etc... I guess this shoud be relevent to any DIY exhaust fixes.

Posted: **Thu Dec 06, 2007 9:03 am**

Highway-Star wrote:Those of you fitting commodore cats, and you welding them in yourselves? or specifically asking for a commodore one at the shop? If your welding them yourselves, do you use a MIG at lowish amps? I'm new to welding, just wondering. Fluxcore wire good enough, etc etc... I guess this shoud be relevent to any DIY exhaust fixes.

Mine was flanged... but any exhaust welding use a mig and it's just thin sheetmetal... same technique, just more annoying angles to work with... if you are doing it this way i'd suggest dropping the exhaust out for better access to ensure a complete weld.

Spock

Posted: **Thu Dec 06, 2007 9:08 am**

A bit off topic... but more modern engines have a pre and post cat sensor.

These systems monitor cat operation so removing or hollowing out will cause engine DTC's to be displayed.

So back on topic - get a Commodore cat, ethical, legal, and not that expensive.

Posted: **Thu Dec 06, 2007 9:21 am**

Commodore cats actually flow extremely well, when doing my 2.5" system on my V8 commodore, i asked if i should replace the restrictive cat, and got told by a few people that they just cut out the ends of the cat to fit larger pipe as they will still flow excellent.

Posted: **Thu Dec 06, 2007 9:56 am**

Pinball wrote: Mine was flanged... but any exhaust welding use a mig and it's just thin sheetmetal... same technique, just more annoying angles to work with... if you are doing it this way i'd suggest dropping the exhaust out for better access to ensure a complete weld.

Spock

Thats what I was wondering about, I know those bloody things are thin metal, had dads old one sitting here for a while untill he went and cashed it in when my exhasut got done. My problem is I've got my new pipe and headers, but the cat is what remains of the original that came with the car.

Yeah dropping the exhaust is the only way, just takes a very long time when its one piece from the headers to the tail

.

Thanks

Posted: **Thu Dec 06, 2007 1:46 pm**

Just got a generic one fitted, $175 and legal.

Posted: **Thu Dec 06, 2007 5:08 pm**

Gwagensteve wrote:A) $250 is outrageous. New Cat's aren't that expensive.

B) V6 Commodore cats are a good fit. They are NOT much bigger than a stock sierra one, and the advantage is that they are 2.25" and have two bolt flanges at both ends, making it very easy to pull the exhaust apart later on. They are also very cheap second hand. I have one on my 660 car. That car didn't even have one on it in Japan, and neither did the original 1.0, but the cat makes me feel nice and looks like I am trying if anyone looks under the car. They're also very strong compared to suzuki cats.

C) Ahhh, outers and the dodgy fix. If you have gutted your cat, please don't advise other people to do it on here. Its illegal, unethical, and there is no benefit over a properly working cat. likewise, please don't tell anyone to remove a cat where the engine was required to have one. My car will run without seatbelts too, but that doesn't make it right.

Lil loki, not having a go, but I think you might have been fed a bit of a line here by someone.

A) Can you explain how the carbon deposits got into your cat
B) a 60% blocked cat will still flow better than the 1.5" pipe on each end of it, the CFM ratings of most cat cores are higher than the pipe going into and out of them
C) How did it crack your block?

Steve.

Hi Steve,

Carbon Deposits (Most likely mixture too rich/unburnt fuel).
Prior to the cracked block I was getting water in the oil.
Check head gasket, pressure tested the head and reconditioned the headâ€¦ and after all this I was still getting water in the oil. When I had the head reconditioned, I had a set of extractors and 2" system added as well. At this time the exhaust fitters showed me the cat and it was heavily blocked. A couple of months before this the car was lacking a bit of power because the carby was due for a recon itself. Ended up buying a second hand recently recon'd carby from some dude that had put a Holley 180 on his zook and no longer needed his stock one.
Anyway, the exhaust fitter mentioned that blocked cats can reduce performance as well a f#%k up motors. A couple of other people have also said exhaust gases not escaping properly (because of a blocked cat?) could damage motor by causing it to overheat. The weekend prior to all this the temp gauge did get quite high, not in the red but close!!

At this time the head had been reconditioned, extractors fitted and I thought everything was OK. The following day I check my oil filler cap and it looked like Mocha againâ€¦ (Still getting water in the head)! But not overheating!

When I spoke to the guy's at Suziwest they said that it was very rare for the 1.3 engine block to crack, they also asked whether my mechanic had 'decked the block' before replacing the recon'd head (which he said didn't need doing because he checked the block and it was fine). They also said overheating could have cracked the block.

I feel that
1) Loss of power prior to all this was because of 2 thingsâ€¦
a) Carb needed kitting
b) Cat was blocked
2) Cracked blockâ€¦ I don't think that I'll be able to pin point the exact cause. I did all my own services every 6 months and took great care.
The only time it ever got close to overheating was the weekend prior to the head work. However so, when I did see the blocked cat it was looking like the lungs of a chain smoker and so I ask myself, 'were they right about the hot exhaust gases not efficiently being expelled'. Was this the reason??

Any thoughts

Darren

Posted: **Fri Dec 07, 2007 7:51 pm**

Im afraid ive never seen a block crack from a blocked catalytic converter