My cat is rusted pretty good and probably needs replacing. the local shop quoted me $350! I saw Rodney Dickman had some nice DIY cats for a fraction of all that, but he is not stocking them anymore. Any suggestions?
If you get a generic, make sure of your pipe size. You can use stainless band clamps to join it. They work great. There is normally a little leakage though, and I use muffler tape on the seams as a backup seal.
You might also check Summit Racing as they have cats of various pipe sizes. I believe for our cars MagnaFlow was the brand of choice, in the 2" inlet / 2" outlet size. The last time I looked, a basic cat for the 2.8L V-6 was about $70 and was of the type that can be either welded or clamped on.
One of the TV shows I watch is on Velocity called Wheeler Dealers and when they do a repair they always use a exhaust paste/sealent on all their joints. Is there anything like that in the states, seems like it could help keep the fumes down a bit!
Guys..wonder, whats the point in replacing a Cat ???... Most guys I know just leave it off with no performance problems. Whats your opinion???
Depends where you live. Removing a cat will give you better performance, but if you are required to do emission tests in your state/province, then you need one installed that is in good shape and sized properly.
the removal of the cat will not cause a code when ever you remove the cat or muffler ,make the cut as close to the body as possible a new hack saw blade goes thru the exhaust pipe metal fast file or grind down welds always have inlet pipe male into cat female,, outlet male into female fiero store cats are reasonable,if you can not find a performance cat at a resonable price.. Fiero store cats are $120
[This message has been edited by uhlanstan (edited 12-20-2013).]
Guys..wonder, whats the point in replacing a Cat ???... Most guys I know just leave it off with no performance problems. Whats your opinion???
Leave it on. Most people wouldn't know a difference in performance anyway. Having it there or not isn't a large enough difference in performance. However, it does have an effect on the O2 sensor reading and efficiency of the engine, if you remove it, however small it may be. And the lack of a converter without some other important changes, will result in worse emissions, less low end torque, and smell horrible.
There's no good reason to just remove it. There are plenty of good reasons to keep it. And a brand new cat made in the last 12 months will perform a whole lot better than a 30 year old cat that came on the Fiero.
I had the car looked at today. Last night it left me a little puddle. It was leaking some transmission fluid. Fortunately it was from the oil coolant lines and was fixed at minimal expense. While the guy had it up in the air he took off the rusted outer skin. The inside while rusty, was fine. They ran a smoker through it and found it to be free of blockages and leaks.
My cat is rusted pretty good and probably needs replacing. the local shop quoted me $350! I saw Rodney Dickman had some nice DIY cats for a fraction of all that, but he is not stocking them anymore. Any suggestions?
Get this from the Fiero Store first (http://www.fierostore.com/Product/Detail.aspx?s=54401) for $40 bucks (there's a stainless one for another $20 bucks)
Then buy the Magnaflow catalytic converter. I suggest something that can flow a bit more CFM than the stock sized one. The Ocelot one that the Fiero Store is appropriately sized. It's a little bit bigger than what is considered stock. You'll get improved flow, but keep enough necessary back-pressure that our little motors need for that off-the-line snap.
