What does this mean?

[benfrogg]

Erik-
Good idea. Only bummer is then I can't sell the cat for some $ to pay for the new stuff. Last one of these I sold got me $70, if I remember right. I could have driving farther away and gotten more money too. (I'd do that this time)

I'm thinking an alternative is to hit the junkyard. I'm sure i'll find a raced out civic that I can get a header from for $25. The local yard gives me aftermarket parts for dirt!

One issue I've heard is that the 02 has to be in a 4 type one. It can't be in a header with only two pipes. That could be hard to get enough length out of the 02 wire to get down to where it goes to 1 under the oil pan.....
Can you confirm this suspicion? Any other reason not to run that 02 a little further down the line?
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[benfrogg]

I'd be looking for one like this in a yard (or just order this one!)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/88-00...Q5fAccessories

It has a port for an 02 at the union just before the rest of the system. I could cut/weld in a cat just after this setup with no ill effects. Maybe even put it where the resonator is?
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[GasSavers_Erik]

It would likely run hotter if it was in amongst the stream of all 4 cylinders- and it would likely give the ECU a more accurate reading of what was happening (lean vs rich).

But if you can't fix it any other way- then I say give it a try with the 4 into 2 header.

[add|ct]

I wonder if there was some way to clean out the cat other than just the method you posted above?

Obviously, it's probably too far plugged to run cleaners through the engine to try to clean it(like power foam etc???), but I wonder if there is anything to help a clogged cat chemically without causing it to be useless afterward?

Alternatively, have you checked out Eastern's lineup of 'direct OE' replacement cats?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Easte...Q5fAccessories

[benfrogg]

No, I don't think there's any other real way to clean a cat. Too bad really.

Observations:
It was a PITA to get the converter to stop leaking, even with the new gasket. I cleaned it up really good with a wire brush/steel wool and had to use muffler cement/ gasket cement to get it to stop leaking. I also had to grind down the manifold a little to get my new larger nuts to fit with a socket on it. Lame.

It drives differently. It doesn't drop down to idle as fast as it used to. That tells me there's less back pressure for sure. We'll see if there's any improvement in mpgs in the coming weeks.
I'd like to get a new cat at some point to bolt up.
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[VetteOwner]

yea play sand is the broken up honeycomb as mentioned above.

if u dont have emmisions id just get a tire iron and knock it all out, then trick the rear O2 if it has one then run it that way.

[benfrogg]

No emissions testing but that suggestion goes against what I'm doing it for. I still want a cat as they dramatically reduce pollution. I'm glad I don't have to meet emissions standards yet (as far as my wallet is concerned) but I do want to reduce pollution if I can.
Not to mention the fact that the cat on the car now is worth money if I take it to the metal place whole..... I can nearly offset the cost of a new universal cat that way.
I'm gonna scower the junkyards and see if I can find a cheap header (like $20-30) and put in an in-line cat after it. I'll have to extend the wires on the 02, but that's no biggie. I'm hoping to find a 4 into 1 instead of a 4 into 2 into 1. That way the 02 will be closer to the block.
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[benfrogg]

I'm looking at this one:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/OBX-4...Q5fAccessories
I could weld on a bolt/drill a hole at the 4 pipe union to keep the 02 close to the block.
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[VetteOwner]

well with it being currently clogged the cat is doing nothing but causing more polution haha.

anyways yea id say gte a stock header, get a pipe that goes down under the car, then use the adapters at the autostore and make a universal one fit. prolly will have to adapt some hangers and cut off the stock bolt on flanges but will save ALOT of money vs stock replacement.

[benfrogg]

Well, I've come to a decision. So far, I have no leaks after using gasket cement to seal everything up. It's obvious from the pile of converter on my garage floor that the cat can't be doing much. It's also obvious from how the car now acts that there was (and feasably still is) blockage at the cat.

My biggest fear of using a header and aftermarket cat is that the location of the 02 must be further down the line. This will mean that I have to extend the wiring harness to that location (which is such a crapshoot, but I'll deal) and the 02 will in theory run cooler. The latter means that I could effect mpgs in a negative way.

My solution is that I'm going to buy one of those cheap, ceramic coated headers from ebay or otherwise. I'll mount the 02 in a section of the header that has all 4 cylinders mated. I want the ceramic coated one because I intend to header wrap the whole unit to a little after the 02. That should keep things nice and hot to the 02. Because it's ceramic, it will be less likely to rot.
I'm running a full underbelly pan so moisture will be less of an issue.
I will mount a universal type cat in the line after the header, probably just before the resonator.

This should produce a noticeable power gain, which, if used for FE, should grant me some more FE.

Of course, all of this modification wont happen for a month or so, when I have a little more extra $.
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