Quote:
Originally Posted by hmong337
I know that. I will have to install one downstream.
$40 headers
$50 cat
$50 install
Still cheaper than a cast unit from a 96-00 that won't properly fit my oil-dip-stick.
Still didn't find an answer to this though...
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Though your car might be more likely to fail smog. The reason Honda put the catalytic converter near the engine wasn't to pass emissions when it was new, it was to make sure the car wouldn't fail emissions by the 100K mile mark. Most cars even with the most screwy of setups (imagine a catalytic converter that was mounted where the muffler would be!) will pass emissions in a brand new car... The reason why they moved the cat from the mid section of the car to the front is because a cat that gets nice and hot is one that works more efficiently and so, over time, despite the catalyst efficiency dropping due to age and being tainted, because of the ideal location, the car is still highly likely to pass emissions. Had the cat been down steam, like in place of the muffler, while the car would pass emissions when new, because it's on the border line, when the car ages a little bit, it'll fail..
So to conclude, it's really a good idea to stick with a setup that is close to stock especially with a lean-burn civic because otherwise your car may be failing smog sooner than you think. This is also why lean-burn was disabled for California civics, not because it'd fail smog when new, but would likely fail smog before the 150K mark which means warranty claims. Most automotive design is based upon making sure the car lasts the duration of the warranty period.