Any way around buying OEM cat?

[Dlundgren97]

So im looking into buying a new cat/flex pipe for my 97 camry 2.2. There are a few pinholes before the cat that i feel are going to become big problems by winter once the salt hit the road (i live in MA). The leak is barely audible but i can feel the leak when i hold my hand over the pipe.
The problem im having is that buying an oem pipe will run me around $1200. I know these cars are very picky about non-oem exhaust parts(mine also has california emissions)
Any one have any luck with any off brand cat pipe?
Should i see if i can take it to a shop to weld the holes?

[uuuuu]

Take it to an independent shop. I had an aftermarket cat installed (parts and labor) for under $200.

Edit: I didn't have any issues with performance, but I also don't have California emissions to worry about...

[carsrus]

Always and I mean always hitup your local corner exhaust shop. Not like a midas of menicke I mean a locally owned small crappy looking shop. The more ghetto looking the better.

I got a new flex pipe welded in for 80$ with a 1 year warranty, and they changed a healthy chunk of pipe along with that.

These cats rarely go bad, and non OEM ones are a crap shoot, especially with Cali emissions.

These guys specialize in exhausts and know there stuff. my 98 has had the flex pipe changed twice and that's the only thing so far on a 14 year old car. The flanges where the sections come together are probably gonna go out soon but a corner shop will just slide a pipe over and weld for 30$.

[ghettosled]

are you referring to the primary or secondary catalytic converter. both you can buy aftermarket -i replaced both of mine with the brand catco and never have given me any problems. they were simply bolt on replacements.

[sc2dave]

I installed a magnaflow cat on my 96 LE.Passed with no problems,here in Cali.

[Dlundgren97]

i was referring to the secondary cat after the flex pipe. not the manifold cat. i have also had a new flex pipe welded in replacing a good chunk of pipe. the leak i am having now is right upstream of the cat in a section of pipe maybe 3-4inches long that was'nt replaced with the flex pipe, right before the cat. looks pretty rusted up i havnt checked with any shop because of work but i feel like they will just look at it and not want to mess with it, but then again maybe they can do something?

[sc2dave]

that's the one i replaced,the secondary one.

[Dlundgren97]

so u replaced the cat with a magnaflow cat on a gen. 4 camry with cali. emissions with no check engine light?

[Dlundgren97]

did ur 96 have obd2 or obd1?

[Dlundgren97]

I have also been getting an itermitent p0420 (cat code) over the past year or so which i think is due to the leak before the secondary o2 sensor. The code usually stays as a pending code unless i drive in short stop and go traffic in the hot summer months. Hasnt showed up in about a month and a half though. Maybe because the colder thinner air has less oxygen leaking in to effect the secondary o2 sensor im guessing.

I would really like to just have an indepedent shop weld the leak if possible. I believe the cat is still in good working order and not leaking so if i could get around replacing it for a year or so i would (untill the cat itself rots out and has a leak).

[sc2dave]

obdI. I also replaced the secondary one from my 96 Saturn with magnaflow and it also passed smog.You do have to install O2 after cat.

[Dlundgren97]

ya well obd1 without cali emissions is wayyyy more lenient about check engine lights and codes being thrown compared to mine with obd2 with cali. my car doesnt get smog tested

[sc2dave]

well, a legal 49 state cat is only around 80.00 for a magnaflow on ebay,new.Try it out.

[TedL]

I installed a Walker bolt on replacement pipe/cat on my son's '97 2.2, three years ago. It has Cali emissions. No problems.

I also replaced the Y pipe/cat on my daughter's 99 Avalon, Cali emissions, with an Eastern bolt on unit, 2.5 years ago. No problems.

[Dlundgren97]

I think i found the walker cat pipe you were talking about on the Rockauto catalog. Its specified for california emissions walker part number 55537 listed for $227. i would definitly buy it and have it installed at my work on a lift i just dont want to be driving down the road in a month with a p0420 code popping up again.