'91 ST184 2.2L Catalytic converter

[mitzy]

Mechanic is trying to charge me $475 + labor to replace cat. converter. Is this amount too much?

[trebor_9513]

Originally Posted by mitzy

Mechanic is trying to charge me $475 + labor to replace cat. converter. Is this amount too much?

My cat cost me $25. The problem for me was, legally they can not remove the cat if nothing is wrong with it? So I put a nail hole in it. After that, he was cool with changing it out. ( I put the holw in it right in front of him, with his hammer and punch!) He only charged me $40 for the labor. Took him 10 minutes. You pay for what they know not what they do. Changing a Catylitic converter is not brain surgery, even if they customize it.

Just my $0.02.

[MIGHTY]

PUT IT ON YOURSELF ITS ONLY 6 BOLTS, AND 475 YOU GO BACK THIER AND TELL THAT MECH. THAT IF DOES NOT THROW A TURBO IN YOUR CAR YOU WILL REPORT HIM FOR BEING A COMPLETE CON ARTIST.......

[mitzy]

Is it going to be legal (or can be made street legal) to just put in headers plus high flow cat? Replacement cat alone is about $275.

[canadiancelica]

See, here where I live in Canada, I don't have to worry about emmissions testing, so I cna just take it off, gut it, put it back on with new gaskets,a nd I am going to do that soon.

[lcarocha]

Emmisions testing...? What is that...? Is thtat a rock band or some type of American fast food? hehehe

[Pineapple]

Don't just gut the cat, take it out. A gutted cat hurt power more then when its working. Replace it with a pipe or high flow cat.
After you gut the cat, its bigger then the exhaust pipe. Exhaust gas need to expand to fill the extra volume then compress to get out. That is a big restriction in the exhaust system.
Find a stock 3S-GE 4-2-1 header to replace the whole thing. Yea stock.

[canadiancelica]

Cant put a pipe on the 5th gen, it goes from a 4 inch hole to a 2 inch hole

[Pineapple]

Replace the whole thing with a header. Stock 3S-GE header from junkyard. I need to put a cat after the header to pass emission, you don't.

[canadiancelica]

I dont have that option as there are NONE scrapped here

[mitzy]

Are you saying the 3SGE header / down-pipe can be used on 5SFE without much modification?

[Pineapple]

Yes. May need to lengthen, shorten or bend a bit but nothing major a muffler shop can't do. I gonna try soon.