itsdave Posted October 15, 2007 Report Share Posted October 15, 2007 Hey guys, my 97 Lumina has been making a weird rattling sound when I give a little gas and recently my SES light went on with a "poor catalytic efficiency" code. So I basically know my cat is shot. I have over 150k on my car so I know its not gonna be too long before the whole thing just implodes on me so I don't want to spend that couple of hundred bucks on a new cat + install, so im just gonna have a shop gut it. I wanted to know, whats involved with gutting a cat, I need to get a dummy o2 sensor right? Does anyone know which one I need? Also the cars been driving like real POS on the highway, at cruising speeds (60-75) its jerk and hesitant, is this CAT related, it wasn't acting like this before my SES light went on. Thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockfangd Posted October 15, 2007 Report Share Posted October 15, 2007 honestly i wouldnt recommend gutting out the cat because there will not be enough back pressure and you will still lose efficiency. Also it may be considerably louder. having known people that have done it i would not recommend it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy Posted October 15, 2007 Report Share Posted October 15, 2007 just have it cut off and replaced with a straight pipe or a resonator (sp?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89SupremeCutty Posted October 15, 2007 Report Share Posted October 15, 2007 also depending on the state or unless you know someone that works in a shop, they probly won't gut it. i know here in nys it's illegal to do it. or at least i think it is. im probly wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GutlessSupreme Posted October 15, 2007 Report Share Posted October 15, 2007 in RI it's illegal for a shop to install an exhaust without a cat, and there are some big fines that go along with it. I doubt you'll find a shop to gut it. I don't think they're that expensive, just get one through autozone or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted October 15, 2007 Report Share Posted October 15, 2007 buy your own cat from summit and have a shop install it, should only cost around $120 total. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19Cutlass94 Posted October 15, 2007 Report Share Posted October 15, 2007 A cat is a must or else your car will rasp out the ass. Just get a universal one and put that on. You wont gain anything in performance unless your cat is completely blocked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w-bodys_are_the_best Posted October 15, 2007 Report Share Posted October 15, 2007 I've had shops tell me in MN that they could get fined over $20,000 if caught doing it. I have no cat on my Z24 cav, but that's my ghetto-rigged DD, and we don't have to pass emissions tests here. I did it myself, and unless you know somone who works at a shop and will do it, I'd just replace it like everyone else is saying. I didn't because I don't give a shit about my Z24 and I haven't noticed any difference in performance, but it's also an OBD1 3.1, so OBD2 might react differently. It is definately louder. My cat completely plugged, so I gutted it myself, ran that about a week (all straightpipe after cat) until the local cop gave me a warning, now I have all brand new pipe, and a Thrush glasspack and that's it, It's loud but not loud enought to get pulled over, although it stinks to holy hell F@#$ the environment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GutlessSupreme Posted October 15, 2007 Report Share Posted October 15, 2007 F@#$ the environment yaaaaaaaaaaaay....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19Cutlass94 Posted October 16, 2007 Report Share Posted October 16, 2007 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bossman429 Posted October 16, 2007 Report Share Posted October 16, 2007 You guys are talking laws from state to state, but it is a Federal law not to tamper with emissions equipment, such as a catalytic converter. If you want to do it right, get a new converter. If you want to gut it, you'll have to do it yourself, or make friends with someone who does exhaust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no1kicker Posted October 16, 2007 Report Share Posted October 16, 2007 Autozone sells generic cats for around $80. You could sell your used cat for $40 in scrap. I would just do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
93CutlassSupreme Posted October 16, 2007 Report Share Posted October 16, 2007 If the federal government gives big business billions in tax breaks to pollute the environment, it shouldn't be a problem for ordinary people to remove their cat converters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Addicted To Boost Posted October 16, 2007 Report Share Posted October 16, 2007 I'm not saying whether or not you should modify your cat, but the previous pwner of my TGP gutted the cat on it and it sounds pretty damn good.. no rasp or anything and I have the original mufflers and complete system on the car. Its actually really quiet too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89SupremeCutty Posted October 16, 2007 Report Share Posted October 16, 2007 i didn't have cats on the crown vic i used to have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsdave Posted October 16, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2007 Alright, thanks guys I guess i'm gonna get the thing changed when I'm back from school. I originally thought it would cost alot more to get a new catalytic, but if its like $100 or so with work then why not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.