For what it’s worth- I don’t know what state you live in but in Pennsy most counties have no emmision testing, just state safety inspection. In these non emmision counties, though, all the original emmision equipment has to be there to pass the safety inspection. If your state/provence has a safety inspection you oughta check this out.
A replacement catalytic converter will only cost you $79. What’s the problem? It isn’t like your car needs one of those $700 catalytic converters. If it did, I could understand your question, but to save $79? Come on. Don’t you have any pride?
It has nothing to do with pride, Jeremy. Why do you insist on being abrasive with everyone on this board? You sound like the little dog in the pound, always with something to prove.
I figured if I could get some added performance out of the car for the cost of some pipe and welding, why pay an extra $80 (or any amount for that matter) to get the status quo. As it is, I will be putting a converter on to replace this one, for a number of reasons…which don’t include my pride, somehow. Grow up.
No problem. An exhaust pipe/tail pipe with muffler was what cars had in the old days (up to the 60’s I think) until the emission control came about & the converter was required. Before I came to USA, I even had my jeep with just the pipe (no muffler) but the noise was so loud & deafening.
Yup, it’s probably worth replacing if it’s cheap and it doesn’t affect performance noticeably. It will save you having any hassle during state inspections (if you have them where you live).
I have to admit having done this in the past on a 1976 Ford Granada with a Windsor 351 V8. I believe that year the car was available with or without converter; the converter model used less gas but the driveability was terrible; constant stalling because of excessive back pressure, and too lean a mixture. I solved the problem by taking out the converter, but reintroducing some back pressure by inserting an additional muffler (actually a resonator) in the system. Thereafter the idle was OK, no stalling, and the gas mileage was reasonable.
After reading Thoreau’s essay on Civil Disobedience, I slept well knowing that if congress imposes rules on industry which they cannot meet in time beause of lack of time and ability, and I end up with a product which does not meet normal “fit for use” expectations, I am morally and legally in the right to do somehting about it lest I endanger my loved ones (stalling in busy traffic) and others on the road.
However you are breaking the law if you remove the converter form a well functioning vehicle for some dubious reason. The exhaust system is balanced on each car for emissions, economy and driveability. Don’t screw around with it!
I didn’t think I was being abrasive. With other posters I have responded to criticism but I always try to keep it civil. I don’t always succeed, but I do try. I happen to agree with tester that what you are considering would make you a hack. Most of the time I can respectfully disagree with others. Why have you taken offense so easily? Perhaps you should look inward to answer that.
What you are considering has EVERYTHING to do with pride. I happen to take pride in being a responsible citizen and doing my part for clean air. This issue is related to pride because I would feel ashamed to do something so selfish to one of my vehicles. If you don’t, that is obviously your choice, but in my humble opinion it is very much related to pride.
Disagree all you want, but I think you should take some pride in a commitment to live socially responsibly.
Please spare me the psychobabble BS. Perhaps I should look inward…wow…did I step into the Oprah chat room by accident?
I’m not dumping toxic waste out my window here, we’re talking about one old car without a cat…and who defines “socially responsible”…in Michigan this would be totally legal. Am I still a social menace if I did this there?
I noticed in your other posts you will argue your point indefinitely even when you are wrong, so I expect another “have some pride man, social responsibility! look inward!” reply from you.
“I expect another “have some pride man, social responsibility! look inward!” reply from you.”
It isn’t necessary. We disagree. Big deal.
You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.
I noticed in your other posts you will argue your point indefinitely even when you are wrong
I have been wrong lots of times. When I am, I ask the person who disagrees to explain why so I can learn something. I don’t just accept the “you are wrong because I said so” stance. In most cases it is about a disagreement of opinion, just like here, but you are clearly hostile to civilized debate, so I won’t try to change your mind. You posed a question and I posted my reply. You might consider switching to decaf and laying off the crack.
You are dumping toxic waste out of your tailpipe, and it is NOT legal anywhere in the United States to delete the cat from a road-going car equipped with one from the factory.
Disagree that no cat is the equivalent of dumping toxic waste…why is everyone over-reacting to this issue?? Please don’t tell Al Gore on me.
If that is correct about removing cat’s being illegal in all States, then I was misinformed. I still think there are much bigger polluters and problems out there to worry about.
And don’t call me a horse, Jeremy.
And don’t call me a horse, Jeremy.
You are absolutely right. Horses are beautiful noble creatures. My bad.
Jeremy, I think you are forgetting about the part of the horse that goes over the fence last…
Back in the early to mid eighties My cousin who owned a mufffler shop Would install a “test pipe” in place of the catalytic converter. Most of them were installed on the local sheriff departmant cars! They had no problem with them. But saddly to say I believed they outlawed this practice.
I’m sorry Jeremy, my posts seem to have really affected you. Let’s just agree to disagree here and we can skip any more lay-off-the-crack/beautiful noble creature comments.
Jad- I know you’re not a hack, but I see no consensus here as to whether going cat-less will hurt car, so personally, I would err on the safe side and just put a cat back on since it’s so cheap, plus a new cat contributes very little to back pressure- it’s only when it gets clogged up that that problem developes. The real emmissions related culpret that cuts down performance is the EGR system which you really can’t mess
with since you’ll take a bigtime variable out of the engine management system equation; maybe bigtime pinging, too. Anyways, the converter you get may have 2 pipes that go in either end to make the whole thing the same length as the OE cat. Advise to remove old cat intact and use it as a “template”- fitting new cat pipes into new cat to make it the same dimension as old. Then maybe have the 2 pipes MIG welded to new cat just so, how much would they charge you at a muffler shop or whatever? Or maybe you have one. Good luck, Jad.
Thanks for your reply Karl. I’m definitely putting on a new cat, for a number of reasons…environment, performance, and simplicity (less chance for weird problems to crop up).
The old cat looks pretty rusted, including the brackets…I’m thinking it’s going to have to be cut out to be removed. Any suggestions there? I have a couple friends who have welders…I’d like to do this without taking it to a shop and paying for their labor. Should I buy a small length of pipe to use in case we have to cut out some of the old?
Thanks again Karl, you seem to be really interested in helping people on this site.
Back in the 70s I removed a catalytic converter from my 1975 350 V8 Monte Carlo. I also bored out the carburetor jets from 0.050" to 0.052", which is what they were back in the pre-cat days. I also advanced the timing about 5+ degrees and opened up the fuel filler tube so I could use “leaded” gas.
The power and acceleration went up considerably and the gas mileage even improved 2-3 mpg.
I was young and naive then. Aside from it being illegal now in all 50 states to make those modifications, I now realize that if we want things like clean air to breath, we need to both “act locally” and “support the global efforts”. My recommendation to the OP is to get another converter. I too share the concern raised in the replies that discuss the impact to the computer feedback mechanism.
Joe
“…and you don’t have to worry about those jackboots from the EPA busting down your door.”
They aren’t storm troopers, they are attorneys with absolutely no sense of humor whatsoever. Kinda like security folk. If you do something they can’t approve of, you are dinner. Does anyone here want someone with a several trillion dollar annual income messing with them?
A reciprocating saw can be your best friend when removing an old exhaust system. It is imperative that you wear safety glasses. A shower of rust in the eyes is no fun at all.