High flow catalytic converters...

[Golf Houso]

I was thinking about one of these in regards to the context of my VR6 since I'm going to get the crumbling exhaust replaced in the next few weeks. I realise many people claim that the gains are modest on stock vehicles but would it be worthwhile regardless considering a reasonable one can be had for around $200 and it can be done at the same time as the rest of the exhaust?

I was thinking of one of these in particular:

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/magnaflow-3-i...3A1|240%3A1318

[BL33SU]

get a fake cat.. straight thru pipe but has the cat surround over it.. lookalike

[Oneofthegreats]

A high flowing cat & exhaust can make a huge difference eg. Gen3/4

But as far as cheap goes.

I think if you take your own cat. you've purchased elsewhere to an exhaust shop, they will probably charge you more for the rest of the exhaust to make up the lose on the cat. profit!

I'm sorry to say it, but's it's true, unless your good friend's with a exhaust shop.

Being in the trade you see this sort of stuff happening & it's absolutely frustrating having a someone bring you their own part's & ask you to fit them. Your working for the same amount of time doing a job for effectively less money made.

I personally hate it & refuse to carry out such job's unless it's to build an performance engine.

[Golf Houso]

A high flowing cat & exhaust can make a huge difference eg. Gen3/4

But as far as cheap goes.

I think if you take your own cat. you've purchased elsewhere to an exhaust shop, they will probably charge you more for the rest of the exhaust to make up the lose on the cat. profit!

I'm sorry to say it, but's it's true, unless your good friend's with a exhaust shop.

Being in the trade you see this sort of stuff happening & it's absolutely frustrating having a someone bring you their own part's & ask you to fit them. Your working for the same amount of time doing a job for effectively less money made.

I personally hate it & refuse to carry out such job's unless it's to build an performance engine.

Fair enough, but what if I just provide the cat and ask them to build the rest of the system i.e 2.5 inch, 2 smaller mufflers and a back box? Its not like I'm just asking for them to do the labour...

[Oneofthegreats]

Fair enough, but what if I just provide the cat and ask them to build the rest of the system i.e 2.5 inch, 2 smaller mufflers and a back box? Its not like I'm just asking for them to do the labour...

Ask them. You never know.

There's no harm in asking afterall.

[beeza]

less money made.

I have to disagree. It's effectively less turnover for the shop.
As a workshop you primarily make money on labour, if you relied on making sales then it would be a retail shop. Just my 2 cents.
I don't think workshops should have a whinge about these things as you "are" the customer.

[Golf Houso]

Ask them. You never know.

There's no harm in asking afterall.

Fair enough, I'll see what I can dig up.

[Oneofthegreats]

I have to disagree. It's effectively less turnover for the shop.
As a workshop you primarily make money on labour, if you relied on making sales then it would be a retail shop. Just my 2 cents.
I don't think workshops should have a whinge about these things as you "are" the customer.

I'm pointing out how some workshop's & myself incl. feel about having people come to you & ask to fit part's they've aquired from elsewhere.

& most of the time their labour rate will go up if the customer supplies part's!

Eg. You go to a MoTec only dealer & ask them to fit a Autronic you supply & see what response you get.


It may not be primary money, buy workshop's do make money off part's as well & sometimes it can be alot of money!

But the way you see it, the workshop isn't allowed to make money on part's, cause then it's retail!

Maybe the customer is right, but I'd say 80% of the people I've delt with. There not! Especially with complaint's!

The way I see it is, if you want the job done right, you have to pay to play.

Otherwise, do it yourself & stuff it up.

Just don't come back & ask how to do it.

This is also from previous experiences too!



This has been spoken about at union's & such & maybe the Motor mechanic union should be stronger & willing to go down the same road as plumber's & builder's etc & make it all accredited.

Then your average person isn't allowed to buy part's over the counter & work on there own car's & has to be carried out by someone authorized.

Funny how your not allowed to build your own house or install plumbing & electricity without being certified, but you could be a complete idiot & fit your own brake pad's without any mechanical background & stuffing up the job, with the possibility of driving down the street & killing someone!

I think there's more responsibility in the hand's of a mechanic, than someone fitting a toilet!

The industry suck's!

[beeza]

There are so many points of view on this argument.
I wont continue raising any as this thread is about cat converters.
On that note, Golf Houso; i hope you find a respectable workshop that won't rip you just coz you didn't buy their products.

[Spyda]

get a fake cat.. straight thru pipe but has the cat surround over it.. lookalike

I like this idea.

Does anyone have any opinions on this? Appart from the $6k fine you get for not having a cat.

[GoLfMan]

I like this idea.

Does anyone have any opinions on this? Appart from the $6k fine you get for not having a cat.

6k fine!

i'd rather just fork out the dough for a high flow!

[Golf Houso]

6k fine!

i'd rather just fork out the dough for a high flow!

Same, and I actually like idea of reducing NO2's from my car, I also realised that any high flow cat I buy has to have an O2 sensor port... or is this only a feature found on American vehicles?

[twin eng, twin turbs]

I have done the straight pipe conversion to a mate Toms VR6 a while back, but firstly i tried just gutting the core of the original cat with no success at all! Unlike most cats which have a core that simply crumbles with a large screw driver and hammer. The VAG cat converters core is unbelievably strong with a steel core. I gave up after drilling through the core and setting up the cat on a 50 ton press at work, but apart from bulging the sides of the pipe work out the core flattened a bit but was still firmly in place.... So i cut off the flanges of the cat and simply tig welded a straight length of 2 1/2" pipe in its place then welded the original guard back on. It worked well with a small increase in noise and power.

I had a mate in Wollongong have police go over his car as part of a blitz and run a length flexible cable up the 3" exhaust of his Nissan 200sx, but he had a high flow cat fitted and the cable stopped at the cat... So be cautious of doing this mod.

[Spyda]

On the subject of cats. What year does the car have to be for it to be LEGAL without a cat?

[gpk_gti]

the cat on the vr6 was worth from vw over $2k(and its absolutely massive!) when I checked ages ago.I had asked tuffy to put a high flow cat on mine and he said do you think a $200 "high flow" cat works better than the $2k vr6 one??? he also said that he believed power would be lost with a different cat,and the only way to gain power from the cat exercise was to de-cat it.obviously I wasnt game enough to try my luck with a fine.

if your cat is not working as it should then it means the guts have fallen out,which would mean that,
a- its more "high flow"
b-if you get pulled for your cat not working correctly then you can always claim ignorance and say you didnt know the guts had fallen out.