cost and what should I know on replacing a Catalytic Convert

[CCorsair]

Hi all well the wagon just went into the shop again this time i got the code back for the O2 and what looked like the #injector.

the guy at the shop didn't have time to look at it fully but also thinks the Catalytic Converter sounds bad.

this is a 1990 Legacy L wagon and I think the cat was replaced once a few years back by the last owner or so it looks like in the old paper work the last owner gave me.

If they put a cat in like 2 to 3 years back would it fail by now? and where should I go for the good cat with paying tons if I have to?

I looked on PartAmerica and see them from like $70 to $300 and some have to be adapted to fit.

What should I look for what should I pay(the guy said before I left that new Cat was like $600 I didn't feel that was right).

I may have them check it out and look at the code being flashed but shop for the cat work to be done as I or see if i can get help in doing it my self as it is just unbolting and re-bolting (ya and the gaskets) I think i can do that with some help.


I live in California so I know I can't run or at best go with out on for the smog and all but i need to see what may need to be done as I won't know for sure till tomorrow morning as to wealth it is the cat and the O2 an the injector or just the injector.

Let all hope it just the O2 and the Injector.


any input would be great and again I have a 1990 Subaru Legacy L wagon. and i live in the Sacramento area of Calif.

thanks

CC

[Legacy777]

On these cars the catalytic converter will not trigger a CEL.......and I don't see how the mechanic can say the cat is bad by listening to it. Unless it's rattling around....in which case it could be a loose heat shield or the cat material is loose inside.

I think you'd still pass smog as long as the material is still in there.

[CCorsair]

I feel the same after reading just what the cat does.From what I read its the metal in the cat and what it made of or coated with which seem dumb as hell as that stuff is nasty. And yes the Shop said it is a bad injector not the cat but the cat is rattling as I can hear it on the front right . you can here metal rattling but then again it could be heat shield but then that would rattle all the time and I can only hear this rattle during speed up or startup.

the engine run great still its very quiet when there isn't a injector going out.. as this is the second one to short out. #3 when last year with no warning. this one I think i had a few as I noted a few time i could feel a bit of of set running for few I am just seconds.

I don't work on car but I know what to look for I look under my hood once or twice a week if not more I look under and all around the wagon. I take a long bar I have and listen to the engine. I don't use Cheap gas (the no-name brands or low grad like Arco or Becon both have high water content)

I am wondering why the shop saids they have to put in a factory Cat when there are so many cats that work and are not like $600 to $1000

Ok thanks

CC

[Legacy777]

The exhaust setup on these cars is laid out so fitting a generic cat in is pretty difficult. You could do so in the rear section, but not so much for the front because of how the exhaust is setup. Plus the O2 sensor screws into the front cat portion where the two manifold piping points come together.

[evolutionmovement]

The heat shield only rattles at times you described. Put a couple stainless steel band clamps around it. Cats are expensive because platinum and rhodium are expensive. I wouldn't replace it unless you failed smog. You will likely pass even if it is bad.

[CCorsair]

The heat shield only rattles at times you described. Put a couple stainless steel band clamps around it. Cats are expensive because platinum and rhodium are expensive. I wouldn't replace it unless you failed smog. You will likely pass even if it is bad.

I don't plan replacing it unless it fails on smog next year. right now they are having a problem finding a used injector to help me save some $$ on the repair. This shop does its best to keep my bill down and i like that. the all own Subaru's and they really like that try to diag the problem to save time.

thanks

CC

[CCorsair]

Hi all still have yet to replace the Cat and was wondering what model / Make of after market Cats should i look for?
I was told at the shop its best to get one for the dealer but that would cost a ton but noted that after market one at much less but would need to know which would be best and match up to the wagons smog system.

I am noting more rattle and a it is coding for the O2 sensor off and on and there seem to be more heat coming back off the engine and i don't want to kill the car if the cone in the cat blocks up the exhaust system.

this is a 1990 Legacy L wagon and I just hit the 200K mark with in the last few weeks(the engine run great and shift great too) the wagon has a lot diggings and I need some help cleaning up the electrical as who ever put in the alarm system did it badly.

this has been great wagon and i want to make it last a bit longer so any help on finding the replacement cat would be great.

Thanks

CC

[speedoboy31]

i must agree with your mech. i went through 2 aftermarket cat assemblies(one constantly gave me a lean exhaust code, the other had a tinney rattle). finally ended up going through my local suby dealer and it only added about $60 to the cost. at present that same pipe is on its 2nd car going strong. pricewise, it helps that i run my own 1-man repair shop and get a decent discount @ both aftermarket and dealers.

[CCorsair]

i must agree with your mech. i went through 2 aftermarket cat assemblies(one constantly gave me a lean exhaust code, the other had a tinney rattle). finally ended up going through my local suby dealer and it only added about $60 to the cost. at present that same pipe is on its 2nd car going strong. pricewise, it helps that i run my own 1-man repair shop and get a decent discount @ both afte rmarket and dealers.

I would go and get the shop I go to do it but with the cost of the cat from the dealer he said it would be like $600 and i know i can get it done cheaper by another place using an after market Cat.

I am just wanting to know if anyone know which after markets cat works best as a match with out much work to install as many run under $100

My shop i like does Suby and other Japanese cars but like to use Factory original parts and this ads to the cost but they do try to find good used parts that have been tested but I know we can't do that with the cat(Calif law won't let you)

called a few shops and they sad depending on the how the exhaust is set up it would cost me $150 to $250 to fix .
I think it should be the lower price it shouldn't take an hour to install this.(labor being the bulk of any repairs cost)

Thank for the input

CC

[tris91ricer]

You know, you should check into having a custom exh setup built for you --that's doable by many shops for 300-400, with only 1 cat. Or, for how clean our engines run could just skip the cat altogether and run the fluids or alky when you go smog it.

Are you really sure you want/need a catalytic converter?

[CCorsair]

You know, you should check into having a custom exh setup built for you --that's doable by many shops for 300-400, with only 1 cat. Or, for how clean our engines run could just skip the cat altogether and run the fluids or alky when you go smog it.

Are you really sure you want/need a catalytic converter?

California law.. and with my luck I would get hit for it not being there ..

will look into better pipes setup later right now i just need that a few other odds and ends fixed and tuneup soon.

Ok thanks

CC

[CCorsair]

Hi back on this as the cat i or some thing is wrong and the millage on the car has dropped bad. we were getting like 320 per tank now we stop getting that just after another injector was replaced. the can is giving me a on and off bad O2 sensors and the shop said it is the cone(?) that is braking up and clogging the system.

now I have question is the Cat OBD I or II as I looking at shops and i get that question from shops(which i think after telling them the make and model they should know) I looked my manuals but can't tell.

we are also having to let the wagon warm up as it has stalled out twice in a U turn at a light. the engine runs great and seem to have no other problems some time i have to look at the tach just to make sure it still running. it even want to run fast its very hard to keep the speed limit if i don't keep and eye on the speedometer. the cat rattles when you rev the engine but is quite other than that. will be doing smoke soon for the new tags I still want the cat changed even if it does pass as I want the wagon to last for some time longer. No oil leaks there is a power steering leak on the bottom driver side that keeps me putting fluids in more. that i will have fix ASAP I hate leaks and try to get all taken care of fast.

Ok well any info on what type of the Cat is would be great help.

thanks

CC

[evolutionmovement]

Did you remove the heat shield? Cats don't tend to rattle much, they get clogged. They're mostly ceramic inside. The precious metals are just a thin coating. The real old ones would rattle and the ceramic balls inside would eventually fall out, but newer cats don't use balls. The newer ones I've seen are all honeycomb.

OBD is On Board Diagnostics. It was set up as a way of notifying an owner of an issue with the car (primarily for emissions purposes) so they could either check it themselves or bring it to a shop for diagnosis. OBDII is a more advanced and standardized system (all cars have the same plug for the diagnostic equipment whereas OBDI did not). It's just a diagnostic standard, the cat is unrelated. Cats are made to comply with a particular EPA or state (whichever is more strict, in your case CA) emission standard for the year of engine manufacture. Either way, no car was OBDII in 1990.

[CCorsair]

the shop said it was the honeycomb that is the problem. the said it is getting clogged and will give bad O2 sensors reading and millage.

I am shopping around for a better deal as the main shop I use want $600 for the cat but i am seeing it for less so just trying to get the best deal as i have a limit to fund right now.

need to get a tune up the cat replaced and the brakes changed and fix that leak on the power steering and hope that isn't going to cost $$$$ as well and keep it at or under $800..this is going to be one neat trick if i can pull it off..

thanks

CC

[CCorsair]

BTW are there 2 or one cat's on this wagon one shop said 2 but I see and was told one........found a shop $195 installed

sounds good to me

CC

[evolutionmovement]

Cats contain platinum, rhodium, and palladium - all very expensive precious metals that are riding especially high right now (notice Russia bringing mothballed military equipment back? Some of that comes from their metals in the Urals). $600 is reasonable, but a clogged cat won't rattle. Is the car down on power? I really doubt that diagnosis. $195 installed sounds like they won't actually do anything.

You have some other issues not related to the cat that you should rectify, then get a smog check and see if it passes before dropping that kind of money. The intermittent O2 is likely from running rich (as indicated by your mileage). Fix the injector, then the O2, if necessary. The injector may have a bad O-ring or it could have been damaged during installation, or it could be a different injector. Or it could be something else - is this "cone" thing a cone air filter someone put on afterwards? Perhaps that's breaking up as one of the mechanics mentioned and it's causing issues with the MAF sensor.

If you get it replaced anyway, have them give you the old one and turn it in to a metal scrapper. Maybe check a few of them as some will low-ball you if they don't know you. I would think you'd get between $50 and $100 for it.

[CCorsair]

Well it is done the front cat had blown out everything in it esd in the second cat.. it was cloged and going out(which make sense with the two time it stalled out with my wife) the rattle was the first cat breaking up. I watch them do the work it was clean and fast and I looked at the part as the pulled them. the second cat came off and just dumped metal and junk out .. it was so clogged the guy didn't even know how it was starting. We had to replace both all in all about $292 for all and 5 year cover on both. I like small shops that good work and this guy did some great work .. he mig it in and it is nice and clean work.

thanks for all the help.. not brakes and a tune up(which i can do my self on the brakes if i can get help from afriend with tools)

the big major is the leak on the P/S now.

thank all

CC