best Catalytic Converter

[aCCo[R]D]

I need to know which is the best catalytic converter I can get to complete my whole exhaust system, and where can i get it? or should it be made custom? I know there is a pacesetter one but i dont trust it :)

[shepherd79]

with strick emissions in Cali, i don't think you can get high flow cat that will work as good as stock one. i think pacessetter should be fine.

[smufguy]

Catco Cats are good too. I have it, but i dont think they got bolt on ones, but u can get a universal one.

[Cyric_accord]

If you got some cash, I know Random Technology makes Hi-flow cats for the accord... but its pricey. mucho dinero

[zerotap]

lightningmotorsports.com had some Random Technology cats listed for $220 or so plus shipping and handling.

[smufguy]

lightningmotorsports.com had some Random Technology cats listed for $220 or so plus shipping and handling.

$220 for a cat? THats way way way too expensive for a cat.

[racerx]

well, pacesetter makes the hi-flo cat for $150 +s/h on www.nopionline.com
i've had mine for about a year now and it's worked great for me. i just poured a bottle of "guarenteed to pass emissions" in my tank before i got it tested, and it came out clean! :D

[zerotap]

Well $220 for a high performance cat isn't too bad considering you are looking at around a $100 for a universal cat. So for an extra $100 or so you are getting a high performance cat to go with the money you are spending on the rest of your exhaust.
$220 for a cat? THats way way way too expensive for a cat.

[smufguy]

Well $220 for a high performance cat isn't too bad considering you are looking at around a $100 for a universal cat. So for an extra $100 or so you are getting a high performance cat to go with the money you are spending on the rest of your exhaust.


A high performance cat has bigger inlet and exit diameters depending on your exhaust piping size and bigger honeycomb holes and thats about it. I got my 2.25" hig flo cat for $70 from summit made by Catco. I dont see the point in spending 200 bux on your cat, when you spend that much money to get ur whole exhaust done. Besides, welding it up is not a porblem at all. welding on flanges is not that much money anyways.

[zerotap]

True, I'm gonna check out those Catco cats for my car. $70 is a damn good price.

[shepherd79]

if i remmeber correct there were some on ebay. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2466990919&category=33629

[Vinny]

Where are you guys buying cats? You can get a MagnaFlow Mirror Finish, High-Flow Catalytic Converter for 65 bucks shipped from Performane curve (http://www.performance-curve.com/) looks just like this
http://www.magnaflow.com/02product/converters/gifs/mirrorcat02.jpg Part number for a 2" is 54304 and 2 1/4" is 54305

[shepherd79]

why would you buy that, when you can buy the one on ebay and be done with it.

[smufguy]

alex, who makes that cat? thats the weirdest cat ever!!

[shepherd79]

catalyticc converter is catalytic converter. who cares. they all work the same way.
i don't think it looks weard. you can't beat that price. it comes with all the gaskets.

[Vinny]

First of all I like to buy things with names I trust. I'm not into the generic no name thing. Its not a "I have to have a brand name everything on my car" thing as much as I like to use parts I feel I can trust. Ebay is a prome example of the "you get what you pay for" mentality many occasions. You buy low price parts with brands you've never heard of and you are liable to get junk.

Secondly if thats the one I'm thinking it is (I can't get to ebay at work anymore) I have questions regarding how well it will seal. If the inlet is bigger than about 2 inches its going to be larger than the outlet from the downpipe. If its too much larger it won't seal right because a larger cat inlet tubing will sit almost on top of if not over the factory downpipe's metal exhaust gasket. This issues has been dicussed in several threads in the past in regards to going with bigger tubing starting at the cat. Several places I have talked to about getting the flanges made have told me the biggest they will make the converter to downpipe flange is about 2" and they expressly mention the sealing issue. If you try to use a paper gasket material with a bigger inlet flange your going to be going through them quite often. Trust me on this one I used to go through them all the time on small block chevy's and anyone who's used paper collector gaskets on headers will back that statement up. Thats why they make copper gaskets for them now.

[smufguy]

i said it looks weird is because it does not look like a cat i ever seen. It was new, i dont have anything against it.

Vinny mentioned a really good point. I like to buy things from a known producer or manufacturer only for the peace of mind. I aint gonna spend my money and experiment, because i dont have that kinda 'experimental' money.

my cat's inlet is 2.25" and my downpipe to the cat (from DC) is 2" if my memory serves me right. So thats like a 2" feeding a 2.25 so i dont see a leaking issue, besides, the flanges were matched up by the exhaust shop anyway. i dont have any leaks or anything cause i checked it and it did pass emissions :D

[2ndgenludedude1986]

If they do not hook your car up to a computer, id just punch the ceramic out of your cat. In my state they jsut look to see if you have one. i punched my insides out and took a cutting torch to the ends to open it up to @.25 inch the size of my pacesetter cat back. if they dont even look or hook it up just get rid of it.

[Mike's89AccordLX]

I guess the corner lights that I make must be crap b/c they aren't name brand or named anything. I have heard stories about people buying a header for their 94 lude si and it was a chrome stainless steel header and it was only $70 and they all liked it. So you can't just assume things are crap b/c of price. If that were the case I guess I will sell my corners for $500 b/c then they'd be better than if they were under $100.


-Mike

[dXsquared]

wtf are you talkin about??

Travis

[Mike's89AccordLX]

Vinny only buys name brand stuff that's not cheap and I was just using my corner lights as an example.

[smufguy]

its not cut and right like that. A lot of ebay stuff are prone to be a hoax and unless someone buys and uses it, there is no actual proof of it actually working. It goes for anything, let alone car parts.

I buy things that i read in magazine, something that is advertized, commercially bought or seen in shows or what not. Thats one of the reasons i bought Catco cat, even tho pacesetter was well known at that time. its not just money all the time, its the peace of mind mostly.

if i had the resources to try out every single thing, you bet i will. cause i wanna know if something actually does do the job it is described to do. We never know how a product is, unless we try it ourselves, or have access to someone who actually has done it (we tend to go with the majority, which is a different story).

End of story :)

[300700'88lx-i]

If they do not hook your car up to a computer, id just punch the ceramic out of your cat. In my state they jsut look to see if you have one. i punched my insides out and took a cutting torch to the ends to open it up to @.25 inch the size of my pacesetter cat back. if they dont even look or hook it up just get rid of it.

Gutting the cat is often worse for exhaust flow then just leaving it be. If you truly want slightly better perfmance, either go with a high flow cat if you have emissions laws and inspections, or go with a straight pipe if you don't have inspections. Gutting the cat is usually a bad idea.

[Vinny]

Vinny only buys name brand stuff that's not cheap and I was just using my corner lights as an example.

C/mon Mike why ya gotta bust my chops like that. If you're gonna bust em atleast correctly quote me. I never said I only buy brand name stuff what I said was

First of all I like to buy things with names I trust. I'm not into the generic no name thing. Its not a "I have to have a brand name everything on my car" thing as much as I like to use parts I feel I can trust. Ebay is a prome example of the "you get what you pay for" mentality many occasions. You buy low price parts with brands you've never heard of and you are liable to get junk.

I think you just saw an oportunity for a cheap plug to sell your corner lights :lol: Seriously though I do price shop and comnparrison shop when I look for things. I think I've proven that time and time again by posting and suggesting more cost effective parts on here. Now heres the deal. If I can look at a no name part before hand and like the quality then yeah I'll save some bucks and buy the shit. I can't do that on ebay so I tend to steer away from no name or seemingly off the wall product claims. I rank alot of no name ebay stuff right up there with the 20hp resistor until I'm proven other wise. As far as the corners comment goes Mike. If it was something I was in the Market for, they looked good in pictures, and were sold by someone I trusted, then yeah I would buy them. I'm not that friggin name brand awareness, I am however not into wasting my money on things that don't last or have shitty quality.

[smufguy]

Gutting the cat is often worse for exhaust flow then just leaving it be. If you truly want slightly better perfmance, either go with a high flow cat if you have emissions laws and inspections, or go with a straight pipe if you don't have inspections. Gutting the cat is usually a bad idea.


amen to that. you have no idea how many times i have said that to countless people in the past years. :dunno: and still people wanna gutt their cats. That material inside is cancerous and a lot of people dont know that.

[shepherd79]

i think we should stop arguing at this point. this thread is not going anywhere. everyone has their own opinion of the product, and most of you already expressed your opinion. so lets not trash this thread. that is why we have Off topic section or general section.
thanks guys.

[cahil_1]

TEll you what i did. I ripped out the radiator and the air conditioning cooler, ripped the whole exhaust and header out, and just blew the exhaust flames right out of the grill and called it the Weapon R Dragon exhaust system-- $0 . ha ha sounds like fun though.

[Robs89LXi]

Where are you guys buying cats? You can get a MagnaFlow Mirror Finish, High-Flow Catalytic Converter for 65 bucks shipped from Performane curve (http://www.performance-curve.com/) looks just like this
http://www.magnaflow.com/02product/converters/gifs/mirrorcat02.jpg Part number for a 2" is 54304 and 2 1/4" is 54305

Hey, Vinny. How did you get it so cheap? :ugh: It's showing $73.99 + $7.58 (shipping) (=$81.57) on that website. $65 shipped would be a good deal. Oh, and I agree with you on the name brand thing.

Has anyone actually tried the ol' ebay cat? If so:
1. Did it fit?
2. Did it seal good?
3. Did it work?
a. Performance?
b. Pass inspection?
If yes to all of these, I'd buy one for that price (even with the inflated shipping).

[ivanfbi]

Vinny only buys name brand stuff that's not cheap and I was just using my corner lights as an example.


Yeah, like JAck In The Box, you know...

[86LXItooFAST4me]

if i remmeber correct there were some on ebay. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2466990919&category=33629

hey shepherd, that wont fit on an 86 will it??