Catalytic converters ... this is getting old ...

[HudsonValleyVDub]

Originally Posted by Smileybug

They aren't junk though. I mean, I got a cheapie on my car now and its running great. Plenty of people run the aftermarket ones with no issue. If it killed off an OEM cat before 50k, then I'd be willing to be there is another issue. I also highly doubt that they would be getting defective parts over and over again.

Not knowing too much about them, I can't imagine a $100 cat would hold up as well as a $600 unit. But then again, there is definitely an underlying cause of these failures.

[TheClunker]

Originally Posted by HudsonValleyVDub

Not knowing too much about them, I can't imagine a $100 cat would hold up as well as a $600 unit. But then again, there is definitely an underlying cause of these failures.

Price does not always equal quality when it comes to catalytic converters, especially in this case.

The $600+ units are "direct fit" - that means there's a long pipe with a catalytic converter in the middle, a flange that bolts directly to the exhaust manifold at one end, and a connection to the rear exhaust system at the other. They're made to be direct "slap it on and go," specifically to fit YOUR car.

The cheap $100 - $200 units are just the catalytic converter "can," and you have to weld them inline between the pipe leaving the exhaust manifold and the pipe entering the rear exhaust (muffler). Which means you first have to cut the old one off.

The cheap universal ones also don't have a second O2 port, since most cars only have a single O2 bank on the exhaust line. This means you have to cut the pipe on the direct fit in such a way that you leave enough of the pipe with the second O2 bank that you can attach the sensor.

The catalytic converter I bought (recommended on here) is a Cherrybomb, designed for performance and people who like a specific sound to their cars. I'm told by my mechanic that because of their shape they dissipate heat better, and heat is a leading killer of catalytic converters.

I had my catalytic converter put on today, along with a new PCV valve and hose between the crankcase vent and the intake manifold boot. My mechanic couldn't get the O2 sensors tonight (mine aren't blown, but if they're giving false values, that can cause the engine to run too rich or too lean, which will cause it to eat catalytic converters) so I'm going back tomorrow after work so he can slap them on after he picks them up during the day. I think he also did spark plugs for me, at my request, since I pulled the codes one night and had some misfires. I bought my NB last year at nine years old, but with only 47k miles on it, which means it wasn't due (by mileage) for a full tune-up. At nine years old, however, stuff like the plugs should have been replaced regardless.

If the PCV valve replacement doesn't cause the oil drinking to stop, there's another valve that can be be replaced, but it's more pricey (about $150, and that's the price I'd pay buying it from a parts manager I'm buddies with at a VW dealership). I'm at about 74,200 miles right now, give or take, and will be taking her for about a 250 mile round-trip drive this weekend. After a week of commuting next Monday - Friday, she'll be just about due for her 75k scheduled maintenance & oil change next weekend, and at that point I'm going to "re-set" my mental count of how many quarts she's using (or not using) and see how we're doing.

She sounds great with the new converter, and the converter came with a heat shield that's a different shape (according to my mechanic, better than the direct fit I had). The last time I had one put on it was a direct fit, and it rattled from the moment I got her home (heat shield). Horsepower is back up to where it should be as of right now, and I love the new throaty sound when accelerating

[Loosenutbehindthewheel]

I can't wait to hear progress report's.