Hey guys,

I'm looking to replace my cat, I think it is bad/restricted as I lose power when the car is warmed up, glows red by o2 sensor after driven hard, and there's a rattling noise that seems to be coming from the exhaust. My car is lowered, and I noticed that the bottom of the cat is scraped and slightly dented in. I'm assuming this would void the emissions warranty, but figured I'd get some opinions about that.

I was looking at used cats just to get a replacement on there, but also saw this on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2004-...Q5fAccessories


I was wondering if anyone had any experience with this converter.. I'm not a huge fan of ebay parts, but again, just looking for some opinions.

Thanks,
Michael

 

They should cover the cat as long as it's just scraping. There would have to be some significant damage for them to deny coverage. If they do deny replacing it under warranty, then I would definitely recommend finding a used stock pipe or going with aftermarket... the dealers charge something around $1000 to replace the cat if I remember correctly. With aftermarket cats, you want to make sure they flow well and are able to withstand the heat of the exhaust flow. There have been instances that people ended up with cats that were unable to stand up to the heat. If that happens, you'll end up having the same problems you're having now.

Are you wanting to get an aftermarket midpipe anyways, or just looking for a cheaper alternative if they don't cover it under warranty?

Judging from your signature, I'm assuming you're not against modifications. If you're interested in an aftermarket pipe, you have a few options. If you want to still have a cat, the BHR pipe or the rotary performance supercat are what I would recommend. I believe the BHR pipe would be a little quieter than the RP supercat pipe, though I may be wrong on that. If you want a resonated pipe, I would recommend the rotary performance resonated midpipe or the BHR resonated midpipe. If you just want a straight pipe, I'm not sure it really matters what you go with... it's just a pipe at that point.

I've personally used both the RP supercat and the RP resonated midpipe and liked both. The BHR midpipe was not available when I purchased those and I'd have to say that I would, personally, give the BHR midpipe a try if I had to decide between the RP or BHR. Both are good products and have had many great reviews. It really depends on what you're looking for in terms of flow and sound. Keep in mind that those are just from my experience and my recommendations.

Links:
rotary performance: http://rx-7.com/store/rx8/rx8exhaust.html
BHR midpipes: http://blackhaloracing.com/?page_id=60&category=10

 

Cats can break very easily so if they see scrape marks, they can deny it because any blunt force or constant pressure can cause the ceramic to break.

I would recommend the BHR midpipe with Davesport cat. I went through two RP cats very quickly and am now running the Davesport and I'm confident this will take the high temps much better and it's a true high flow at 100 cpi

 

Thanks guys. I know if it is clogged it will generate excessive heat which in turn is not good for the engine.. I hope my problems go away when I replace it and am not looking at any further complications.