IS MY CATALITIC CONVERTOR BAD ?

[99pilsungV6]

Well i have a Random Tech Catalitic Convertor on my 1999 V6 Camaro it is now 2 years old. I live in Buffalo NY so i put my car away in the winter. I now hear a RATTEL from the Cat i was shure it was the heat sheild, but a shop told me the Cat was bad and it could be breaking up inside, and yes i look myself. I was told a high performance Cat only last a year or two, is this true? What do you think?

Please give me feedback i am taking a 26 hour trip with my car in 2 weeks, i dont wont it to plug up when im on the road.

Thank You, Chris

[Runnin-SAtown]

...the only thing that tells you if a cat is bad (other than an almost un-noticable loss in power...i think) is that undeniably annoying RATTLE that DOESNT stop... ya, the shop isnt messin with you... its ur cat. i have one sitting in my room waiting to be welded into place... no one wants to weld one into place unless its there own cat :mad:

[99pilsungV6]

Thanks man that helped, will it just rattle or will it plug. I'm taking this trip should i spend the cash and get a new one, gut it out or what? its been rattling for 2 months and getting worse is it safe?

Chris.

[MustangEater8251]

you'll also notice a loss of power up the powerband.

higher the rpms, the more loss of power you will feel.

[99pilsungV6]

Now if my Cat is bad is it true what i hurd, a high performance cat only last 1-2 years. if so is there a better performance Cat i can buy? i realy dont want to put on a stock cat. i due use my car a daliy driver.

This is realy helping me out guys, thanks...

Chris.

[Shirl]

Doubt it's the cat. You have nothing done to your car. Mine is blown and juiced and my high flow cat has held up fine for about 7 years now. The only indication would be like Eric said, a lack of power...does the car feel weaker through the mid-range and top-end? Also there would be a stinky rotten egg type of smell.. The rattling could be a loose band or your exhaust. Get under the car and shake everything. If you still think it's the cat, go to the dealership and have them do a backpressure test through the O2 sensor in front of the cat. If it reads more than 1 1/2 lbs. of backpressure, then it IS the cat.

[Shirl]

BTW, you said you store your car for the winter....is it possible an animal could have gotten in there and made a nest or something??? Rev the hell out of it and see if anything gets blown out!

[F1GT]

Originally posted by Shirl:
Doubt it's the cat. You have nothing done to your car. Mine is blown and juiced and my high flow cat has held up fine for about 7 years now. The only indication would be like Eric said, a lack of power...does the car feel weaker through the mid-range and top-end? Also there would be a stinky rotten egg type of smell.. The rattling could be a loose band or your exhaust. Get under the car and shake everything. If you still think it's the cat, go to the dealership and have them do a backpressure test through the O2 sensor in front of the cat. If it reads more than 1 1/2 lbs. of backpressure, then it IS the cat.

Just cuz he didn't have anything done to his car doesn't mean the cat won't go bad. Sometimes it could start breaking off some small bits and make it rattle and you can't tell performance wise or smell-wise. My maro's cat started rattling in August one day and I didn't feel anything until November, when the rattle got worse, then it started clogging really bad. So I changed it in December. That was a couple yrs ago.

When the car is cooled off go under and hit the cat with your fist, if the cat is bad you can hear the bits rattle in there. You said you check the shield already so, tap it again while u are at it, not with ur hands, of course.

[99pilsungV6]

Well I guess what i going to have to do put it up on my lift again and check it. I have before when it first started hearing the rattle, thats why i thought it was the shield. but now the rattlen is much worse. I will check the shield again if it not that, then i'll know I'll keep you guys posted

No i don't think some thing has made a nest in there. i been driving sence aften i took it out for winter & if so going down the track would of blown it out. LOL

I'm sorry i dont have anything posted about my Camaro I'm new to this sight and i'm still working on it. But yes I do have Mods no NOZ or supercharger yet LOL but im working on the moter before i even think of adding that stuff.

Thanks,
Chris

[99pilsungV6]

Well bad news the Cat is definitly bad.

Now I have a new Question.

The Cat is just welded to the S-pipe and each of the other ends are just clamped on. Would it be to hard to take it off hollow it out and put it back on? Or as that a bad idea? it would just be used for a temp.

What would be the best Catalitic Convertor to buy sence my Random Tech only lasted only about a year and a half driving time? (this sucks) short time for alot for $$$$$

Thanks,
Chris...

[Shirl]

How did you find out the cat was bad? just curious..

[ReodDai]

Random tech is not a economy class cat lol. Its a part that breaks down and its high performance. Thus it won't last near as long as most other cats. However my roomate has 2 random tech cats, no problems with either (2 yrs or so old). I still stand behind random tech and say they probably make the best high flow cats, regardless of wether or not yours lasted 1.5yrs or you even have a clue that its the cat ;)

Doubt you could get it hollowed out completely without removing the cat from the cat (won't get the angle to get everything out, unless you plan on trying to shoot crap out of your tailpipe)

Btw I have lots of rattling lol. None of it is my cat ;) Only time I've messed up my cat was when I crushed my stock one by running over a rock in the road. No rattle but also couldn't rev past 3k because the car couldn't make enough power to get past it lol.

[99pilsungV6]

Ya thanks,

I understand Random tech is not a economy class cat (thats why i put it on) LOL [img]graemlins/slap.gif[/img]

i dident spend over a G for economy LOL [img]graemlins/burnout.gif[/img]

it may be a good cat, but i would buy it again.

anyways I up the car and gave it a look over my self. the shield was not rattling in fact nothing rattled. I then had a firend give it some gas and then i heard it. I then gave it a few hits and i hear it rettling inside.

anyone else use something other than the Random tech Cat?

Thanks
Chris

[ReodDai]

You spent over a grand on a $300 max cat? .. please tell me I just read that wrong lol. I have a carsound/magnaflow on mine. Awesome cat as long as you get an actual high flow and not the universal replacement.

[FireFighter]

Originally posted by ReodDai:
You spent over a grand on a $300 max cat? .. please tell me I just read that wrong lol. I have a carsound/magnaflow on mine. Awesome cat as long as you get an actual high flow and not the universal replacement.

what he said!