New. Cat

[morgan320i]

I am in california how can i put a new ca legl cat in, isnt the oem one built into the exhaust. Cut it out and weld new one in?

[rllynch1]

Thats pretty much what it boils down to. Or at least thats how I removed mine. And you're saying how can you put a legal cat in....is the one in there now not OEM? Because the OEM cat, I'm assuming, would pass the cali smog test.

[morgan320i]

NoX high about 100 points with old cat and a few small things i want it to pass legal and easy

[coconutmnky]

Get 2 cats and put them inline with each other. Instant smog pass!

Cali law says you can do whatever you want past the cat, but you can't change anything leading up to the cat. Nowhere does it say you can't put two cats inline with each other!

[gc325is]

CA has a higher standard for cats so it needs to be 50 state legal not the normal 49 states. (I think they added a NOx section). A shop can weld them in for you, else you want an OEM style one with connections to the manifolds either is OK.

[013137]

Just make sure you don't get a universal cat, those things will only get you through one inspection, two if your very lucky.

[rllynch1]

Whats wrong with a universal cat?

[013137]

Whats wrong with a universal cat?


those things will only get you through one inspection, two if your very lucky.

^^You'll be getting what you paid for.

[rllynch1]

This is the first time I've ever heard universal cats talked bad about. Have you had a bad experience with them, or are you just saying that since they're cheap that they won't last?

[morgan320i]

Oem is $$$$ i can buy a few universals for the same price

[rllynch1]

I just don't see how a universal cat could be that bad. The one I've been thinking about getting is made by magnaflow. They make one hell of an exhaust, so I don't see how they could have screwed up when they made cats. Yes, they're $75 on Amazon.com, and that sounds like cheap, but it's magnaflow.

[la36bmw]

hey i had the same problem and ordered the magnaflow cat. if you go on their website and put in the info theyll tell you which one it is. go on amazon and i think it was around 180. i did that and passed perfectly after with next to 0 levels all over. (on top of other maintenance). good luck!

btw, yes you will have to cut and weld it but it shouldnt be too much. I got it done for $40

[rllynch1]

I'm bumping this to see what other people have to say about universal cats and whether they fail or not.

[Moron95M3]

universals typically are missing the more exspensive component (or have a much lower content of it), and thus they use it up faster (remember the converter is actually doing a chemical reaction). forgot the actually element name - some precious metal only mined in like one russion mine (seriously).

If you go to a scrap yard, they'll give 50-100 bucks for an oem cat, and only 10 for a univeral because of this.

HTH!

[la36bmw]

well from all the reading I did about them it goes like this

-oem is best obviously but really expensive..
-universals are cheap and easy but will die apparently anywhere from 2-5 years
-magnaflows hiflow cat apparently makes a difference in performance i remember someone saying (if you have an exhaust not the stock)

in the end, I would rather dish out 200 at a time every couple years than spend 1000+ for it to last longer. I do believe cost wise the universal would win out anyways. Plus who knows when youll wreck your car or something happens so it will hurt less :P

[ponchiz318]

Is it a M42 318?
http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-3344-catalytic-converter-e36-318i-318is-318ic-318ti-50-state-legal.aspx

M44 318?
http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-3373-catalytic-converter-e36-318i-318is-318ti-1996-1998-50-state-legal.aspx

Or do you have a M50 or S50?
http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-3343-catalytic-converter-e36-325i-325is-m3-1992-1995-50-state-legal.aspx

Possibly a M52 or S52?
http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-1834-e36-328i-328is-catalytic-converter-50-state-legal.aspx

You're welcome OP.
50 state legal cats just for you California peoples.

By the way, I have a universal cat. It still works. Didn't pass emissions though :shifty
Getting a Magnaflow next from ebay. Ebay headers are in as well. :D

Edit: To clarify, I did not purchase the Turner cats. I got a cheap $80 cat from a muffler shop and welded it in myself. Had I known about the turner cats, I would've gone that route.

[la36bmw]

i dunno spending 630 + shipping on a cat that could die in 2 years.. I guess but I opted with the magnaflow cat and its done me well. If it lasts for the next smog check then it more than proved itself I think. I know theres people out there that have had it in a while wish they would chime in..

[JDStrickland]

I am in california how can i put a new ca legl cat in, isnt the oem one built into the exhaust. Cut it out and weld new one in?
I don't know very much about exhaust, but one thing I do know is, let somebody else do the work. This is one area where people that have the right tools and know how to use them can do in an hour a job that takes me all day.

I hammered and beat on my Jeep exhaust for hours. I finally tossed the big pieces in the back seat and drove to the muffler shop where the guy fixed it better that I would ever have fixed it, and he did it in a half hour. Granted, I had the big piece off already, but he still would have done a better job faster if I had not started to fix it myself.

I had a MagnaFlow CAT and muffler installed, and both worked great for years.

[013137]

This is the first time I've ever heard universal cats talked bad about. Have you had a bad experience with them, or are you just saying that since they're cheap that they won't last?
Moron95M3 is spot on with what I've heard. I've had a few bad experiences with them on my car (had 2 universals that failed within 3 years) so I ended up buying the oem cat, which I should have done from the beginning. It is still functioning to this day (has been on for almost 6 years).

I also know many other people who've had problems with those universals, just stay away from them IMO.


i dunno spending 630 + shipping on a cat that could die in 2 years.. I guess but I opted with the magnaflow cat and its done me well. If it lasts for the next smog check then it more than proved itself I think. I know theres people out there that have had it in a while wish they would chime in..

Where did you get the idea that the oem cat would die in 2 years? That is what's known to happen with the universal cats, not the oem cat. Mine has been on my car for about 6 years with no problems.

I don't know anyone who has had their oem cat die in 2 years.

[la36bmw]

013137 I never said it would die. I am saying it COULD. cats can die quickly if the engine is not operating properly and can clog it up. besides I wasnt even talking about the OEM cat I was talking about the one from Turner..

(And I said it could die in 2 years because the manufacturers warranty on the cat itself is 2 years, just saying it could die right after and you spent 600+ while I spent 200)

If people have been doing fine with cars from the 90's with their stock cats, obviously OEM cats aren't dying in two years...

just to clarify, when you guys are talking about universal cats are you talking about random no name cats on ebay and whatever or the one that magnaflow makes for our cars?

[ponchiz318]

When someone says universal cat, I think of the China no brand cats. Like the one I have in my car :shifty
Magnaflow is, well, Magnaflow.

[013137]

la36bmw, well of course an oem cat "could" die in 2 years, but what I am saying is that there is a rare chance of that happening (I've personally never heard of it happening). That's like saying that if you were to buy a BMW e92 brand new from the car lot that it "could" give you more engine problems than your e36 with over 200k miles, yes it COULD, but what are the chances of that happening? Pretty slim.

I can't speak on the Magnaflow cat being as that I personally never had one, but I am talking about a general aftermarket cat that most people buy from online or from stores like Autozone, Pepboys, or NAPA. Not muffler shops.

[la36bmw]

If you read my posts carefully you can tell I was talking about the Turner cats.. not the OEM. But I did reply saying the OEM ones could die in 2 years as well. Also yes I understand what your saying but our engines are not running the same as when they came off the lot so there could be much more going wrong with the car and therefore killing the cat within 2 years. A new e92 could have problems off the lot but that wont be the same as a 15 year old car killing a brand new cat. There are many stories where people buy cats (non oem) that are perfectly fine but end up dying much faster than normal BECAUSE their car was not running properly/ was in poor shape.

Ah ok that clears things up. Well I hope some people who have had the magnaflows for a while help out because I know they are out there..

[Remdog6941]

No emissions test here in sunny florida!:alright

[slickbeamer]

If a car is running rich it can destroy a catalytic converter rather quickly. Stock/oem converters ALWAYS last longer than aftermarket, due to the concentration of precious metals (platinum, rhodium, palladium) that they spray on the grid inside, which filters the exhaust gasses.

Aftermarket converters are usually only warrantied for 25k miles or 3-5 years at the absolute most. They are a very good option for a high mileage car that you aren't sure how much longer you will keep. Obviously paying for an OEM cat is not a financially feasible solution in that case.

I recycle converters and really won't even buy aftermarket converters ($5-$10 bucks), whereas stock/oem converters can go for up to $150-$200.

[morgan320i]

I paid 260 installed for a magnaflow yesterday 5 year warrenty and i passed smog , from not passing to flying colors, worth it to me