Subaru converter replacement advice?

[jsamarti]

I am looking for some converter replacement advice.

 

 

I have a 98 Forester - 215K. Things had been going well until a couple of months ago when I started getting a high speed miss - usually a full throttle pulling hills. Plugs, wires, fuel filter - no change.

 

 

The thing is showing some converter code now - no EGR code (after a cleaning) and no other codes

 

 

After a talk with the dealer and several other mechanics we now believe it is a converter. $ 1,100 to the dealer sounds like a little much to me.

 

 

But there are two converters on here, of course.

 

 

1. Has anyone seen only one converter bad?

 

2. Is there any good way other than taking them out to guess which one is bad?

 

3. What is the least expensive way to get a bolt-in replacement?

 

- Some unobvious source for direct fits?

 

- One of the direct fit replacement deals that replace both converters with one direct-fit piece

 

4. I am in a non-emissions-inspection state - should I just go with a track pipe with O2 bungs?

 

5. Has anyone stuck a track pipe in - make it much noisier?

 

6. What luck has anyone had with the O2 sensors and CELs with track pipes or single converter solutions?

 

 

I am just looking for the cheapest DIY (no welding/cutting) method to get this car running correctly again. It has gotten so bad now that you can’t give it full throttle after it warms up - although it runs like a new one the first 10 minutes.

 

 

A couple of sources I have found are:

 

 

http://www.haywardandscott.co.uk/subaru/

 

http://www.teaguesauto.com/exhaust.htm

 

Thanks in advance for your opinions.