i own a 98 forester with 160k. it has a borla header and a stromung exhast along with some other stuff.

 

and at the moment, i have an engine code for a bad catilytic converter. should i replace it with a subaru one, or are there any after market converters that will last? my mech has had bad experiences with non oem equipment...any suggestions?

What is the code? Does it smell like rotten eggs?

Unless there is a compelling reason to change it I recommend checking all gaskets before the cat and possibly replacing the secondary o2 sensor. If the cat is fried you have to start looking at why it's fried and hopefully its not oil.

 

I went through a huge debacle with my cat and eventually I ended up pulling the front cat pipe to find a little gasket leak. Fixed that and now p0420 free. Theory is that the exhaust leak will not let the cat operate at the required efficient levels.

 

You may end up having to cut the cat off the downstream pipe so expect lots of fun if you have to go the replacement route.

 

 

I have a direct bolt magnaflow on the other car for 10,000 miles and am happy with the power gains and no problems. plus it was $250 instead of $850. I've been told by many to stay away from eastern catalytic.

Edited April 15, 201015 yr by StructEngineer

Does the borla header have a cat? that sounds like it's your problem.

Remove cat.

 

Punch at contents with hammer/screwdriver.

 

Shake vigorously.

 

Put spark plug non-fouler between 2nd O2 sensor and exhaust bung.

 

Drink favorite beverage.

 

Bask in the glory of your end-run around *the man*.

 

 

GD

Remove cat.

 

Put on face mask as cat converter is toxic

 

Punch at contents with hammer/screwdriver.

 

Shake vigorously.

 

Put spark plug non-fouler between 2nd O2 sensor and exhaust bung.

 

Find someone to take cat leftovers, about 20 bucks worth of platinum in there.

 

Drink favorite beverage.

 

Bask in the glory of your end-run around *the man*.

Explain to grand-kids why ozone is gone and its 60 degrees this winter. (Disclaimer, may or may not be true.)

 

 

GD

 

Fixed

Fixed

 

 

So - in an effort to save the climate I propose a tax credit for all catalytic converter replacements/upgrades.

 

That's about the only chance of stopping me and my pet screwdriver as I systematically extend the growing season and increase my property values here in the (soon-to-be) sunnier NW. Hollywood will have to pickup and move somewhere when so-cal is in Arizona Bay.

 

Of course - all my personal rigs are OBD-I or older so it doesn't even matter for me.

 

GD

Unless there is a compelling reason to change it I recommend checking all gaskets before the cat and possibly replacing the secondary o2 sensor. If the cat is fried you have to start looking at why it's fried and hopefully its not oil.

 

I went through a huge debacle with my cat and eventually I ended up pulling the front cat pipe to find a little gasket leak. Fixed that and now p0420 free. Theory is that the exhaust leak will not let the cat operate at the required efficient levels.

 

You may end up having to cut the cat off the downstream pipe so expect lots of fun if you have to go the replacement route.

 

 

I have a direct bolt magnaflow on the other car for 10,000 miles and am happy with the power gains and no problems. plus it was $250 instead of $850. I've been told by many to stay away from eastern catalytic.

 

THANKS for this info. makes sense. i have noticed a bit of an exhaust leak. and the engine code is that the device is not operating efficiently, correct?

yep the p0420 is the bank 2 catalyst inefficiency code. This means the seconday o2 sensor isn't outputing a flat signal. Good luck

THANKS for this info. makes sense. i have noticed a bit of an exhaust leak. and the engine code is that the device is not operating efficiently, correct?

 

HEAT is what makes a cat operate efficiently. If you have an exhaust leak, even a minor one, up stream before the cat, then there is less heat for the cat. As someone else wrote, fix the leak, and I bet your problem will be fixed.

thanks again for all the help. i'll pass this on to my mech. alot of this stuff is beyond me, but i enjoy the research and knowledge as well. my set up is loud as hell, a bit stupid, but fun nonetheless and it hasn't ended in a divorce. that being said it it certainly could have a leak up stream.

so...as a follow up, the engine light dissappeared a few weeks ago with no work whatsoever. so, i'm wondering what the deal is? it does sort of sound like i could have an exhaust leak. i'm due for a clutch, so the car will be in the shop anyways...

it's normal for problems to come and go or take awhile to reoccur. if you have an exhaust leak, or might, that's definitely the place to start. they'll be unbolting part of the exhaust to do the clutch, ask them to fix the leak.