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 Catalytic Converters - The Qld Must Know  

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twhizz
  • twhizz
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  • Joined: 9-July 05
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Post #1 post 8th August 2005 - 06:02 AM
Dear Ray

Thank you for your e-mail regarding catalytic converters.

Queensland Transport's Code of Practice - Light Motor vehicles, contains
detailed standards for a wide range of modifications commonly performed on
light vehicles.

Section LA1 (engine conversions) outlines the installation and performance
requirements for light vehicle engine replacements. Under this guideline,
where a replacement engine was originally designed to operate exclusively
on unleaded fuel, the fuel filler neck is to be modified so that it will
only accept the small nozzle used on unleaded fuel bowsers.

A permanent notice "Unleaded Fuel Only" is to be fitted adjacent to the
fuel filler. All of the emission control equipment originally fitted to
the replacement engine must be fitted and operational. An appropriate
catalytic converter must be fitted in the vehicle's exhaust system if the
engine was originally designed to operate with one.

Vehicles operating on unleaded fuel must be fitted with a catalytic
converter. The use of unleaded fuel was introduced in January 1986.

If you have any further enquiries please contact Modification Section on
3253 4851.

Regards,

Ana Halesworth
Asst Policy Officer
Policy Advice
Queensland Transport


Recently got into a discussion with a mate about certain vehicles being "exempt" from using cat convertors (commericals etc.) "An appropriate catalytic converter must be fitted in the vehicle's exhaust system if the engine was originally designed to operate with one." I heard some rotary engines came without, is there a rotary guru who can confirm this?
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MagnaMan
Post #2

i know certain boosters who dont have cat converters in their rides but they aint rotaries hsnono.gif

32ANA
Post #3

It's illegal not to have a cat, but you can bash it out and still have the cat on there so it's visible if someone gets under your car to check it out.

MagnaMan
Post #4

hmmm how about a 3inch pipe from extractors to muffler without cat??? sounds illegal to me, i heard going rate for a fine is around 1000-2000 dollar mark?

but it sounds wicked and spits out flames on highway, the car loves to dump fuel changing up to 3rd. tongue.gif

racsov500
Post #5

Isnt it dangerous taking them out?
And save the trees! rolleyes.gif

Damone
Post #6

QUOTE(32ANA @ Aug 9 2005, 08:57 AM)
It's illegal not to have a cat, but you can bash it out and still have the cat on there so it's visible if someone gets under your car to check it out.
[right][snapback]5276914[/snapback][/right]


and if you get cought with it gutted then its a big fine from memory.

57ING
Post #7

Whats a cat?

45SET
Post #8

the thing that takes all the bag things outta the exhaust gases. its part of the exhaust system. normally after the headers.

and yes, i hear there are VERY VERY big fines for not having a cat (or a bashed out/dead cat)

DR1F7
Post #9

Why would you wana shoot flames? smile.gif

Nessaja
Post #10

catalytic converters do need to be replaced as they do die out, it would seem realy unrealistic to cop a fine based on a ware and tare part of a vehicle...

BSIDE
Post #11

why would you even contemplate removing your cataalytic converter?

youd probably kill your self with the emissions coming through the floor haha

yeah breaking EPA emission laws wouldnt be cheap

45SET
Post #12

QUOTE(Nessaja @ Aug 9 2005, 12:36 PM)
catalytic converters do need to be replaced as they do die out, it would seem realy unrealistic to cop a fine based on a ware and tare part of a vehicle...
[right][snapback]5277111[/snapback][/right]


its exactly the same for tyres. if you have bald tyers you can get fined, if you have a dead cat, you can get fined. plus if your cat dies, you can tell as the performace of the car dies constiderably

32ANA
Post #13

Don't cats die after about 10 years?? So bashing it out wouldnt make a difference as when it's that old it wouldnt do its job anymore. I understand that you can still get in trouble from bashing it out but i havent heard of too many people replacing them.

45SET
Post #14

mine died not to mong ago, and i replaced it. it maybe a hiflow one, but i still replaced it.

Plus when then took it off to replace it, the dude said there was nothing left inside it, and that it had completely shat its self. so i don't see what the point of bashing a cat out would do.

32ANA
Post #15

Well it's like a big thick honeycomb inside the cat, and when its dead, the gases are just going through it and its not doing whats its meant to do. Im not sure exactly how you know when its dead, but i heard the lifespan of a cat is about 10 years or so. By bashing it out it's then an empty space so everything just goes through freely, which is obivously why you get in trouble for emissions into the air. What's the average sort of price range to replace one?

VY2NV
Post #16

QUOTE(32ANA @ Aug 9 2005, 01:49 PM)
Well it's like a big thick honeycomb inside the cat, and when its dead, the gases are just going through it and its not doing whats its meant to do. Im not sure exactly how you know when its dead, but i heard the lifespan of a cat is about 10 years or so. By bashing it out it's then an empty space so everything just goes through freely, which is obivously why you get in trouble for emissions into the air. What's the average sort of price range to replace one?
[right][snapback]5277209[/snapback][/right]



I believe that when your exhaust fumes smell rather bad it means that the Cat is on its way out. (i mean like a egg smell)

45SET
Post #17

i think a hi flow one (off the shelf, nothing special) is like 300$ fitted.

the way you find out if a cat is dead is you'll hear a rattling sound at certain RPM. on my car i would hear a sound at 1000RPM, 2000RPM, 2500RPM and 3000. and the car feels very restrictive, i would plant it, and the car would be reving, but not doing much, as soon as i got the hiflow one, i would rev it, and the car would go. its just like when a clutch is on its way out, you can tell. its the same for a cat.

Bevan Boy
Post #18

Think of the trees!!! tongue.gif

Damone
Post #19

QUOTE(VY2NV @ Aug 9 2005, 01:51 PM)
I believe that when your exhaust fumes smell rather bad it means that the Cat is on its way out. (i mean like a egg smell)
[right][snapback]5277213[/snapback][/right]


i think you will find that thats when its working.
hence why you normally smell that when your behind new cars.

but i could be wrong.

GHOSTrun
Post #20

the way a cat works....


isn't it a very simple concept... (i could be totally wrong not being a rocket scientist though)....

basically cat = pipe sectio along exhuast line with meshy type thing wiring inside that gets hot from exhaust gases - the mesh then glows red hot and burns the remaining bits of 'fuel' that pass through... however with that said there's also a chemical conversion process that happens to, now i don't know if that is seperate or if they are referring to the burning of the remaining fuel bits that get through...........


anyway who cares just get a hiflow and avoid the fine thumbsup.gif

trdcamrypride
Post #21

i work in a exhaust and the amout oof cats we replace is un believealbe

also on several occasions we have guys come in with no cat or a hollowed out cat we dyno it then we put our hiflow cats on and they gain remarkably decent amounts of power.

so its bullshit that no cat is better in any way at all.

MagnaMan
Post #22

dont think we said no cat is better unsure.gif but i know some of my mates just have 3inch pipe from headers... tis pretty common if im not mistaken and he doesnt seem to have any problems with power... he was in an r32 gtst without cat making 240rwkw so eat poo tongue.gif

DreamensioN
Post #23

Geezuz - have some environmental empathy guys. Cats aren't there to restrict your power output - they're there to save the planet.

If you're not running a cat - you may aswell just tip your old engine oil out at the creek. It's the same environmental effect.

And if the car was manufactured without a cat - then it doesn't need one (ie: old school cars).

askmwc
Post #24

In NSW anyway the max fine if they could ever be bothered pursuing it is:
in the case of a corporation—$250,000, or
in the case of an individual—$120,000.

Just interesting to know.
The Pupat
Post #25

I hate cats as much as the next car hater, but what is this fascination with putting cats up your exhaust... That's pretty cruel even for me.

askmwc
Post #26

QUOTE(The Pupat @ Aug 9 2005, 05:12 PM)
I hate cats as much as the next car hater, but what is this fascination with putting cats up your exhaust... That's pretty cruel even for me.
[right][snapback]5277580[/snapback][/right]


Bahaha

Just use one of the hiflow ones on the market or something from a v8 like the LS1 cats. Pretty good things. They work similarly to how Ghostrun posted but the chemical reaction is similar to the following:

These pollutants include carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrous oxides, etc. A catalytic converter chemically changes these into harmless substances like carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water vapour.

How Are Harmful Exhaust Pollutants Eliminated?

The catalytic converter uses an inside structure called a substrate. This is a ceramic or stainless steel monolith block that is covered with precious metals such as platinum, palladium and rhodium. The monolithic block consists of many fine channels, which are covered by a coarse washcoat above which the catalytically effective precious metal layer is placed. It is these elements, which cause the chemical change.

twhizz
Post #27

Those who said the environment.. yes and no.

I'd be more worried of this :

# Carbon monoxide (CO) - a poisonous gas that is colorless and odorless

# Hydrocarbons or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) - produced mostly from unburned fuel that evaporates

# Nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2, together called NOx) - contributes to smog and acid rain, and also causes irritation to human mucus membranes


http://auto.howstuffworks.com/catalytic-converter.htm
racer by night
Post #28

how about a 3 inch exhaust, turbo back with screamer pipe, no cat, no mufflers ? tongue.gif

twhizz
Post #29

QUOTE(racer by night @ Aug 9 2005, 08:19 PM)
how about a 3 inch exhaust, turbo back with screamer pipe, no cat, no mufflers ? tongue.gif
[right][snapback]5277987[/snapback][/right]




or


All headers straight to diff with a 3 inch dump over and out tongue.gif
csx_seth
Post #30

A few things ive picked up along the way:

well when ya cat starts to go, it usually creates a blockage in the exhaust, therefore exhaust gas cant escape fat enough, therefore more back pressure therefore your car runs like poo. however i had my cat checked last week and yes it was completly hollow :S and car didnt run badly so i was like, yeah ok whatever, can i have a new one tongue.gif i certainly dont want to get booked under epa laws, too hefty.

as for exhausts lasting for years, this isnt always the case, i got a new one and it died after about 2 weeks, it all depends on how hard it has to work. for example if your car is running very richm the cat has to take more pollution out of the exuaust gas, in which case it will wear out quicker. on my case my car was running very very rich and killed the cat in a matter of days :S

it also depends on the quality of the cat as well

TwinCam16
Post #31

wtf, the cat in the sprinter was hollow? ohmy.gif

twhizz
Post #32

Also remember that catalytic convertors are useless until they are warmed up. This could mean up to and over 15 minutes of driving. If you go 2 minutes down to the shop and back its likely it aint doing shit for yah.

Nessaja
Post #33

QUOTE(racer by night @ Aug 9 2005, 08:19 PM)
how about a 3 inch exhaust, turbo back with screamer pipe, no cat, no mufflers ? tongue.gif
[right][snapback]5277987[/snapback][/right]


screamer pipes off the turbo are just for attention seaking dickheads...
Ruffels
Post #34

QUOTE(32ANA @ Aug 9 2005, 01:04 PM)
Don't cats die after about 10 years?? So bashing it out wouldnt make a difference [right][snapback]5277142[/snapback][/right]


ohmy.gif ... thats animal cruelty!!!!
and our last cat lasted 14 years.. damn she was old and senile though... pissed as she walked
VY2NV
Post #35

^^^bahahahahahha laugh.gif
You crack me up sometimes Ruffels

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