I'm going to pick this post apart:
onefastwagon said:
Ok, your right about the cat. But when they DO clog or begin to restrict they cause more problems than they're worth.
Hmm, if a cat is getting clogged, there are reasons for this, such as an imporperly tuned engine, worn out or damaged engine parts. The other reason that catalytic converters are known to be "troublesome" is because for the cat to be effective, it has to warm up, which takes time, usually 3 to 5 minutes on an average car, before this point the cat is not effective, to get to my point, I bet in all cases where the cat has failed prematurley, the car is usually used for short trips, such as to the corner store and back, to work which is only a few minutes down the road, etc. This does not allow the cat to warm up and be effective
onefastwagon said:
The pressure build up can blow exhaust gaskets or cause premature failure. Not to mention what kind of performance they rob when they begin to collapse inside or clog.
Again, this is ONLY from a cat that IS bad, not a properly functioning cat, see my answer above as well.
onefastwagon said:
And rather than shell out 300 bucks for a new one, I'd rather leave it hollow. (It hollowed itself after the insides broke up and flew down the exhaust pipe. The pieces clogged up the muffler and rattled like beans in a can.) Thanks, but no thanks.
You're getting ripped, you can get an aftermarket higher flowing cat for between $100 to $200, again, the problems you have experianced are from a cat that is bad, again, see my first answer.
onefastwagon said:
My car is registered in North Carolina and isn't required to pass an emissions test. (Thankfully)
The issue here is not wether the car in question needs to pass an emissions test, but what can be done for the environment, and the future well being of you, me and our families and friends.
onefastwagon said:
YES, a properly working cat doesn't cause alot of restriction, but one with even minor problems is robbing you of power and building excessive back pressure. If your car sounds like a spray can going down the road, you probably have too much back pressure.
If the cat is rattling that is not a minor problem, the cat is beyond it's useful life and should be replaced, even a minor "clogging" of the cat you will never notice, the open area in a cat exceeds the area in which the pipe entering and leaving it has.
onefastwagon said:
If you open the hood at night and your manifolds are glowing, you have too much back pressure or restriction.
There are other reasons as well, like a fuel delivery problem (lean), vaccum leak, improper spark timing (too adavanced), etc, this is not soley a problem with a catalytic converter.
onefastwagon said:
Cars that are making 250+ HP with the cat on don't have issues.. Cars making a paulty 130+ need every single advantage they can get through any means necessary.
This makes no sense whatsoever, if an engine that is making 250+ horsepower has no problem with utilizing a cat converter, why would you possibly think the reason the other engine in question, making 130 HP is being restricted by the cat, here is the reason: It's NOT. Design, tuning, limitations by other mechanical parts, like the heads, intake, air filter and/or box are the reasons why.
onefastwagon said:
If you want emissions and like clean running cars.. Go electric.
I agree, I have been considerig this, but it is not feasable at this time.
onefastwagon said:
Personally, I think EVERYONE should have an electric car for short haul trips. If you commute less than 50 miles to work, then an electric car is for you. Plug it in when you arrive, its charged and ready to go by the time you leave.
This is a little too idealistic, that statement assumes, that the gerneration of electricity is free of polutants, which it is not, hydro electric isn't bad, but still adds polution to the lakes and rivers in which the water flows from and to, Nuclear, well there is waste from that, which will not break down for millions of years. Also if everyone replaced thier short commute gas or diesel vehicles with electric, the demand for power generation would skyrocket, and make more generations plants to be built further effecting the environment, also the cabling that would be needed to keep up with the new demand would make our cities and towns an eyesore, due to the extra billions of miles of new cabling that would be needed, even if super condutors were used, which if they were adds a whole new problem into the mix.
onefastwagon said:
I haven't kept up with the technology, but now I hear there are electric motorcycles too ! That'd be pretty wild since weight to power ratios are extremely important in electric vehicles..
Yep, anything could have an electric motor to povide motion.
onefastwagon said:
Anyway, thats my take on things.
Dave T. - 1987 Cavalier, RS/SS Wagon - 3xx,xxx miles - Long Island, NY
"lost count"