Quality of Catco Cats?

[mrshin]

Is your exhaust just not properly thought out? Remember turbo exhaust parts DO get hot, and putting them close to other things with no shielding means things DO get cooked. Ask every goose that's fited a fulsik exhaust manifold to their SR20 and wondered why funny things happen to wires and hoses. I won't even mention Z32's...

[Hypo]

Have you still got your heatshields on?

If you cat is blocked your car doesn't run at all, well mine didn't and I did an engine conversion before i found out

[Ghetto-AW11]

All stock heat shields remain, shiny, the exhaust runs the same path as per standard, its all 3 inch and thought out properly. Its pushing 195rwkw @ 19psi.

[oldcorollas]

stick a thermocouple on it when driving around.. it should be at least 400deg inside to work, but if it is getting red hot (around 600deg) then you have tuning issues...

it is probably worth adding a second layer of thin heat shield.

as for cat. the easy way would be to tap a fitting before and after cat (with long metal and then silicon line) and check the actual pressures. if you have significant pressur eloss, then think about a different one.

but surely someone should have sorted that out when they built your motor?

[Ghetto-AW11]

its a 3inch highflow cat, it was chosen by the engine builder who also made the exhaust. As soon as i saw it was a catco i got concerned because ive heard they are not the best, It works great at 15psi, but as you add more boost, it starts to drop off bigtime. I'll let you know the results over the weekend.

[Vios-GT_07]

are you talking about the AW11 exhaust? considering the engine is in the rear, and the exhaust manifold goes under the car, how do you get burnt carpet?

and also if it's an MR2, the exhaust piping is really short so unless u've got some funny bends or an overly high flowing exhaust, the cat shouldn't be an issue.. still if the problem is a bit of everything i.e blocked cat, dodgy exhaust and lousy tune, wouldn't solving things one by one be a more pleasant and effective approach? sort out the exhaust system, get it tuned.. and if the cat is still buggered, then u might need a different higher flowing item? in terms of product placement and that, have a look at Metalcat.. they're not too shabby and i've had a good run with them

[Ghetto-AW11]

Its had countless dyno time, the exhaust isnt dodgy, there is carpet in the boot of the mr2 behidn the engine and right above where the stock cat sits.... Its running high boost and pretty good power from the 1.6. Just something is amiss and im thinking it could be the cat.

[oldcorollas]

found the thread i was lookign for..

http://www.toymods.net/forums/showth...ighlight=catco

i still reckon you should measure pressures... easy to weld on a fitting (and you could then use for exhaust temps )

also... if it has been tuned with that backpressure (if there is any) then your tune might be off if you chang eit.

sure it is not an intake issue? boost is only measure of air not getting in after all...
the shape of your plenum may not be conducive to such high flow? (not exactly guiding the air in??)

[Ghetto-AW11]

Good points oc, I will be testing it without the cat on the dyno this saturday, getting fittings welded up also. I will reply back here with the results.

I know now I will be putting in more heat shields as its stupid as it is now.

[Officer Doofy]

I have a Catco cat on my car, its their metal cat, magic cat copy
Seems to flow really well but was a bit pricey
Nice and small too which would suit the aw11

[Ghetto-AW11]

Ok results are in.

Without the catco cat, replaced with 3 inch pipe, the car made 20rwkw more with 1 less psi of boost. so instead of 190ish rwkw on 20psi, it made 210rwkw on 18.9 psi.

This definately makes me think there is something wrong with the cat, well, maybe nothing wrong, but it just cant flow high enough to make power.

[kugzs]

any idea of the supposed flow capability of the cat?
would also be interesting to see results with a bigger cat

[Ghetto-AW11]

No idea, its just a high flow 3inch catco cat.

[oldcorollas]

hmm. not the best, but how was the rest of the curve? if you didn't lose so much in mid range, maybe not too bad

there will always be a restriction from the cat.. just because it is a physically restrictive (small passage) item.

you could try a different one, or if the midrange is not too bad.. stick with it
either way, good work for trying

[Ghetto-AW11]

Well thats just it, The mid rang was thicker, and boost came on 300rpm quicker! It made more power at every psi and is really coming on song at 19psi. Question is what to change it too as running around with no cat is a big risk and one im not going to take.