Searched an 05 NAM thread on OBX Headers when I was about to install my thermal coated OBX & chose an aftermarket MagnaFlow catalytic converter that a well reputed fellow NAM member had chosen at that time. With a CHR Head & RMW tune (among other things), I roasted a hole right thru the middle of the $65 MagnaFlow in less than a month. I fused the honeycomb insides of a considerably more expensive "racing cat" from Madness as well.

Outside of perhaps a Stahl (I'm assuming the most expensive), does anyone have any suggestions from experience for any other cat converters that might stand the heat? Or is Stahl the only way to go? Thanks in advance. "Cat-less in Dallas" & inspection's coming up soon!

 

Stahl makes a cat? My recollection was that DMH / LDG used a random technologies cat w/ the Stahl set-up but I could be wrong. Give'm a call.

On another note - ceramic coating does work, perhaps too well ? Is your header ceramic coated on outside? and inside? what brand?

 

Thanks for the reply, Bart. You figured pretty prominantly in those discussions as I remember it. My mistake...whatever brand cat Gnatster & track-toy are using w/ their Stahl set-ups. I also chose the coating from that thread: Crucial Racing Systems (CA) My understanding is that the coating is both inside AND outside.

 

I ave randon technologies with my OBX, no issues yet. I've heard Random Technologies cats are great, and the only other one I could suggest would be the supersprint one. But that is ridiculously expensive, however for the price, I'd hope that to stand up to the heat of the sun!

 

+1 for the Random Technologies cat.

 

Thanks guys...Any competitive pricing out there for the Random or is this a one-stop-shop?

Bart, I know you had the OBX...What's your coating & what cat did you use? Any problem?...

 

I destroyed the cat that came with the Mania (Comptech) header. Seems it's quite an issue with these cars. I welded on the stock cat and have had no issues since. I have heard of very few stock cats failing, even with modified cars.

 

No coating, stock cat and no problems.

Why not give Jan a call and see what cat he has been using. I'd also call random tech and see what they have to say.

 

They don't anymore. I had one, lasted almost exactly 10,000 miles before I started getting cat efficiency codes. It got replaced with another brands whose name I can't remember at the moment. The one I have on now has been one for over 15,000 miles without any issues.

 

+1.

Stock converter is the most durable as I've been told. Random Tech seems to be good too for an after market product.

 

what's the brand?

 

I can't remember, but I'll find out Tuesday and post after that.

I wasn't the only one who had the problem with the Random cat either. There were at least 2 others that I know of. Replaced the cat with no other changes and the problem hasn't come back since.

 

A fellow NAM member who's past trouble-shooting has been more on-the-money than not PMd me w/ this. I thought it might be of interest to those of us trying to wrestle w/ this problem:

"An over-rich mixture will damage a cat. Have you monitored A/F and EGT on the road? Two cats damaged = something is amiss... You said you had a hole burned in one so it is not a failure of the spun material's binding. Leaded race gas, fouled plugs, bad O2 sensor, misfires, down hill running with the vehicle overloaded, too many push starts, incompatible fuel additives, bad tune etc., are possible causes.

Is anything wired into the ignition circuit such as a car alarm? Did you ever have a Unichip? If something is interrupting ignition while you're driving it can cause fluctuations in fuel delivery via ECU intervention."

These are definitely something to consider. My tech recently ordered a CarChip for monitoring engine parameters to aid in diagnosing these types of problems...Sounds like it's time to plug it in! [This PM was very much appreciated, BTW! ]

 

So you and 2 others had a failure Random Tech cat??

If so, I didn't know and thought you actually had a better experience with Random Tech than other after markets.

 

look at dynacat from dynatech. I have a Mania header with this cat and it has held up.

 

You may want to e-mail Jan from Revolution MINI and find out what kind of Cat he uses on his race header. I've had it for over 6 months with quite a bit of track time and no issues at all. I beat the CRAP out of my car, trust me .

 

Thanks Rusty, I will!

 

NP

 

So just for the record Jan (RMW) PMd:

"we use Magnaflow ceramic cats.... the ones I have seen fail are the ones with the O2 sensor in the cat.... the ones we use don't have the O2 sensor in the cat. They are about $65 my cost. I think they retail for $120+"

Interesting when it seems so many of the so-called racing cats talk about metal being less likely to fuse than ceramic...at least I think that's what I've been reading...

 

The cat that replaced the Random was a Dynatech. Been running it for over 20000 miles now and it's still fine.

Like I said before the Random went up almost exactly at 10,000.

 

Good to hear! I was reading an Eclipse Forum about pros & cons (opinions, experience...) for aftermkt cats & the Dynatech got best marks there. "Up to 54% increased flow"... Certainly doesn't sound bad!

http://www.jegs.com/p/Dynatech/753324/10002/-1/10251