Anyone heard of Catco catalytic converters?

[Petebee]

http://www.racepages.com/brand/catco.html

I'm still getting that rotten egg smell, so I think I'm eventually going to have to  replace my catalytic converter. The price for a cat at Bavauto is high (>$400). Has anyone heard of Catco? They have a direct fit for 91 318i on this website. Seems like a good deal at $200.

I could get the Catco cat and an Eberspaecher muffler from BMA Parts for the price of the cat at Bavauto. Need to replace my rusted out muffler too

[Cobra Jet]

Yes, they are a very well known "aftermarket" exhaust supply company.  They mainly deal with OEM replacements.

I purchased a complete CATCO catted Y-pipe from a vendor on eBay for my prior 94 Ford Bronco.  The CATCO pipe was made from stainless steel and dumped into a single hi-flow catalytic converter.  The pipe was completely 100% plug-n-play, as it bolted right in with absolutely NO issues at all.  The fit and quality of the pipe is so good, that MANY other Bronco owners have purchased the same replacement part for their trucks.

I only paid $150 for it!  When I was searching online for the same catted Y-pipe I could not find it for less than $300.... until I came across the CATCO part.  If I had to purchase another catted "OEM-like" exhaust section, I would not hesitate buying another CATCO part.

[JHZR2]

roten egg smell aside, do you fail?  are your emissions OK?

Remember - PM is EXPENSIVE these days.  There can't possibly be as much in a $300 cat as in a $1600 cat.

The aftermarket I used when my NOX kept me from passing barely and just barely did a better job than my lousy OEM cat that wasnt doing its job - I mean utterly poor.

An OE cat made the emissions like new.

I guess the goal would be an intermediate level of metals loading and performance, but how can you be guaranteed?

Ive heard that DEC (diversified environmental) converters are the ones to get for as-OEM performance for less.

Good luck,

JMH

[Petebee]

roten egg smell aside, do you fail?  are your emissions OK?

Remember - PM is EXPENSIVE these days.  There can't possibly be as much in a $300 cat as in a $1600 cat.

The aftermarket I used when my NOX kept me from passing barely and just barely did a better job than my lousy OEM cat that wasnt doing its job - I mean utterly poor.

An OE cat made the emissions like new.

I guess the goal would be an intermediate level of metals loading and performance, but how can you be guaranteed?

Ive heard that DEC (diversified environmental) converters are the ones to get for as-OEM performance for less.

Good luck,

JMH

Good point about precious metal content. Here in NC I don't have to get a tailpipe test, only a visual to ensure cat is in place. The reason I'm concerned is that everyone concedes that my cat is on its way out (sulphur stink)...will this fact lead to some type of failure (i.e., clogging)?

They recently did a test in GRM using different aftermarket cats on a Miata. The best overall performer was a Magnaflow universal fit that they welded in. This was in terms of HP/Torque and emissions control.

I'd consider this as a solution (they have a universal that is a "fit" for M42 cars), but the inlet for the cat on our cars is angled quite a bit, and would require a substantial amount of fabrication to cut out and replace with a the universal style - which is essentially a straight through design.

Guess I was just trying to get out on the cheap with the Catco unit