I recently replaced my holy OEM main cat with a catco direct replacement from Summit (~$100). I thought I'd give you some impressions and hopefully, a photo of the two side by side.

The new cat is certainly smaller and lighter. The OEM was on the car since new so it's a bit crusty. it weighs about 13 punds. I didn't weigh the Catco cat but it's significantly lighter.

More info later when I go get the thing tested...

Cory

 

I would think you will probally see some performance increase with that cat.

 

Another view.
Forgot to mention that with the Catco unit, it is possible to see daylight through the cat. With the OEM, even shining a flashlight in the other end, one can't see the light.

 

I purchased one of those cats about 4 years ago from Summit. I have had great luck with mine, however other forum members have bashed the Catco Cat.
They have written that the brick inside will melt from the high exhaust heat produced by a rotary motor.
I have yet to see this.
I recently had mine off and the brick inside looks fine.
A phone call to the company before my purchase also verified that they have not had any complaints from Rx7 owners who have used these cats.

Good luck with yours.

BTW, you will have to cut the split air pipe to get the Catco cat to fit properly. I shortened the pipe and used some hose and hose clamps to attach the two peices after I was done.

 

Mine fits alright...maybe they fixed that fitment problem.

Cory

 

Oh the joys of living in a small populated city with no emmisions laws....yay

Cats????????!!!!!!!!!! we dont need no stinking cats

 

Catco cats SUCK. i bought one when i had my y pipe built and within a 8 month period the cat was completly blown out. (hollow) it was on a N/A too.

 

No they didn't.

You can see in the picture that the stock cat uses a flange to mount the split air pipe, and the catco pipe uses a male nipple.

Good luck with the cat though, let us know how it turns out.

 

For that particular part, you may have a fitment problem they didn't forsee. I bought the whole replacement pipe (2 cats). It goes all the way from the exhaust manifold to the Y-pipe. No fitment problems with the split-air pipe whatsoever, and it is ALOT lighter.

PJ

 

Ive had mine on for one year, it passed emissions testing on its own with the single catco cat, you can just have a shop cut the flange off your air tube on your old cat and weld it on to the new one, its a 5 minute job.

I paid $69 for mine because it wasnt a direct replacement due to the fact my whole exaust is custom stainless steel, for $69 if it lasts another year or so its WELL worth it compared to the price of other converters. Performance was identical to my Racing Beat pre-silencer with no cats, now no more stink and I dont have to worry about my clothes and hair stinking like rotory when I have the top down.

 

I have used Catco on both my TIIs without problem.I have found that they last through 2 emission test cycles ie 4yrs.The fitment problem with the split air pipe was solved by cutting a piece of pipe out just after the none return valve and using an appropriate length of hi-temp rubber hose.
Anyone claiming to have melted the catalyst bricks clearly has problems with their car whether they know it or not.

 

Good luck getting those cheesy-*** "floating" flanges to seal up tight. I had one of these on my car and could never get it to seal tightly to the Y-pipe. Always had one of those annoying little sputtering leaks.

 

i have a catco cat 3 inch in and out, waiting to get welded in. seems like a nice piece. and for 100 bucks, ill take that chance. my car smells like a 18 wheeler as of now.
cant wait to get it in though.

 

I had one on my daily driven n/a. It died within about 9 months or so. The ceramic element inside just disintegrated. The thing got so clogged up that my car made no power anywhere and the header glowed constantly. I hope you have better luck than I had.

 

Well the responses here re the Catco are pretty even for and against. What I would bet is that all the catalysts in the different cats come from just a couple of places and all the exhaust manufacturers buy them and put them in their own cases. The catalyst needs special equipment to make and a couple of folks make them for the whole aftermarket and OEM industry. It would be interesting to know where each cat manufacturer gets its catalyst, then we could avoid the suppliers that supposedly burns out in short order.

 

did you have an airpump at the time?

 

Yep still had all the emissions controls on it.

 

I would think there was something wrong with the car, the exaust shop puts them on all thier cars with high performance exausts and never ever has a problem. Its odd that some have such good luck with them, and others such bad, I would lean towards a issue with the vehicle.