Removing Catalytic Converter?
 

I was driving down the highway when i hit 100 and i started hearing my engine backfire like a mofo, when i stopped i checked under the car to find a piece in the middle hanging down, i talked to my friends and they said my catalytic converter is falling off.. now i don't know much about cars and since i read these forums like everyday i am turning to whoever wants to help me.. I called a few shops and one shop said they wouldn't remove it if my cat had sensors on it, but I was like, how the hell do i know if my cats have sensors.. I have a 1988 GX, mostly stock except the exhaust, nothing special about the exhaust tho, but my friend said they replaced it after the cat so my cats probably clogged to hell and my other friend said to just remove but the shop i called said that was bad for my car and i should buy a new converter which he quoted at 280$ canadian, which i can't afford spending that much btw, but i asked how much to get it removed and he said 80-90..

so what i'm curious about is simply if i remove it, will that harm my car? can i just get it removed since it's falling off anyways, can i just pop it back in or what can i do?

Simply put, what will be the results of a removed catalytic converter. =o)

Pls don't flame, I'm a first time poster, i did research this question and i haven't really come up with any satisfying answers. Thank you!

Very simple.... MORE POWER! :D

And you won't be able to pass an emissions test.

You should buy a down pipe. it replaces all the cats with a straight pipe. You can get them on line at just about any rx7 web site.

Complete freeflow replacement converter:
http://www.rx7.com/cgi-local/2catalog.cgi?cat=4&part=1

Complete freeflow replacement pipe(no converter)
http://www.rx7.com/cgi-local/2catalog.cgi?cat=4&part=2

Or pretty downpipe and presilencer(no converter):
http://66.216.67.51/product.asp?0=210&1=254&3=548


Converter=less power, more expensive, passes emissions, save the environment

No converter=more power, cheaper, fails emissions, SUVs pollute more than rotary so who cares about the environment:D

Remember that cat removal will probably render your 5th and 6th ports inactive. Therefore, you will lose power. If you want to know what that means, search. :)

There are no sensors on the cat.

Alright. so here's the newsflash, it's not my Cat that's falling off, it's my heat shied.. but to get it downpiped is gonna cost me around 160.. is that reasonable? i have no idea but how long do i have before the heat shield is gonna give problems? it's rusted through..

Take the cat off, and get a straight pipe. Then you don't really have to worry about the heat shielding.

how offten do you guys have to pass ems? Mine is like 1 every 2 years( i think) Strat pipe would dick me.:spank:

Well the heatshield does not effect performance. Backfiring does happen with cats, but usually means you have some leak somewhere. If your not looking for performance, theres no reason to get anything done except maybe fix, replace, or remove the heatshield.

I jacked up my car yesterday and put the heatshield back in place, it just got knocked off the thing holding it on, i figure i will get it straightpiped (Not downpiped as i was told you can only do that to Turbos) but not for 2 weeks when i have the money, i have no doubt that my cats are pluggin of my performance.. Straight pipe it is! Thanks a bunch Guys!

Is there anything i should know about when putting in a straight? like the guy at the shop was saying there are three converters.. but i don't think that's right.. my friend says we have 2 converters, a res, or 1 cat, 1 precat and a res.. all i know is there are three different pieces under there, should i just get them all taken out? and should it be a 3" pipe or 2" i have no idea, what does that mean even.. =oP

NAs have 2 precats and a main cat. TIIs have one precat and a main. What year is your car? If its an 86-88 you will have problems opening your aux ports without enough backpressure. Definitely go with 2.5", 3" is wayyy to big for an NA. Do a search for "5th and 6th ports."

Reread Aaron's post up above.
You'll have to wire your ports. They need backpressure to function properly on S4s. Backpressure is provided by the cats or presilencers in the links that I previously provided.

http://homepage.mac.com/jburger/jaysrx7/6PortSolution/
http://home.earthlink.net/~burntoast/6port.html