[Picasso]

I noticed a loud rattling sound that briefly appeared two months ago but only lasted for about 3 days. The sound started back up a couple days ago and I located the source of the noise at the passenger side catalytic converter. I have S&S headers which came with a Y-pipe and two cats.

When I removed the cat today I found that one of the two honeycomb elements inside the cat had fractured and was in two big pieces and one small one. The biggest piece was wedged very firmly against the exit side opening. My exhaust has smelled a little rich for a while so I'm not sure when this happened or even how it happened. It's also odd in that the CEL has never come on.

Here's the album with three pictures of the cat.

I called S&S but got their recording so I can't ask about a possible warranty from them. I'm willing to bet that there isn't any. I'm certain that I've found a replacement made by Car Sound which is marketed under the Magnaflow brand.

The cat is stamped with 94100 and its dimensions are identical to Magnaflow's model 94116 which also has the air tube. I'm going to buy the 94106 which doesn't have the air tube since it's not used buy our trucks. It goes fro $72 on some mail order web sites and $55 on ebay. All with free shipping.

I'll have to get the three bolt flanges welded on in addition to an extension on one side. Should I have this done and then installed at a muffler shop or should I just give them both cats and have them make the new one look like the old one?


Paul


PS: While underneath my truck I noticed that my headers and y-pipe are starting to rust. I'm glad I kept the stock exhaust as I might be reinstalling it in the future.

 

[Imdone]

The cats from S&S are actually from another company, Loren orders them and then fabs the flanges to suit his need.

I have ordered another set from them already, they were around $100 for the pair or something like that.

They told me they would be more than happy to send them back to the company that they get them from to try and get them warranted but they haven't had much luck, Betty told me they had sent a few back and the company didn't warranty any of them. You may want to check with S&S first before you order the other ones, S&S may end up being cheaper and you won't have to take them to a muffler shop to have the flanges welded on.

 

[jamesjr4750]

I noticed a loud rattling sound that briefly appeared two months ago but only lasted for about 3 days. The sound started back up a couple days ago and I located the source of the noise at the passenger side catalytic converter. I have S&S headers which came with a Y-pipe and two cats.

When I removed the cat today I found that one of the two honeycomb elements inside the cat had fractured and was in two big pieces and one small one. The biggest piece was wedged very firmly against the exit side opening. My exhaust has smelled a little rich for a while so I'm not sure when this happened or even how it happened. It's also odd in that the CEL has never come on.

Here's the album with three pictures of the cat.

I called S&S but got their recording so I can't ask about a possible warranty from them. I'm willing to bet that there isn't any. I'm certain that I've found a replacement made by Car Sound which is marketed under the Magnaflow brand.

The cat is stamped with 94100 and its dimensions are identical to Magnaflow's model 94116 which also has the air tube. I'm going to buy the 94106 which doesn't have the air tube since it's not used buy our trucks. It goes fro $72 on some mail order web sites and $55 on ebay. All with free shipping.

I'll have to get the three bolt flanges welded on in addition to an extension on one side. Should I have this done and then installed at a muffler shop or should I just give them both cats and have them make the new one look like the old one?


Paul


PS: While underneath my truck I noticed that my headers and y-pipe are starting to rust. I'm glad I kept the stock exhaust as I might be reinstalling it in the future.

MORE S&S quality component packages.
If ya got the stock cats still, mount/weld them up to the S&S stuff and have your ODBII compatible CATS again. Probably cheaper too

 

[nedjames]

A couple of years back I had the same problem and Loren replaced both. So far, the new cats have held up.

 

[Picasso]

OK. I still haven't ordered a replacement cat so I'll give S&S a call on Monday. I'll at least check to see how much they sell their cats for. It has been surprising at just how difficult it is to find 3 bolt flanges of the right size.

Thanks for the suggestions.


Paul

 

[jamesjr4750]

So Picasso , pretty much you are going to get your 3rd catalytic converter from them again. You had one with molten metal on the honeycomb.

Do your truck, yourself and the environment a favor and put some OBDII compatible Catalytic converters on. Your Stock old sytem ones or new ones that are compliant and that will last.

 

[Picasso]

So Picasso , pretty much you are going to get your 3rd catalytic converter from them again. You had one with molten metal on the honeycomb.

Do your truck, yourself and the environment a favor and put some OBDII compatible Catalytic converters on. Your Stock old sytem ones or new ones that are compliant and that will last.

Actually, this would be the fourth S&S converter to pass through my hands.

It appears that S&S is getting their converters from CarSound (marketed under the Magnaflow brand) which is the same source I will get mine from if I don't buy one from S&S. That's why I'm going to ask how much S&S is asking for a converter that would be ready to bolt up to my system thus eliminating the time and effort to have a local shop weld everything together for me.

According to CarSound's web site, these converters are OBDII compliant.


Paul

 

[DevinSixtySeven]

Actually your best bet for fitment would be to get the cat with blank ends and a pair of quality 0.25" or 0.375" flanges for each one (check speed shops and circle track shops, not muffler shops...guys that build headers & turbos will have them, Loren may have some sitting around), then take the parts to a muffler shop. It's important to get the 0.25" or 0.375" because they'll warp less when welded...we used 0.375" when we adapted my muffler to the s&s y-pipe, no need for a finish sand or anything, the flanges weren't warped.

They'll be able to mount the flanges to the headers and y-pipe, then tack the cats in place, that way when they do the final weld of the flanges to the cats everything is pretty well guaranteed to fit, no more screwball turning the cats every which way to get everything lining up correctly.

Also FWIW the parts should have been blasted and prepped before they were coated. I doubt they were...the coating on mine is coming off pretty bad as well. I heard JetHot was having some issues for a while...anyone buying these headers would be better off buying them raw (uncoated), getting them media blasted (sand, glass, whatever) and then having them coated, or else using POR20 and doing it themselves.

-Sean

 

[Eddie]

You can ask the muffler shop to make a swivel-style flange on one end,like on a header collector or reducer. If you have access to a hydraulic press you can actually make it yourself as long as you have a proper sized cone to press into the pipe. The last two exhausts I put together used swivel flanges.

 

[Picasso]

Sean, Eddie,
Thanks for the recommendations. I called S&S today but only got their voice mail again so I left an e-mail. Waiting for a response.

I think I may just go ahead and buy the cat off ebay.


Paul

 

[Picasso]

Well, the other honeycomb element in the cat is now rattling around. I removed the cat last night and found that the matting that keeps the element in place was gone. I have no idea why this has now happened but it makes me suspect that there may be another problem with my engine that is causing this.

There is about a half inch gap between the honeycomb element and the converter body and my CEL has not come on during this time. THAT is very unexpected.

Thank goodness my new cat is waiting for me at my mail box. Just need to find two 3 bolt flanges.


Paul

 

[Imdone]

Did you only order one CAT?

Did you get them from Loren?

If anything you can cut the 3 bolt flanges off the damaged cats and have them welded to the new cats.

You could also order a set of flanges direct from S&S.

I have a pair of new cats from S&S sitting in my garage, take a picture of your damaged one and post it so I can check it compared to my new ones.

Thanks.

 

[Picasso]

Did you only order one CAT?

Did you get them from Loren?

If anything you can cut the 3 bolt flanges off the damaged cats and have them welded to the new cats.

You could also order a set of flanges direct from S&S.

I have a pair of new cats from S&S sitting in my garage, take a picture of your damaged one and post it so I can check it compared to my new ones.

Thanks.

I never got a response to my e-mail and I could never reach anyone at S&S by phone so I ordered a new cat from ebay.

Here's a link to one of the photos in my gallery showing both cats before installation. S&S Cats

What happened to your cats that you had to get a new pair?


Paul

 

[Imdone]

I had already seen those photos, I am talking about taking a picture of the damaged one that you have now. I assume that it is still on the truck.

when you get it off, take a pic for me so I/we can all check it out.

I purchased a pair because I thought I had a bad cat, but found out that the cat was just too close to one of the crossmembers which caused a rattling sound and when I trimmed the edges it got rid of the rattle, so I bought a pair for no reason. But now I have backup.

 

[nedjames]

My cats were also way too close to the crossmember, but Loren swore the heat shields should be in the down position. Something about not setting fields on fire. After the biscuit came loose on both, I put the new cats on with the shields up. They fit with lots of clearance, and no rattle.

 

[Picasso]

I had already seen those photos, I am talking about taking a picture of the damaged one that you have now. I assume that it is still on the truck.

when you get it off, take a pic for me so I/we can all check it out.

There's a link in the first post of this thread that goes to the album in my gallery showing three photos of the dislodged honeycomb element in the cat.

Interesting about Loren's statement regarding the heat shield. He had the flanges welded on in such a way that the heat shields and the cat body are level only if the cat is mounted with the heat shield on top.


Paul

 

[Imdone]

Ok found it. yeah, it's sideways, isn't it. I sent an email to Betty, we'll see if she gets back to me, I am trying to get them to put the cats in their online store since there have already been a couple issues with loose biscuits and sinec they are necessary for our trucks we kinda need them with the 3 bolt flanges already on them.

Loren also told me the same thing, I also found that the heat shield needs to face upward and that this is the way that the flange was oriented on the cat, likely was a screw up by the welder.

 

[DevinSixtySeven]

Dunno what you guys are talking about, I only get loose biscuits when I eat the wrong pizza! :clown:

I wonder if it's all the skid plates and everything that have protected my cats.

If you're having trouble locating good 3-bolt flanges, send me a PM and I'll ask my buddy in Dayton where he gets his...they're really nice, meant for high heat apps, 3/8" thick mild steel and intended to be coated with something...POR-20 for example.

-Sean

 

[Imdone]

Sean, that is just nasty!!!


The S&S Part # is Cat250

They aren't in the online store but I am trying to find out if they will be there soon.

You can email an order to [email protected] and Betty can process it for you.