Re: '90 V8 Cat Converter

["Cobram ." <cobram@juno.com>]

BernieD1@aol.com writes:

>My '90v8 (60k mi.) has developed a loud metallic rattle coming from 
>the undercarriage. It's most noticable at low speeds during light 
>acceleration. 
>I've been told by 2 separate shops that my right side cat converter 
>has gone bad. Seems premature to me. According to the owner's manual 
>if the cat 

Mine did the exact same thing.  I was very happy to find out that it was
the cat making these rattling noise, as it mimics a transmission noise,
which is ALOT worse.  You have to remove both sides to change the one
side. You should get a set of new clamps that go to the rear section, but
these are cheap enough at $9.00 each (Dealer wanted $21 each for these!).
 New nuts and bolts for the cat flanges too.  The cross-bar has to come
out, a bunch of 10mm nuts that zip off quickly with an air ratchet.  I
gutted the cats, both of them, as a test, just to make sure it was the
cats, I'll be buying the obscenely expensive replacement...err...soon. 
It's a bit of a PITA to get all the kitty litter out as the inlet and
outlet is offset on the V8Q cats.  Car sounds beefy, lots beefier without
the cat guts.  As an added bonus, the idle/stalling problem I was having
when shifting from D to R when parking has disappeared.  The car seems to
have alot more power now, but I suspect that is more psychological
because of the sweet "roar" it makes when you really step on it.  

The mileage seems about right, as mine has made this noise since I bought
it, about 3 years ago @65K miles.  If they all crack the way mine was
cracked ( it had a separation where 25% of the honeycomb had broken in
one piece and was loose) I can't see any problems with leaving it like
that, as there is still plenty of flow.

As for the light, I think it feeds off the sensor that is in the right
side cat, and then only if cat is plugged.  My light also never went on.

BCNU,

Cobram@Juno.Com
http://welcome.to/AudiV8Quattro

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