Spiritedly driven? Isn't that the only way to drive? =)

But seriously, from personal experience cats last a long time, as long as you take care of the engine and keep it in good shape. My old 95 SE-R passed smog with flying colors back in 2002, and I ran NOS but always MADD sure to keep the engine maintained correctly

 

A mech did a "chop-job" as he called it on my 01 protege long time ago. New cat plus labor, everything $315. Had to do some interesting welding, but it did the trick. Wouldn't recommend such a thing for anyone else though. I was desperate. Wasn't worth it overall, i didn't even like the car that much. Got rid of it

 

Raine -- Yes. Yes, it is the only way to drive Thanks for the advice. I'll be taking care of it soon.

Gate -- Using the weld-in Magnaflow CARB main cat is my only option. I don't have $1,700 to give Lexus for an OEM. The Pre-Catalytic is another story. That's a reasonable $320 for the OEM bolt-on part.

 

UPDATE:

This concerns anyone interested in using the Magnaflow #38105 "rear" catalytic convertor. Of course it is meant to be welded in but once the guy at the exhaust shop got it up on a lift it was immediately apparent that it was going to be very difficult to weld-in to the OEM piping, though I'm sure he could have made it work. If you have a full custom exhaust I'm sure it would be easier unless the exact placement of the factory second cat can't be changed for legal reasons (I have no idea on that).

The Magnaflow DOES NOT have an O2 sensor bung for California-spec SC300's. Only if you have a California model, you will need a rear cat that will accommodate a third O2 sensor: Toyota P/N: #89465-29525. Carson lists it for about $190.

UPDATE EDIT: I tried installing an alternative Denso OE "Four wire with flange" P/N #234-4204 (4 wire with flange and connector) lists for $90. At least for 1992-1993 cars (and probably 94-95), this is NOT the correct sensor. The mounting flange is too wide and the connector is the wrong type.

The correct #3 sensor is Denso P/N: 234-4214

So that was a problem and needless to say that I will be returning the Magnaflow cat asap.

What the guy at the exhaust shop found as alternatives were two Catco catalytic convertors:

For 92-95 SC300's (and 93-95 GS300's).

Front -- Catco #66265 -- CARB EO D-280-48 -- MSRP $331.83
Rear -- Catco #66266 -- CARB EO D-280-48 -- MSRP $364.26

2016 Update: Catco has discontinued the #66266 model and once remaining stock are gone it will be replaced with a call-in made-to-order #93266 "Direct Fit" model. Same function and also CARB legal for California SC300's. I was told it is made to order on a case by case basis now because there is so little call for these. Hopefully they will address the O2 sensor flange in this version. I believe the same may be true for the #66265 front cat version as well once they run out of stock on those. The replacement number for that one should be #93265.

The original Catco part numbers listed above are still 100% legal to use from new as per the ARB database. Catco just has updated convertors in this application that they use going forward.

These are Cali-legal "direct-fit" cats. This means no welding. They just bolt in like OEM. For the front cat, you may find a marginally better price by going with the OEM Lexus part.

(2016 update: Note in posts after this one that there actually is *some* modification needed to get a #66266 to fit at the front pipe connection... and since the O2 sensor flange is missing which means you need to cut out your OEM cat's O2 sensor flange and have it welded onto the pipe close to the inlet of the aftermarket cat. It is OK that it isn't directly ON the cat like the factory original 2nd California cat. The #3 O2 sensor will work just the same.)

OEM Lexus SC300 92-95 front cat P/N #17450-46010. Carson lists for $278.00

They must be ordered from a distributor of your choice directly from Catco. Many places won't order them because they are such a specialized application. A certain parts seller that keeps getting turned into asterisks each type I type their name will not order them (so they suck anyway) but Summit will I think. I tried a place called Speedway in Upland who will.

When I talked to Toyota they seemed to think that on our cars there really isn't a true "pre-cat". The implication was that both cats do more or less equal work and that the front cat wasn't just there for light off. I really don't know enough about cat design to argue otherwise. Can anyone comment?

 

one cat is to convert hc and co and the other is to convert nox unless you have a 3 way cat which in most newer cars which convert all three using the following elements...Platinum, Palladium and rhodium They usually drill this crap in in smog school lol

 

You can add the bung for the sensor after the cat too it just checks for efficiency just add the bung to the exhaust piping after the cat does the same thing

 

When you say "checks for efficiency", does this mean it will run much cleaner if I were to install a brand new one? The two forward O2 sensors are less than a year old in my car and changing them improved my fuel economy a bit. Just wondering if replacing only that third sensor could reduce my HC's a bit.

 

hey everyone i had a question about this to. but i actually already did my smog and now im ready to install my headers setup and everything else. only the last thing im trying to figure out is where is the magna flow 2 in 1 high flow cat converter ? plz any info would be cool 4reaaal.

 

I'm not sure what you are asking. Do you want to know where the factory cats are located? Or where you can buy a Magnaflow high-flow converter? To my knowledge, Magnaflow only makes one CARB legal universal cat (the one listed earlier). No idea if it's a "high flow" model. They aren't the only seller of cats. There are also Carsound and Catco but I don't know if they sell any universal fit types.

 

Update on this: I am only now getting around to replacing my #2 cat and I ordered the "Direct Fit" Catco #66266. It looks like it has all the right bends and has some nice quality metal.

One problem though.

Unlike the factory Lexus cat there is no #3 02 sensor bung on the Catco cat. There is a sensor bung at the end of the pipe that goes farther up in the exhaust stream but not on the cat itself. Not only that, it's a screw-in type bung.

I'll be calling their offices tomorrow to find out why this is, given that it's supposed to be "direct fit" for Cali-specific cars with three 02 sensors and not just Federal cars that only have the two front sensors.

 

I just got off the phone with Airtek/Catco regarding their #66266 model.

Some good news and bad news for anyone looking into aftermarket Direct Fit cats:

The car they based this design off of was a FEDERAL car and not a Cali-spec car even though the convertor itself is technically Cali certified. A person could weld in a Denso O2 sensor flange on the cat just before the platinum and rhodium elements just like the factory design but this won't fly during an inspection.

If you have a Federal 49-State 92-95 OBD1 SC300 you can use Catco model #66266 as a cheap bolt-in alternative to buying a factory cat.

If you have a California-spec 92-95 OBD1 SC300 you technically cannot use this part even though it fits because your #3 O2 (efficiency) sensor will have nowhere to plug in.

I asked about the possibility of using a 96-00 OBD2 Catco Direct Fit cat from their calatog since Federal and Cali 96-00 cars should all have the #3 O2 sensor and they explained that while it will fit and probably have the 02 flange on the cat it would also legally be an issue because the E.O. number would not be for my year vehicle.

I asked about a universal weld-in cat for my application and they said they had nothing for 92-95 with the O2 sensor bung.

The guys at Catco said they would look into this. I'm sending them reference pictures of my factory Cali-spec cat.

In the meantime I guess I'm going to have to find a new OEM Cali-spec 2nd cat assembly, all of which are over $1k. FML.

 

dont you live in florida?

 

Yea cali smog sucks ball. Just today I installed high flow cats on my Z
Back on topic... You can try cleaning your oem cats with laundry detergent. Get a bucket of water, add a scoop of laundry detergent and let it soak overnight. Did wonders for my 20 year old cats. It passed smog with flying colors with all those bolt-on. Search it on youtube

 

Mike, at the moment I am, yes but I am about to drive the car back to Los Angeles where I was living until last year. It's also a Cali-emissions model, not a Federal car. If I weren't leaving Florida it wouldn't be a big deal I guess but the #2 cat was clogged up with deposits anyway and needed replacing regardless.

It does, mostly because of the strange non-logic of the ARB. I didn't realize cats could be washed like that but it makes sense, being just a fine filter with rare elements. I'll give that a try next time, thanks!

What brand high flow cats did you go with for your Z32, KA8? I might be looking at having to build a new cat system when my engine swap is ready.

....

As for my issue, I ended up using the "direct fit" Catco #66266. It kind of had the general shape of the OEM piping but it didn't fit at all. It was 4" too short at the front (curiously, isn't a Supra MKIV #2 OEM cat assembly exactly 4" shorter than the SC version??) and one of the angle bends was too aggressive making the cat face downward.

So I paid for some welding and to have my OEM #3 O2 sensor flange cut out and moved onto the pipe as close as possible just behind the cat inlet. Toyota's sensor location was still before the cat elements and the ECU is totally happy so that was my solution. And it smells cleaner.

I guess this Catco model is worth it to have LESS welding necessary but it absolutely doesn't just "direct fit". At least there's a nice little E.O. number on the housing.

Edit: And it also didn't cost $1400-$1800.

 

KahnBB6, you passed the smog check?
I am in the same situation. My 94 SC300 with 200K has failed smog and the shop has done all the maintenance (spark plug, wires, cap, oil change, o2 sensors etc.) and it still failed. They said catalytic converter(s) will need to be changed. It is a CA car and they could not find any aftermarket. They said it has to be on https://ssl.arb.ca.gov/PartsSearchTo...earchTool.aspx and it has to have a EO number on it to pass smog.
The database shows only walker manufacturing has them. Part# 82516 and 82535 and they are not direct fit.. I could not find anywhere who carries them and even if I eventually could, will there be any problem with the welding?

CA ARB is really a pain.