aeneb

I am looking for a better alternative. Northern Va. If anyone knows where I can goto to get a reasonable and reliable job done to replace this, I would greatly appreciate it.

chikoo

how many years/miles?

Lexmex

I used to live up there, but do not know anyone specifically and I know NOVA has tailpipe tests. The dealer will always hose you on the cat. The Magnaflow HighFlow Cat I bought cost only $220 USD or so installed down here and it was more efficient.

TunedRX300

Lexmex, I always wonder why Lexus does not make the cat a modular component. By looking at it, the cat, resonator, and the pipe to the mufflor is one piece. So the only way someone to replace the cat (and cat only) is to cut it off the resonator and weld back a replacement?

Lexmex

The guys down at the place that did my exhaust work and even my uncle also commented on the same thing.

The main cat was really easy to take out via welding, but again why do that.

When the precats came out, that front precat was a real PITA to remove. At least headers should prove a little easier as they will be custom.

I thought that my cats would eventually suffer with the high sulfur gas, regardless of Pemex having premium, but that turned out not to be the case as it was a rather sudden bad batch of gas.

Lexmex

Let's not forget that some of us have had to replace this piece below through the dealer. My uncle had to weld it shut twice, but it has held up since. And this is not a controverial piece like the cat.

TunedRX300

Apparently someone at Toyota did not use his brain. Does Toyota recommend replacing all three components if one fails? What a dumb *** design.

RhoXS

Manufacturers usually place a much higher priority when designing a vehicle on reducing the cost of assembly vs. reducing the cost of repair. I strongly suspect this is the case here. I am guessing this is a one piece assembly because it can be preassembled off-line (probably by a outside vendor) and then can be quickly installed as a single piece using less hardware (also a weight saving) to secure it. Make no mistake about it, for the most part, the cost of repair to you and I is not a major concern to any of the manufacturers. Since all manufactures take this approach it is still an even playing field. I highly doubt this design is anything less than a well thought out manufacturing/design decision.

Lexmex

I got the sense it is one piece throughout after watching the modifications done, though where that flex pipe is above in the photo, I am not sure how Lexus replaced that part (weld?), though I remember seeing the flexible replacement pipe that came afterwards.

TunedRX300

My Acura TL's cat is modular, held by 6 flange bolts, 3 on the inlet pipe, 3 on the outlet pipe. TL's resonators and y pipe is one piece but it is more reasonable as one can replace the cat without touching other exhaust parts.
I saw a RX330 Thundercloud parked by my RX300 today, checked the exhaust out, yeah, the cat, resonator and the pipe are also one piece. Apparently Lexus loves this design: the cat is 1 ft, resonator is 2 ft, the pipe is 3 ft bent 30 degree to the passenger side. Lexus has shipped this 6 ft monstor replacement part with a 30 degree bend angle across the globe for over 7 years and have not realize it is a logistical nightmare?
How about making exhaust headers, the cat, the resonator, the pipe, and the muffler in one piece, that will jack up the shipping fee and warranty cost

aeneb

It is a 2000 rx300 with 96,000 miles. So, if I buy the magnaflow I can get a regular mech that knows how to weld to install it or is there someone specific I should look for? My main interest is to have it working properly and back on the road without costing that insane amount of money.

Lexmex

My exhaust place did the work. My uncle could have done it. It is really nothing more than a simple weld cut and then putting it back in. No adjustment necessary with the O2 sensor. I could have probably done it if welding torch was sitting nearby, though it would not have been as pretty.

From what I watched the guys at the exhaust place do was literally cut off just before that spring thing you see on the left side below and just before where the O2 sensor meets by that rubber piece on the right side just after the cat. They pull the O2 sensor out of the socket. Where that white arrow is shows the front cut point.

If you need me to take any other photos of the area, I will be happy to do it, as the RX is right downstairs.

TunedRX300

I am curius what caused your cat to die?
Like Lexmex said, you can buy the mangaflow universal cat and ask your local muffler shop to cut and weld. Magnaflow even has a 43000 product that is CARB legal, for those in California.
http://www.magnaflow.com/02product/02converters.asp
I would get the stainless steel one, better rust resistant, higher flow, and should save you $.

Lexmex

I have heard about these before, but my uncle showed me the other day exhaust pipes that have the catalysts line along their walls unlike just using a cat. I wonder why these were not used more often.

aeneb

they didnt have a suggested size or part number... website I went to was justmagnaflow.com anyone have any specs or exact part numbers i can supply for ordering.