Beware of this Style of Aftermarket Cat

[Kubelwagen]

I like to give companies the benefit of the doubt that since they're selling a professional product, it will be a professional product. Well, it didn't work this time.

The cat on my '03 A4 1.8 needed replaced and since the car is older with a ton of miles, I didn't want to spend a lot.

After looking at several brands and companies, I took a chance on one from a place called Muffler Express out of Canada. Reviews of the company were generally good.

This is the picture of the cat they sell-



Looks really good. A few other companies show the same design with prices from about $130 to $180. From this photo I believed the cat was coated. It wasn't. It came raw from welding. That's what you get for $150. Yes, something like Bosal would have most likely been a better option for not much more cash.

Here's the real issue. For some reason the new cat is designed with the pipe at the inlet flange curved inward, which places the body of the cat really close to the engine. There's now about 1/2" of clearance between the cat and the conduit for the starter cable. There's a good 6 inches between the other side of the cat and the fender. The plastic shield for the post cat O2 sensor wiring also now pushes against the transmission housing. I'll have to put something around that to help keep it from eventually rubbing through.







Here's the OEM cat showing the straight inlet pipe.



The cat came with correct inlet and outlet gaskets, but then there were also six bags of 3/8" SAE bolts with fender washers and flange nuts. No, I'm not kidding. And the holes in the flanges are so large that washers are mandatory. The OEM cat is factory installed without washers.

When I contacted the company to "express" my concerns with their product regarding the misleading picture and poor design, I was given the usual diversionary excuses- 'Many have been sold with no complaints, they installed one on an employee's car and it's fine, the cat in the picture was painted to make it show up better...' The guy actually said that they didn't take pictures of the actual product because it was too dark and didn't show up well in pictures. Seriously?? I believe that's called misrepresentation.

Any company that won't directly address your issues has no intention of providing you with good customer service, regardless what they say in print.

As some of you already know, changing the cat isn't easy. If this cheap cat actually works correctly (hasn't been tested yet), I'll put additional heat shielding between the cat and the engine and chock this up to experience. Or it will irritate me to the point that I'll cut my losses and install a better product. OEM is $$$$$ for a reason.

The guy did offer to take it back if it hadn't been installed yet and if I paid return shipping. Too late. I'm up against an inspection deadline and talked myself into thinking it wasn't really as poorly designed as it is. Telling yourself stories never changes the truth.

Sometimes you pay more and get more. This time I paid less and got less. So there you go.

[moyenecorniche]

No Good, I would not use that. Just chalk it up and order the right part. It is too close, you do not have enough air space, heat shield or not.
I would not trust this part.

[blitz2190]

or you could take it out and bend it yourself. If you have to remove it anyways theres nothing to lose by trying.

[lyates1987]

If it's your daily and not a company car or something of that nature then waiting a few days past the end of the month won't hurt. My current car's inspection was out for nearly 10 months. Granted I never got pulled over and FYI I'm not negligent (CEL kept coming back + tires) but the authorities aren't going to ticket you for a few days out especially if you have an issue that is not letting you pass. If they do ticket you then they are being a complete and utter prick. IMO you should send it back to them based on your experience and get something better for your car before the cat creates more issues down the road. After your description that cat maybe so poorly designed it might not even do what it was intended to do.

[diagnosticator]

or you could take it out and bend it yourself. If you have to remove it anyways theres nothing to lose by trying.

Except that if bending it doesn't work out as intended, then the cat cannot be returned.

[diagnosticator]

PM sent..

[Charles.waite]

Except that if bending it doesn't work out as intended, then the cat cannot be returned.

That. Also I'd wager the steel is far to think to easily be bent without damage. Its more likely you'll weaken the metal and after a few heat cycles it will crack and split. That is also not good.

Its sort of weird they would use a strange curved piece like that to couple teh flange to the car itself. Seems detrimental to flow as well as just plain odd. Why not a straight piece with the ends cut at an angle? Or just a transition piece after a straight piece? Seems like an odd way to manufacture it...

[ADCS]

If you don't have a welder you could take it to an exhaust shop, have them cut it off and weld in a new piece that angles it correctly. Swap over the O2 bung or have them place a new one.

Personally I would throw that cat in the garbage and buy a 034 Motorsport high-flow cat.

[moyenecorniche]

or you could take it out and bend it yourself. If you have to remove it anyways theres nothing to lose by trying.

You're not going to bend that short of a part to make a difference. It's not like a 4-5ft tube with a bend. A chamber, two angles and welds ? My guess would be that trying to bend it you will break one of the welds and still need a new piece.

You could see if someone can reweld it to the proper angles. A reputable shop should be able to do that without it costing more than it's worth. Either way you cannot use it as is.

But really, just order the correct part from one of the merchants on this site. Some things you can skimp on. This isn't one of them. Having wrestled before with poor fitting parts, it's just not worth it at the end of the day as your car is still undriveable and now you're waiting for the correct part..

[blitz2190]

Except that if bending it doesn't work out as intended, then the cat cannot be returned.

He was told it could be returned if it wasn't installed.
but yea it may not be to easy, always forgot not everyone has the tools needed, would take about 20 seconds on a mandrel

[PreciseD]

Did you install it backwards? I can't tell if it's directional or not.

[moyenecorniche]

This is the picture of the cat they sell-



Here's the OEM cat showing the straight inlet pipe.

Why did you not just send it back when you compared it with your OEM.

It's directional in the sense that the sensor has to be forward.

[Kubelwagen]

Why did you not just send it back when you compared it with your OEM.

It's directional in the sense that the sensor has to be forward.

I didn't send it back because I had been waiting for the thing for two weeks and when it arrived I convinced myself it would be "ok" because I just wanted to get the stupid car on the road again. Hindsight is always 20/20. This is part of what I said in my opening post about telling yourself stories.

At first I thought the flanges had been welded on the wrong ends but they hadn't. The cat is just a POS. The cat can't be installed backwards. The inlet flange is bigger than the outlet flange. And since there's a sensor on both ends, one's always forward whichever way the cat is positioned.

In the grand scheme of things, this isn't a big deal. Just an irritating one. There's no reason why the cat shouldn't at least work well enough to kill the CEL and allow me to get the car inspected. After that I'll order a decent cat, maybe even a high flow, and replace it again when I replace the axles. Got a set of Raxles ready to go in. At least they're good quality.

By the way, you should be congratulated on being the first person in the thread to kick a guy when he's down. It's always someone.

[Kubelwagen]

Here's something interesting just to prove a point. This cat is advertised as an Evan Fischer direct fit from CarParts.com. It has a 50k mile or 5 year warranty for around $150 shipped.



Notice that even though the connecting tube at the inlet is still angled slightly, it's angled away from the engine. So at least this is a cheap cat with a good warranty that appears to be designed to fit properly.

I'm leaning towards a high flow.

[Toronto5.5]

Why don't you just take your old one, hammer the honeycomb out of it, spend 30$ on a quality 02 spacer and get a nice OEM looking test pipe.

[lyates1987]

I still don't understand why you would waste money. This might be me but I'd much rather send that pos back and have an uninspected ride for just a few days then waste $150 on something completely obsolete. Have you tried clearing codes before getting it inspected? The main goal here is to pass inspection am I wrong?

[thedownwardsprl]

Clearing a code puts your car into a non inspect mode for about 60 to a hundred miles. Often time some people can drive within a ten mile loop hole of the clearance and pass

[moyenecorniche]

By the way, you should be congratulated on being the first person in the thread to kick a guy when he's down. It's always someone.

A bit sensitive don't you think ?

You started a thread on a substandard part that you made the mistake of buying. You also posted photo's of it installed which revealed that it's a complete screw up as far as fit and all.
That would have confirmed for me that I would have wanted either my money refunded or the correctly made part. ( probably unlikely from that company )
In either outcome I would have just ordered from a reputable source.

Nowhere did I " Kick a Guy when he's down " lol

Your own justification of " The car being older so I don't want to spend money on quality parts " is seriously flawed. If you subscribe to that rationale, you will be spending a lot more money in returns, shipping and whatever else each time you go the cheap route.
You are not the 1st one to have mistakenly ordered something less expensive only to realize that it cost you more in the long run.
Audis are not inexpensive to repair, or to keep in good health. That is the price for owning a car in the luxury performance segment.
Chalk it up to a " Fail " and move on. I could perhaps see your rationale if the discussion was on $3000+ worth of parts, but for a critical part priced well under $400 it doesn't make sense to spend weeks agonizing over a cheap part.
It seems at this point ( post #14 ) you are determined to buy a cheap part and justify your obstinance.
There are viable suggestions from replies in your thread, you might want to be objective and just buy the correct part..

You might also look up the same part in the VW 1.8T layout... ??

[Spike00513]

034 HFC seems popular around here.

You could have bought an OEM cat for less, with fitment guaranteed.

Clearing a code puts your car into a non inspect mode for about 60 to a hundred miles. Often time some people can drive within a ten mile loop hole of the clearance and pass

Source?

[PreciseD]

Source?

This is true. To pass my GT28R in Cali I had to clear codes and drive 70 miles to get it to pass.

[ADCS]

Source?

Google emissions readiness.

[lyates1987]

Google emissions readiness.

What he said. You gotta drive a certain distance for the monitors on the readiness test.

[Spike00513]

This is true. To pass my GT28R in Cali I had to clear codes and drive 70 miles to get it to pass.

Found it. Looks like VCDS has an entire procedure for it. Thanks.

[PreciseD]

Found it. Looks like VCDS has an entire procedure for it. Thanks.

You mean a way to get around it? I would be interested in your findings if you care to PM me.

[jaydeff]

You mean a way to get around it? I would be interested in your findings if you care to PM me.

I think he means VCDS has a readiness helper thing that goes through what you need to do to set the readiness for all monitors. I don't think there's a way to get around it short of flashing your ECU with a modified binary.

[Charles.waite]

I think he means VCDS has a readiness helper thing that goes through what you need to do to set the readiness for all monitors. I don't think there's a way to get around it short of flashing your ECU with a modified binary.

This. It has an Output test or whatever. However unless you like sitting in your driveway with the throttle held down and listening to the computer rev the car at varying RPMs for 5-10 minutes, simply driving around for 30-40 miles will allow all the monitors to have time to pass (assuming you don't have any issues).

[Spike00513]

You mean a way to get around it? I would be interested in your findings if you care to PM me.

I was referring to this. Clicky

I don't know a way around it. Certain self-proclaimed tuners claim to have power over all that stuff though.

[PreciseD]

I was referring to this. Clicky

I don't know a way around it. Certain self-proclaimed tuners claim to have power over all that stuff though.

Thanks Paul

[Kubelwagen]

034 HFC seems popular around here.

You could have bought an OEM cat for less, with fitment guaranteed.



Source?

OEM cat is listed at one online Audi parts supplier at $1,180 plus a $210 core deposit.

[Kubelwagen]

A bit sensitive don't you think ?

You started a thread on a substandard part that you made the mistake of buying. You also posted photo's of it installed which revealed that it's a complete screw up as far as fit and all.
That would have confirmed for me that I would have wanted either my money refunded or the correctly made part. ( probably unlikely from that company )
In either outcome I would have just ordered from a reputable source.

Nowhere did I " Kick a Guy when he's down " lol

Your own justification of " The car being older so I don't want to spend money on quality parts " is seriously flawed. If you subscribe to that rationale, you will be spending a lot more money in returns, shipping and whatever else each time you go the cheap route.
You are not the 1st one to have mistakenly ordered something less expensive only to realize that it cost you more in the long run.
Audis are not inexpensive to repair, or to keep in good health. That is the price for owning a car in the luxury performance segment.
Chalk it up to a " Fail " and move on. I could perhaps see your rationale if the discussion was on $3000+ worth of parts, but for a critical part priced well under $400 it doesn't make sense to spend weeks agonizing over a cheap part.
It seems at this point ( post #14 ) you are determined to buy a cheap part and justify your obstinance.
There are viable suggestions from replies in your thread, you might want to be objective and just buy the correct part..

You might also look up the same part in the VW 1.8T layout... ??

In the two pictures you're referencing to prove your point, one cat is positioned so the inlet is on the left, the other cat it's on the right. If they were facing the same direction they're layout and flange angles would look the same. The cat fits fine with the exception of the catalyst housing being closer to the engine than I think it should be. It worked fine for passing emissions. So you're efforts to discredit me using the pictures I posted are totally baseless.

Why are you even on here if all you intend to do is be a jerk and insult other members?

[Kubelwagen]

I was referring to this. Clicky

I don't know a way around it. Certain self-proclaimed tuners claim to have power over all that stuff though.

As stated previously, any time the faults are cleared or the ECU loses power (changing the battery, for instance), the ECU requires time to monitor certain systems and bring the ECU back to a readiness state. If any of the systems are not ready, the emissions test will fail if it's done through OBD2.



When I was testing my old cat and cleared the CEL, it took the stated amount of driving time to set the readiness state. The Evap and Secondary Air systems took the longest because they need a certain amount of drive time plus a certain number of cycles of the engine being turned on and off. The cat or low performance CEL came on before these last two systems were even ready with the old cat. After replacing the cat, everything was fine. Torque is a simple way to tell what's going on without hauling the laptop out to the car and using VCDS.

[thedownwardsprl]

Not sure but did it before but just bought the adapters...aka spark plug non foulers drilled a hole in it and used it to space the 02 sensor further away fray the exhaust. I remember my vr6 took like 3 stacks to make it work.

[moyenecorniche]

In the two pictures you're referencing to prove your point, one cat is positioned so the inlet is on the left, the other cat it's on the right. If they were facing the same direction they're layout and flange angles would look the same. The cat fits fine with the exception of the catalyst housing being closer to the engine than I think it should be. It worked fine for passing emissions. So you're efforts to discredit me using the pictures I posted are totally baseless.

Why are you even on here if all you intend to do is be a jerk and insult other members?

Again you take it personally.
Nowhere have I insulted you personally, just pointing out once again the part you bought is defective.
You bought a part that does not fit correctly and are still trying to justify it by taking it once again to the personal level.
No matter which way you flip those parts the connection flanges are not welded to the same intake / exhaust angles, which is why your pipe is not centered when installed.
Passing inspection is about the emissions measured, not the poor fit installation.

Since you are obtusely unwilling to see the problem with that part, leave it on and have fun when it heats up to max and you have a critical heat related issue.
There's good reason as to why exhaust manifolds and connections downstream ( especially cats ) are centrally positioned and surrounded with heat deflective shields.

Solution is still to just get the correctly fitting part.