I need some advice on replacing the Cat Converter on my 1994 Mazda Protege Lx. I took it to the shop(because it failed the state inspection) to get an estimate of about 400 dollars. I figured I could save a lot of money if i just replace it myself. The only problem is that I've never done it before .....but it looks pretty simple. Has anyone ever replaced thier Cat converter????? Should I do it myself???

 

I have a "high flow" Magnaflow on mine...cost $120 installed

 

it should just bolt in and out...not hard, but get plenty of PB Blaster and have some decent tools on hand

 

Hey mac .. this might be a stupid question ... but what is "PB Blaster? I've got the tools and everything ....

 

its a rust breaker...comes in a spray can at discount auto....you spray it where the bolts are, let it sit and then tap it with a hammer to loosen everything up

 

If its a bolt-in one it wouldn't be any different than removing a muffler and bolting it up, if its welded into the pipe, just cut it out with a hack-saw and slip the new one in, then use pipe-clamps to put it on

 

First off, your cars catalytic wont fail if there's nothing wrong with your car. Your car must be running rich or your burning oil if you think that you need to replace the cat. Even if you replace your cat for a new one and not finding out what the problem is your cat wont last that long.

I got my high flow cat for $200 including the 2" mandrel bend piping at a local muffler shop.

 

1ofdfew .... thats what I was thinking ... maybe it's burning oil b/c I changed my oil not too long ago ....and not even 3,000 miles later my dipstick shows an 8th full.

What could be causing my pro to run rich?

 

One more thing .... my mech. told me the cats are only designed to last about 80 to 90 thousand miles. My car has 152,000. So could it be that I just need to replace the cat? Or should I look into other reasons to why the cat failed. Everything else checks out fine.

 

Things tends to fall apart especially on a high mileage vehicle. I've had mine pass the smog on my original 133,000 mile cat.

No, they should for a long time longer than 80-90k miles. Like I said something went wrong on the engine to ruin the cat.

I have a 1.8 dohc BP motor that came from a 92 protege LX I've had it for almost 2 years and eversince i've had this motor I've always wondered y the hell do I put half a pint of oil every week when I dont have any leaks. I thought I was burning oil but I wasn't my car pass the smog and it pass it like it was a brand new vehicle. From what I've heard on the forum www.clubprotege.com is that the oil squirters has to do something about it. So, Im not worrying about it.

Since you're getting it smogged and you think that ur burning oil YES, by all means do replace your cat for the sake of the environment and when you do replace it . Do a minor tune up to which is the plugs, wires, filters, etc...

Check your VAF for spec. The spring tends to wear out on this sensors. All you need to do is get a Voltmeter and the Haynes manual then you're good.

Hope this helps....

 

I've burned up three cat converters in about 16 months (each about $125 installed) -- and am still unable to pass the NOx component of the state inspection for a '91 Pro DX. The HC and CO2 components are well below limits, but NOx is nearly twice the passing limit.

My point is that replacing the cat may not help your NOx problem. It didn't with mine.

I can't figure it out. Local mechanics have not been able to identify the problem. I haven't gone to a Mazda dealer yet.

My Pro has 254K miles, and runs great, although I do add 1 to 2 quarts of oil every three thousand miles.

Does this model (purchased new in California) have an EGR valve? Could this be the problem? Shouldn't a good mechanic be able to identify the cause? Would a dealer repair shop be worth it?

 

I replaced the catalytic converter (cat) in my '92LX. It was pretty easy. I used a 'direct fit' (or something with similar name) manufactured by Walker, and it bolted right up. The bolts were not too rusted, even at 130K miles in the rust belt. After replacement, my HC went way down during emission test.

I found a good price on the converter at www.autowhiz.com

I agree that you should make sure there is not another problem that caused the cat to fail. On my car, the coolant temp sensor failed a few months after the cat replacement, so I wonder if it may have been acting up and causing the cat to fail.

JQ