Catalytic converter removal

Hi, my 525 is registered 01.01.92.  Am I right in thinking I can get away with removing the Cat?  If I do is there any improvement in power or mpg and is it easy enough to do?  I probably won't do it anyway, I'm just interested if anyone else has tried. 

Thanks

Andrew

The all important cut off date is 01.08.1992. Ref source www.buypartsby.co.uk/catalytic_mot.php

Cars registered before 01.08.1992 do not need to have a cat fitted to pass the emissions tests. 

Cars registered after 01.08.1992 need to have a cat fitted to pass the emissions tests.

Removing a cat is bit of a pointless exercise in cars registered before 01.08.1992 because you will need to faff around with the engine management settings to cope with the different exhaust back pressure, for example you don't need a lambda sensor anymore.  You will need a straight thru replacement pipe that bolts in the gap left from the cat or a complete new exhaust.

I had a 3.0i 24v Vauxhall Senator before which had twin cats (£700 worth if they went belly up!) but as mine was registered on 04.09.1990 it didn't need them for the emissions test.  Other Senator owners talked about removing them and fitting them with two straight pipes of the same length, they reckoned the power gain was about 10% or 20 bhp but if you didn't remap or re programme the ECU to run without the cats it would cause bother later. And sorting the ECU on such an old car isn't worth doing.

It's a lot of work to do it properly for not much gain so it's up to you.

Andrew

Thanks for the advice Andrew & Gordon, I think I'll leave the car as it is though its good to know that if the Cat ever gives me any bother I can just remove it. 

The Viper 2 chip has made a noticeable improvement to the car.  When I first installed the chip I went out for a blast, first impressions where that there was not really any change but later I took the car for a longer drive and was really surprised with the difference.  The car feels a lot more responsive and pulls a bit harder from low revs.  I managed to drive the car for four miles on the motorway keeping the mpg thingy on the dashboard above 30 varying my speed between 50 & 70 (up and down hills).  This would never happen normally.  I have just done 140 miles on £20 of petrol @ 84.9p per litre which I think is pretty good for my car considering in the past I have had it well down below the 100 mile mark!

I don't know anything about the Stone Brother Racing header pipes.

I figured it wouldn't work! Forgot about the car test!

My cat now sounds as if it is well and truly broken with a spluttering/marbley noise. The car feels as if there is a constant rev limiter fitted onto it. Last week whilst driving up a ramp to a motorway I overtook a Pug 206 but it took a real long time to do it!

kbannon wrote: Only problem is that I have to cancel Christmas as it set me back €1118 @ a main dealer! !

 Oh my god!

kbannon wrote: Savo wrote:  Oh my god! My words exactly!

Was that when you handed the cash over to Kelvin and he grinned back at you, how much of that was for labour?

Topazman

kbannon wrote: it set me back €1118 @ a main dealer!

Je$u$ H. I got a price from my local tyre & exhaust centre for about €600 for a Bosel one and I laughed at that.  Drivin' on with the noise for a few more months.  Probably would have got it done by now, only budget blown on replacing the tyre/rim and suspension/steering arms last few weeks and the xmas shopping for the 2 little toxics.

Local indy is on the look out for a used one for me but will only take it he knows the car and there are only less than 40k on it.  TBH, I might bite the bullet after xmas when the bonus gets here and get one from GSF.  Their cost for one is about €385 inc. VAT and my indy will fit it for about €100.