98 metro california duel cat converter

[RocRemington]

Does anybody have a source for the front cat. All the chain store auto parts sell the rear cat only. I pulled it today and it is totally clogged. I wonder if I punch out the front cat and replace the rear, will I be able to squeak by smog check (required every two years in this area).

[Crvett69]

you should be able to go to a auto parts store and get a generic fit one. schucks sells a Maremont 38402 for about $88 that should work, can have a exhaust shop weld it on

[RocRemington]

This is the California model. I have done some more research sense my original post and I will publish it here for the benefit of other Californians. There are two cats in the 1998 Ca. Metro. The rear cat is standard tailpipe in-line cat. The ones I found on the Internet say "not for California equip". The front cat is bolted to the exhaust manifold with three 14MM bolts. The exhaust pipe bolts on below with two 14MM bolts. The housing is cast iron as thick as the manifold. The Ca, manifold is different then other states. I called all over and NO parts store will supply this cat. I called the dealer and I can get one in five days for $450. I am told that is cheap. Some models can run $900. Yesterday I put it all back together and took it to get smog checked. I passed by one PPM. The smog check cost $60 and we must do this every two years. If you fail its still $60, you must get it fixed, and retest for another $60. And I am told sense you failed, you must retest EVERY year for the next five. Welcome to California.
To be fair I must say this requirement only applies to populated areas. If I lived fifty miles east of here in the desert the car would only have to be smogged at change of ownership. Also cars older than 1976 are exempt.

[hot_sd]

Thanks for posting that info - I may have the same problem at the next smog check myself. I have a 2000 metro and the NOx emissions have been getting progressively worse - scraped through this time on the 15 mph test - the 25 mph test results were much better. I'm guessing I will be needing a new cat shortly and suspected that the CA cat was a dealer item.

[Crvett69]

those sound like the cats that come on some of the JDM engines from japan. if there is a supplier by you somewhere you might talk to them and see if they have any. most of the engine supplyers just pull off the manifolds before they sell the engines and sell them for scrap