Replacement Catalytic Converter - 88 G Van - 305

[DavidSim]

One of the plugs fell out of the bottom of my catalytic converter and I'd like to fix it for future emission tests (although it does sound good, and the van has more power probably due to the age of the converter I assume).

Is there a particular aftermarket converter that I could buy that is as good as (or close) to the OEM unit, or are they all crap and I should by an OEM unit (assuming I still can).

The van has 250,000 KM (160,000 miles) and is all stock. At the last emission test (before my converter popped a plug), the numbers were really good/low so I'm looking good (other than the noise, etc.).

The body is really good, so I want to keep it going as long as I can.

Also, the idle on the van (TBI unit) gets lower as the weather warms up, and gets better as it gets colder (during the freezing winter it's pretty well normal).

Not sure what I should check to get the idle back in to range, assuming that knocking out the adjustment plug and turning it is not going to help me given the TBI and how it works I assume.

TBI has not been cleaned out for a while (by hand) although I do put injector cleaner in the tank a couple of times a year.

Regards from Pickering, Ontario, Canada

[MagicRat]

Woohoo!!....Go Pickering!!! Love your nukes!!!

Okay, those stock GM pellet-type converters are restrictive when stock. Their advantage is that they are servicable. The idea was that if the coated pellets became contaminated or were not functioning, you could remove the converter, knock out the plug, empty the old pellets and replace them with new ones, thus restoring the converter's effectiveness.

However, when the plug fell out of yours, all the converter pellets fell out all over the ground. With the pellets missing, these converters flow a lot better, for more power, even of you plug the hole up again.

You can get new bolt-in plugs from GM so you can fix the hole in the converter, but with no pellets, it will not work for emissions.

It's easier and probably cheaper to get a new aftermarket 'monolythic ' converter than fix the old one. Any muffler shop can supply one for about $150-$250 installed. They are lighter, smaller and less restrictive than the stock ones.

BTW Before Ontario got its emissions testing some of my buddies used to empty their GM pellet converters on purpose to get more power.

[DavidSim]

Thanks very much for the reply, I will follow your advice next year (my next emission test is not due until 2007. The van is in such good shape (and paid for a long time ago) that I'd like to keep it running and legal.

Yes, Pickering has it's nuclear thing, so far so good though (from an explosion perspective), but it's an expensive way to go (the debt from all the Hydro construction over the years here in Ontario is in the tens of billions literally).

Thanks again, take care, have a good holiday (XMAS/New Years).

Originally Posted by MagicRat

Woohoo!!....Go Pickering!!! Love your nukes!!!

Okay, those stock GM pellet-type converters are restrictive when stock. Their advantage is that they are servicable. The idea was that if the coated pellets became contaminated or were not functioning, you could remove the converter, knock out the plug, empty the old pellets and replace them with new ones, thus restoring the converter's effectiveness.

However, when the plug fell out of yours, all the converter pellets fell out all over the ground. With the pellets missing, these converters flow a lot better, for more power, even of you plug the hole up again.

You can get new bolt-in plugs from GM so you can fix the hole in the converter, but with no pellets, it will not work for emissions.

It's easier and probably cheaper to get a new aftermarket 'monolythic ' converter than fix the old one. Any muffler shop can supply one for about $150-$250 installed. They are lighter, smaller and less restrictive than the stock ones.

BTW Before Ontario got its emissions testing some of my buddies used to empty their GM pellet converters on purpose to get more power.