Cat replacement, feedback welcome

[TonyLS]

2004 LS V6, 126500 miles, 85% highway miles

Bad coils over the past few years has resulted in 2 bad cats. Inspection is due soon, August. My mechanic will only use factory cats, he also wants to replace all O2 sensors. He gave a figure of around $3000, maybe slightly less. If I do this job then I should do the two cylinder plugs/coils that haven't been done yet, #1 and #3. The #3 coil is under the manifold, so additional labor with that. I estimate around $3500 for everything.

The 64 thousand dollar question is do I have this repair done?The car is 8 years old, paid for, new rubber, new bat, still rides nice, and I still like it. But damn it's getting close to the end of the line. Still cheaper than a new car I suppose.

My thinking is that after 10 months the repair will pay for itself, my logic is that the $3500 would equal 10 months of a car payment. Not including sales tax and down payment...

Your feedback is welcome

 

[Hawk03]

Find a different mechanic who will install aftermarket cats. If I recall correctly a few members have had good experiences with aftermarket cats.

 

[M4rk]

Some members use Thunderbolt (?) cats off eBay. I think they're $40 ea?

 

[joegr]

It's almost always cheaper to keep it than to replace it.
I would replace all six coils and plugs again, even if you just replaced the others last year. Not proactively replace the coils and plugs is why you are about to pay $3500 now.

 

[sorrybrah]

i deleted my cats on my 3.0 is that bad ?

 

[1LoudLS]

i deleted my cats on my 3.0 is that bad ?

yes.


you are now personally responsible for the hole in the Ozone layer over your house and the route you take to work each day.

 

[Elemino]

i deleted my cats on my 3.0 is that bad ?

Because you thought they installed them for looks?

 

[REDBED]

Amazon sells direct fit cats for $218. Buy the cats,new coils and plugs and bring to a mech. New O2 sensors wouldn't hurt if your going to keep the car. Should be able to buy the parts under $700. Good Luck

 

[1LoudLS]

I also would recommend finding a mechanic that will use aftermarket parts, rock auto looks to have each side for between $215-$250, not sure if the OEM system has the third cat like my 03 V8 did. it does say direct fit. should be able to complete the repair for under 1/3 of what your guy quoted.

I also fully agree with Joe, replace all of the coils and plugs at the same time or before having the new cat put on.

 

[sorrybrah]

SO other than the emissions thing its not bad ?

 

[Elemino]

I also would recommend finding a mechanic that will use aftermarket parts, rock auto looks to have each side for between $215-$250, not sure if the OEM system has the third cat like my 03 V8 did. it does say direct fit. should be able to complete the repair for under 1/3 of what your guy quoted.

I also fully agree with Joe, replace all of the coils and plugs at the same time or before having the new cat put on.

Your car had 3 cats?

 

[1LoudLS]

Your car had 3 cats?

yep, the cat section has one cat off of each header, then the two sides meet in the center at another cat. all as one large part.

 

[hite337]

I have the Thunderbolt CATs and they work great....especially for $80pr.

 

[joegr]

yep, the cat section has one cat off of each header, then the two sides meet in the center at another cat. all as one large part.

Like this?
http://deneau.info/ls/s6x~us~en~file=s6x90006.htm~gen~ref.htm

I think that in this case, the center part is just a cross over chamber. I think that Ford only sells this assembly as a single part.

 

[Elemino]

yep, the cat section has one cat off of each header, then the two sides meet in the center at another cat. all as one large part.

Is that some special California emissions stuff?

 

[1LoudLS]

Like this?
http://deneau.info/ls/s6x~us~en~file=s6x90006.htm~gen~ref.htm

exactly like that!

I think that in this case, the center part is just a cross over chamber. I think that Ford only sells this assembly as a single part.

When i had to unclog my cats, i started with the front parts but even after they were freed up, there was still no air flow, the back chamber had two thick layers of honeycomb material just like the front chambers did. it was the hardest to clear out because the back where it clamps was rusted together and would not come off and had to be cut off behind the clamp spots.

I always thought it was weird that the car would have no ideal if there was a problem with this part as there are no sensors after that point to measure. i also always thought that the cats had to be much closer to the headers to be effective, something about the gases cooling off to much if they are too far back.


even all of the aftermarket parts listed on rockauto showed them as a single part for the V8, thats why I was confused why all of the parts for the V6 were single cats with no center chamber.

Is that some special California emissions stuff?

wouldn't know, my car has never been to the peoples republic

 

[cammerfe]

'Green' BS

Cat cons come from the same source of bull-S H I T mindset that has created Solyndra and the other 'green' energy initiatives. Cats remove some sorts of pollution from exhaust gasses and instead give us other sorts that are just as bad if not worse. The difference is that the laws mandate removal of some sorts of pollutants and are silent about others. As is typical of bureaucrats---they easily and commonly f---up a wet-dream.

Rant over---aftermarket cats are readily available, as was said above, for as little as $40. Find the right guy to install them---or leave them off---and replace your O2 sensors and the plugs and coils. You'll be glad you did.

KS

 

[LS4me]

As Joe said; that's not a cat, it's some sort of a cross-over/X-pipe. It seems to be an '03 thing. Neither of my '06s have it.

 

[sorrybrah]

mine has it, more of an H pipe.

 

[LS4me]

mine has it, more of an H pipe.

There is an H-pipe after the diff.

 

[M4rk]

There is nothing after the diff, but two mufflers. My '03 has this H-pipe as well --> resonators --> mufflers.

 

[1LoudLS]

i have seen the H pipe on a couple of LS's, I thought it was infront of the diff though, right behind the resonators, thought it was just a first gen thing.

 

[RodLS]

The H pipe is just before the diff. This is BlackLS06s and mine was the same way. There is something connecting the two pipes right where they come together.

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showpost.php?p=761126&postcount=39

 

[n8bachelor]

To the OP: I'm in the same boat (kind of). I have a bad passenger cat (bank 1) on my '04 v6 due to misfiring coils. I replaced all coils, plugs, and gaskets a while back and the engine runs like a champ. But I'm needing to replace the cat to get rid of the engine light. We don't have inspections in AR so I don't have to fix it, but I want to keep the LS in tip-top shape (108k) until I eventually sell it off. I've put it off long enough since there is no inspection required.
The local Seeberg Mufler shop quoted me $600 for one cat. I'm thinking I'll get two bolt-on replacements from Rock Auto for under $500 and another $200 or so for O2 sensors and install and call it a day.

Eastern Catalytic part numbers 30500 & 30501

Then it's on to brakes and suspension work.

 

[LS4me]

i have seen the H pipe on a couple of LS's, I thought it was infront of the diff though, right behind the resonators, thought it was just a first gen thing.

The H pipe is just before the diff. This is BlackLS06s and mine was the same way. There is something connecting the two pipes right where they come together.

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showpost.php?p=761126&postcount=39

It's been a while. For some reason I thought it was after the diff.... I sit corrected.