removing catalysts

[SimonL]

The catalysts on my '99 e320 wagon are rattling and my local independant wants $2200 to change them out.
As that is not going to happen anytime soon due to finances has anybody ever removed the catalysts and replaced them for a short time with plain pipes? Is this possible and is it likely to damage anything else? I haven't been underneath to check it out yet.
It will only be for a few months and I don't want to risk any of the catalyst coming loose/out and into the rest of the system.
Any ideas why would the quote be so high as the dealer only wants $575 for each one which leaves $1000 for fitting!!
Thanks for any help.

[kbflorida]

I have a much older MB (76 450) but I'd suggest taking it to a custom
muffler shop and seeing what they say. There may be an aftermarket
cat for you car, and while I'd normally never pitch non-MB parts,
the cat system really is just a garbage disposal.
But who knows, you may have other links to the system on newer cars
that make replacement more complicated.
still, $2200? for cats?

[Moneypit SEL]

First, replacing the converters with straight pipes is illegal. Second, you'll set trouble codes and light the MIL without working converters.

[garymand]

Hope you got this fixed, If not I got a great aftermarkt cat for my 560 sel from a LA dist. Wasn't cheap ~500$. Noe that I have it, I see you could get it done in a muffler shop. There is one big cat under the cat much easier to weld in that the original which would be impossible to do on the car. I'll bet it might be $200 -$300 in a shop.

[Benz Mondi]

Take it to an muffler shop then decide. It seems to me cats are cats. They're pretty straight forward devices. I got quotes for aftermarket OEM equivalents for my 90 300te from $300-600, $1800 from the dealer. Mine wouldn't pass the smog test.

My MBZ mechanic is in the same building as a muffler shop with a Test Only smog shop in between. He sent my car to the muffler shop and installed one cat instead of the three OEM's, then moved it to the Smog Test station, then back to his shop for me to pick up. Total cost...

$70 for the cat, $100 for the labor to install, $45 for the smog test and certificate, but then $2000 at my mechanic (motor mounts, rear accumulators, smog pump, blower and regulator). Great deal on everything, but it still stung.

[MB208]

Is your car over 80,000 miles. There is a factory warranty on those cats for I believe 8yrs 80,000 miles. You should call and check.

[mbdoc]

AS posted removal is illegal! Also the engine is designed to run those catalyst.. IN stalling CHEAP aftermarket cats on 1996 & later cars is a bad idea as OBD2 sensors don't adapt well to their inefficient abilities to remove oxygen from the system.