Please help with catalytic converter!!!!!!!!!

Hello, I've been trying to revive my dead for six months 1987 190e 2.6, a tuneup later, i've been told I need a new catalytic converter assembly not a transmission like i thought, the price for the converter is between $1100 and $1970.

I was wondering if it is possible to replace the converter with a used one or is there a way to repair the converter.

Is there any other solution to fixing it, my mech told me he could have the converter cut out and replaced with a used one but I'm worried that this might lead to other problems such as emmisions failure or smoke leaking out, despite his assurances this won't happen.

Does anyone have any ideas they can give me on how to fix this.

Thanks for any advice you can give, I will be searching thru the archives also.

[keithed]

A good exhaust shop will be able to handle the converter for you with no problem.

The price of 1,100 --1,900 hundred seems a bit high. Is this from the dealer (MB)? There are several after market american made lifetime warranty converter assemblys for 600 to 700 dollar range.
They will perform very satisfactory to your liking. How do you know for sure that is the problem? What is it doing? How many miles on the current converter?

Also a good exhaust specialist will be able to check the converter and tell you how restrictive it is. Flow going into and exiting the converter.

If you do choose a used converter make sure its not damaged, ie cracked inside noisey inside when you shake it etc. Again a good shop will be able to install one with no leaks. And guarantee it (work only) naturally not the used converter. Good luck.

Keith D

[suginami]

That price is waaaay too high.

Adsit, Timevalve, or WorldPac have direct replacements.

I know many members have had great experiences with Timevalve. If you do a search on timevalve, you can see all of the great testimonials, and they make them out of stainless steel. You should be able to buy the cat and exhaust (one long piece) for around $800.

www.adsit.com
www.timevalve.com
www.worldpac.com

[The Black Guy]

Price is "much high." I replace he one on my 380SL for $300.00 including labor.

Shop around.

Thanks for the swift responses.

Hello Keithed,
The reason the price was so high is because the mechanic wanted to replace the whole catalytic converter assembly, I checked on fastlane and they had the exact price the mechanic gave me as their listed price but their discount price was $1064.

The mechanic told me the converter was the problem and after searching through the archives the symptoms the car is showing are the same as other people described, it won't go beyond a certain rpm or upshift, pushing the accelerator leads to the car stalling. I'm not the original owner but I believe there are more than 200,000 miles on the converter.

Thanks, I am checking around now

Hello suginami,

I will visit those websites and check their prices.

I received a nice email from a gentleman who works for this company called germanstar, their website is at http://germanstar.net/exindex.htm

They have good prices and also warranties, has anyone here ever dealt with them before. Please let me know how the transaction went.

They are selling the catalytic converter for $484 and also offer a five year warranty on it. They also say it is made of stainless steel and will pass both federal and california emission tests.

I'm not a shill but they also sell a lot of MB parts including rims, european headlights so you might want to check them out.

[suginami]

The guy at Germanstar is a frequent contributor on this site, and I've never heard of any negative comment, FWIW.

Hello Suginami,
I also found the catalytic converter for $425 at timevalve, but I still welcome advice, keep those posts coming.

Thanks

[suginami]

timevalve has a lifetime warranty on the stainless steel parts of the exhaust, and a 25,000 mile warranty on the cat:

"Our Stainless Guarantee does not tarnish with age..
Our guarantee is inflexible - every stainless steel part in every stainless steel exhaust system we manufacture is guaranteed for as long as you own your car.

Specifically excluded from this guarantee are the catalytic converter "bodies" which we buy from outside sources. These have an industry standard 25,000 mile warranty on their ceramic cores. Also excluded are the rubber and metal detachable hangers that we purchase from Mercedes-Benz. These hanger parts fasten the exhaust system to the chassis and are designed to be replaced once every seven or eight years. We recommend that you inspect them for wear during each oil change. "

[joel]

not to downgrade timevalve but i read it somewhere
that what is more important in a cat is the inside
not the stainless steel outside.

I'm a little confused but I'm getting emails from people saying they went to a muffler shop, paid $150 for the cat, it works good as new and passes emissions tests also.

Anyone know anything about this?

[Kestas]

Originally posted by joel
not to downgrade timevalve but i read it somewhere
that what is more important in a cat is the inside
not the stainless steel outside.

Joel, For a stretch of time, I was intimately acquainted with Ford Motor Co converter shells, having been hired as a consultant to help them characterize some problems they had with exhaust and converter components.

I can tell you that the BOTH the internal converter structure and outside metal casing are important to converter life.

Timevalve uses 316 stainless steel for their converter shell. This is a far superior metal for converter application than the 409 stainless steel commonly used in mass-produced American autos. This may account for part of the price difference between Timevalve's product and the $150 replacement.

[Piotr]

I replaced the cat on my Grand Wagoneer for a $100, but I don't think it's stainless steel. i dealt with Germanstar a lot and they are very good. Try Thebenzbin.com, too. Anything over $50 is shipped for free (5-day UPS)

[suginami]

Man, if you're going to use thebenzbin, then you probably ought to at least try the PartsShop that is part of this forum.

At the end of the day, this forum is not a charitable contribution.

There is no free lunch.

It is supported by PartsShop.

[csnow]

Any $150 repair would likely involve replacing just the cat, as opposed to the entire assembly. They would cutoff the old one, and weld a new one in place. The greater assembly has 2 pre-cats as well (see attachment), so you would want to be sure the problem is with the main cat if you go this route.

Back to your original question for a moment:
You cannot buy a used cat because it is a FEDERAL crime to sell a used cat. The law passed in the early '90s as part of a larger clean air bill. However well-intentioned, this law is completely absurd. If a used cat passes emissions, what exactly is the problem? Talk about a waste of natural resources and precious metals.
Pop Quiz- Which causes more damage to the environment?
a) Re-using a perfectly good cat from a car that was in an accident.
b) Mining for Platinum, manufacturing a new ceramic core, forming a new case in a smelter, and trucking it to it's final destination.
c) Encouraging those who cannot afford a new cat to circumvent emmissions laws.