So I'm shopping for a new cat. I presume that a second hand one probably isn't the best idea, as I've got no idea if it will pass the MoT.

 

So I need some recommendations for places to source a new one, that isn't going to cost an arm and a leg. I'm not planning on keeping the car for the next ten years, so I don't need anything that's indestructible.

 

ECP/Carparts4less have Klarius ones in stock, which currently retailing at £123 (with sale discount.) Anything else out there for a better price? I'm guessing the £70 jobs off ebay aren't a good purchase.

I know that £123 hurts, but for my money, that is cheap enough for me, I know prices have dropped a lot, but when I investigated replacing the front exhaust section on my wife's 2002 Polo 1.4 in maybe 2006, I was quoted over £300 for the part, and only VW Group dealers were selling that part at that point in time.

 

Edit:- I think that you can expect or ask for either the old part back to get cash for at a scrappy, or settle for a small bung if the garage handles that.

Edited 6 September, 20196 yr by rum4mo

Are parts from this company likely to be useless? Made in GB (in fact just down the road from me), so I'd hope they aren't cheap and nasty... just cheap!

 

http://www.eurocats.co.uk/products/

Two year guarantee, sounds good to me, a cat either works properly or it doesn't.

2 hours ago, Wench said:

So I'm shopping for a new cat

 

What's wrong with the old one?

 

Thanks AG Falco

The exhaust flexi needs repairing. Garage will only replace the whole section 

Hum, that was why I needed to look for prices for a 2002 Polo front section back in 2006, final price, due to exhaust specialist mess up, ended up being at least the price you quoted, very annoying but better than the £300+ quoted for rge exhaust section at that point in time!

 

Edit:- I thought that there were more proper post manucat flexi section repair parts available now than back when I had that problem, due to bend, support and space in general, welding will be the best way to sort this, find a better place that can/will repair that exhaust using the correct rating of part.

Edited 6 September, 20196 yr by rum4mo

9 minutes ago, rum4mo said:

Hum, that was why I needed to look for prices for a 2002 Polo front section back in 2006, final price, due to exhaust specialist mess up, ended up being at least the price you quoted, very annoying but better than the £300+ quoted for rge exhaust section at that point in time!

 

Edit:- I thought that there were more proper post manucat flexi section repair parts available now than back when I had that problem, due to bend, support and space in general, welding will be the best way to sort this, find a better place that can/will repair that exhaust using the correct rating of part.

 

Not sure I really follow... find someone to just replace the flexi pipe?

Well, most garage workshops don't want to mess about with welding stuff to a high standard under a car, so they just fit new parts.  If you really do want to avoid replacing that section of exhaust, then repairing it is the way forward, but that might mean finding an exhaust place that is willing to make it cheaper for you to do that, as I've said, you will need to find out which way ends up being cheapest, that is all.

Edited 6 September, 20196 yr by rum4mo

Finding a garage round here that doesn’t either do a bodged job or try and rip you off is a miracle 

2 hours ago, Wench said:

The exhaust flexi needs repairing

 

2 hours ago, Wench said:

find someone to just replace the flexi pipe?

 

Yes.

 

You can buy replacement flexi exhaust pipes. Look here for instance:-

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-Universal-50mm-exhaust-pipe-flexi-flex-repair-tube-joint-2-x-8-clamp-on-/362439181727

 

 

Thanks AG Falco

Only place I’ve found so far that would replace the flexi would have cost me £160. May as well buy a whole new cat for that price 

On 06/09/2019 at 22:30, AGFalco said:

 

 

Yes.

 

You can buy replacement flexi exhaust pipes. Look here for instance:-

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-Universal-50mm-exhaust-pipe-flexi-flex-repair-tube-joint-2-x-8-clamp-on-/362439181727

 

 

Thanks AG Falco

 

Taken in isolation, that type of replacement flexi is all well and good, but when you start looking at the location of the flexi section on some exhausts, space is really, really tight, so getting the exact diameter of flexi which has the exactly the same length then trimming the tails to exactly fit what is left after cutting out the original flexi, might just be too demanding for many places. Well that is what I discovered on the cars with BBY engines and was exactly why I had to question my exhaust fixer - who was billed as being an exhaust fabricator and tended to handle older sports cars, after he fitted all he could quickly get his hands on, which was too big in diameter and flexi section was too short, so made that previously quiet car noisy in terms of resonances and had the exhaust clanging when reversing up my steep driveway.  With the help of someone on this forum, who still had the original flexi on their car with a BBY engine, I managed to order up the correct part and get my "exhaust specialist" to replace it though he did hit me with that repair as specialists are always right! Car was returned to being a quiet as it had been when new, perfect fix! 

 

I think that t £160 the OP needs to get a new section of exhaust fitted so to avoid the sort of mess that I ended up in, ie needing to find and buy a new part and use up a day of annual leave to take it to get fitted.

by the ECP part for £123, at least you have bought from a reputable place and will have some comeback

 

I find that the original catalytic converters are expensive but last a long time.

How old is the present Cat on the car? Probably original.

 

I find that very cheap catalytic converters will only come with a 1 year guarantee.

If you only need it to pass one MOT with a new Cat then go for it.

 

I have had to replace cheap Cat's at the next MOT before.

The expensive part in the cat ( the honeycombe part ,that does the work ) always seems to be smaller in the cheaper Cat's.

 

On 08/09/2019 at 11:40, rum4mo said:

might just be too demanding for many places.

You do need to find someone that has done it before if you go down that route.

I have welded up loads of cat exhaust.

 

Thanks AG Falco

https://www.bmcatalysts.co.uk/

 

I got a two year warranted type approved cat front pipe from these for my Fabia mk2 1.2 TSI.

Edited 9 September, 20196 yr by Kenrw8

I would think it’s the original cat on it. It’s only just been mot’ed and i doubt I will have it by its next one