Sports cats for Di Fillipo manifolds
Discussion
MoT time has come round, and it's expired because I've had a load of hassle with a busted ABS module, that was repaired not repaired by an ECU repair specialist not specialist.
Anyway it's failed on emissions.
This is entirely my own fault, because I bought the car last summer believing the seller's claim that it was fitted with Di Fillipo manifolds (sorry, can't call them headers) and sports cats. And despite being under the car a few times since, it's never once clicked that the car doesn't have cats fitted.
So, no wonder it failed!
Anyway. Where the cats should be, there's plain pipe - but it's a 60cm long piece of 3" pipe, with one bend, and a flange at each end. How hard can it be etc.
I'm intwo three minds.
1) get a pair of cheap 200 cell cats welded into the existing pipes. But if they're crap, I still won't pass emissions.
2) get someone slightly reputable to make new pipes incl cats. I'm guessing £7-800 and I have little confidence they'll work for many years. But at least I'd have the decat pipes to run in between MoTs to prolong their life.
3) find a friendly mot place who sometimes don't notice that they've put the probe up the exhaust of the wrong car. It's an easy mistake, can happen to anyone. But these places are getting harder to find, and my car's now got a fail against emissions in the system
I've been online to see what fits the Di Fillipo manifolds, who are X-Force now I believe. But they only list a full manifold and cat setup, and their 3" cat has different flanges to what's on my car. So am stuck on that route.
Any recommendations? I'm in the Warwick / Banbury area. Happy to pay for sports cats in new cat pipes if there's a level of confidence that they'll last, but loathe to cough up and find myself with the same problem in a year or three.
Anyway it's failed on emissions.
This is entirely my own fault, because I bought the car last summer believing the seller's claim that it was fitted with Di Fillipo manifolds (sorry, can't call them headers) and sports cats. And despite being under the car a few times since, it's never once clicked that the car doesn't have cats fitted.
So, no wonder it failed!
Anyway. Where the cats should be, there's plain pipe - but it's a 60cm long piece of 3" pipe, with one bend, and a flange at each end. How hard can it be etc.
I'm in
1) get a pair of cheap 200 cell cats welded into the existing pipes. But if they're crap, I still won't pass emissions.
2) get someone slightly reputable to make new pipes incl cats. I'm guessing £7-800 and I have little confidence they'll work for many years. But at least I'd have the decat pipes to run in between MoTs to prolong their life.
3) find a friendly mot place who sometimes don't notice that they've put the probe up the exhaust of the wrong car. It's an easy mistake, can happen to anyone. But these places are getting harder to find, and my car's now got a fail against emissions in the system
I've been online to see what fits the Di Fillipo manifolds, who are X-Force now I believe. But they only list a full manifold and cat setup, and their 3" cat has different flanges to what's on my car. So am stuck on that route.
Any recommendations? I'm in the Warwick / Banbury area. Happy to pay for sports cats in new cat pipes if there's a level of confidence that they'll last, but loathe to cough up and find myself with the same problem in a year or three.
Thanks both.
I guess the sensible route is to get a pair of cat pipes made but I’m nervous of cheap aftermarket bits. And am not sure expensive aftermarket bits won’t have come out of the same Chinese factory.
I did unearth a decent looking exhaust place in Alcester who trade as a powerflow dealer. Their prices state cat pipes from 299. So 598 for a pair - dunno if I’ll manage much cheaper than that and have any kind of comeback.
I guess the sensible route is to get a pair of cat pipes made but I’m nervous of cheap aftermarket bits. And am not sure expensive aftermarket bits won’t have come out of the same Chinese factory.
I did unearth a decent looking exhaust place in Alcester who trade as a powerflow dealer. Their prices state cat pipes from 299. So 598 for a pair - dunno if I’ll manage much cheaper than that and have any kind of comeback.
More thanks due guys, much appreciated.
That last link to LSX Performance is the one I'd need if going for replacements - they can ship to UK for a total of £665 which isn't that bad...
...it's the duty and VAT on top that kills it!
So yeah very useful to see, and I'm hanging my nose over an OTR CAI at the moment too, but I know that way a remap also lies. Which I need, but it'll have to be late this year.
Anyway cos of the cost of importing, yeah I'll need to source cats locally and get pipes made up. Magnaflow look good if I go with my local garage, but I think I'll follow up the powerflow route too, to be able to keep a pair of decat pipes and the best comeback I can realistically get if a cat fails.
That last link to LSX Performance is the one I'd need if going for replacements - they can ship to UK for a total of £665 which isn't that bad...
...it's the duty and VAT on top that kills it!
So yeah very useful to see, and I'm hanging my nose over an OTR CAI at the moment too, but I know that way a remap also lies. Which I need, but it'll have to be late this year.
Anyway cos of the cost of importing, yeah I'll need to source cats locally and get pipes made up. Magnaflow look good if I go with my local garage, but I think I'll follow up the powerflow route too, to be able to keep a pair of decat pipes and the best comeback I can realistically get if a cat fails.
Yeah I was kinda pleasantly surprised, not least at “only” 40 quid postage.
But with duty and VAT and charges it’s about £850. And the other killer is there’s a 2-6 week lead time, plus shipping time.
My local garage has just quoted me £840 to make new pipes up, or £1000 to use v-band clamps instead of bolted flanges. I remain nervous about the lifespan of aftermarket cats though so I think I’d rather go the flange route and swap back to decat pipes between MoTs. I’d be well cheesed if my £800 cats only lasted a year or two.
So the remaining avenue is to call the place in Alcester and see what he thinks.
The cars been in the garage to adjust the handbrake - if there’s one thing I can’t get the hang of it’s brake drums - so once the cats are done it should be good to pass it’s test at least.
But with duty and VAT and charges it’s about £850. And the other killer is there’s a 2-6 week lead time, plus shipping time.
My local garage has just quoted me £840 to make new pipes up, or £1000 to use v-band clamps instead of bolted flanges. I remain nervous about the lifespan of aftermarket cats though so I think I’d rather go the flange route and swap back to decat pipes between MoTs. I’d be well cheesed if my £800 cats only lasted a year or two.
So the remaining avenue is to call the place in Alcester and see what he thinks.
The cars been in the garage to adjust the handbrake - if there’s one thing I can’t get the hang of it’s brake drums - so once the cats are done it should be good to pass it’s test at least.
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