WTF?? $2000 to replace cats? & update fr the shop

So the new to me 540/6 should be done today. Over the last three days, every time my phone rings my ass puckers... in the end:
- both motor mounts and tranny mounts were toast.
- Low pressure oil line on DS leaking, what killed that side mount, replaced
- rear exhaust hanger behind cat, front of muffler gone. replaced
- ALL fluids flushed and replaced.
- new radiator fan shroud, mine was busted and rattling. replaced
- valve covers leaking. on inspection, plugs soaked. Replaced.
- All new plugs
- a few other odds and ends

He didn't bother with the KY, and $1800 later I should have her baselined today. My ass is sore and I haven't even paid yet. I figure it was worth it though, a good once over by a good tech. I will be doing the work from now on though.

Good news - he said overall it's a tight car. One of the best 540's he's seen mechanically. they smoked it, no vac leaks. Motor is very good, diag normal and healthy. Steering and suspension tight. I ask if she will be done today. He says "yeah, dont worry... you'll be chasing Corvettes this weekend". LMFAO!

One thing though. The cat rattles. Ceramic must be busted. It passed smog with flying colors though... that confuses me. but I blew a lid when he tells me they are $1100 EACH SIDE! WTF? Is that for real??? PLEASE tell me there are options...

Yes the BMW Cats are like a grand each.... other options are the DEC ones at I think ~$400 each or the CarSound MagnaFlow Cats around ~$100 each.

how much did you pay for this car?

st1100ray has some good cat replacement pics on webshots:

http://community.webshots.com/album/97381781YrcNgK

Go with after market cats - OEM are just too costly. Most good muffler shops - the ones who can fabricate stuff, can cut out the originals and weld in the aftermarket ones for a lot less $$

did both of mine with aftermarket cats. Just get the min req'd by your DOT and have them cut in by a reputable indy. 02 sensors were fine and my bill was $500 all in, tax incl.

This is one item that abs does not have to be oem.

Get Magnaflows for under $100 each, another $100 or less for labor and you're set! Might consider doing the O2 sensors while they're out anyway.

Sounds like you'll be good to go for a while, you just covered most of your bases.

I have no personal experience with Magnaflow, beyond seeing their name frequently popping up any time aftermarket exhausts comes up. I don't recall anyone saying bad things about them. That said, how can they possibly make a proper cat for $100 that will perform at least as well as the OE piece. Something just doesn't sound right about this.

Why is it the same part for a BMW is 10x what it costs for a Chevy? Plus, in this case BMW has people over a barrel. If they fail smog because of shot cats, and the shop says $2k please, they don't have a choice. Either pay the money, or don't drive the car. Only those that know cars, or waste time on the internet;), know that you can buy an aftermarket piece for $100. Plus you have to go to the trouble of having your old ones cut out and new ones installed, where as the OE ones are plug and play.

Here's an article you should read:

http://www.ultimategarage.com/catalyst.html

Make sure you read the "Emails from unhappy customers" section at the bottom of the page. Good insight.

Interesting, but I'm always suspicious of advice from someone that's selling something. Curious that he states that the cat is the major restriction within a 540s exhaust system. I'm OBD1 and in a non-emissions state, maybe I should just cut the damn thing out?;)

Yes, Steve D'Gerolamo, the owner of ultimate garage, is very knowledgeable about BMW. His prices are fair, but definitely not the cheapest (go to BMA for *lowest prices). I like his approach of giving both sides.

That said, I wouldn't buy a cat from him or any other mail order place. I would find a local dealer/shop that sold DEC cats and get it from them. That way if there is warranty issues, its easier to take care of.

Or, you can "donate" a few extra bucks for an inspection sticker at a local repair shop and not have to pay for new cats at all!

Shop I used to work at doesn't put aftermarket cats on. They usually break up and start to rattle in 8 months. So the shop ends up eating the labor on replacing the warranty cat. Its a ton of money.

Does anyone make Cat foolers for the BMWs ?

doesnt the heat sheild on the cat often rattle???

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Originally Posted by Paul in NZ

doesnt the heat sheild on the cat often rattle???

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I don't like the cheap replacements as they are physically different and running at the ridiculous temperature a cat does I like the idea of the factory insulation and covers. Yes they can rattle (when damaged or destroyed) but you can just get second hand- a good looking one is off a wrecked car (with warranty) is less likely to be a problem than the non-standard items- plus the sepc will be right.

The rattle under there can come from 3 things-

1. Cat is toast inside (engine will seem a little frustrated)
2. Cat casing is oxidised or physically destroyed such that it has broken its 4 weld points- some success may be had re-welding these spots if done carefully (as the casing material is somehting like .8mm thin).
3. The floor-pan insulation pads have drooped from their fasteners. Simply remove the exhaust, remove the insulation, clean and bend it back (carefully), a little each time till its snug under the body of the car. Have a roll of al-foil handy (stick it to the top side of shield if you want more insualtion (works well shiny side down).

The cheapest one, Number 2 and 3 are common issues :) Nick

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Originally Posted by 632 Regal

how much did you pay for this car?

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Should I say? hehee.....

Not a brother deal... not fawked. $4k cash out the door.

Thanks all, cheers (tugging off my Newcastle as I type).

First, because my grin seems to split my ears in half... the car is out and what I "thought" was mean... was bound. With the power plant firmly back in it's snugged down form via the motherland... the fawker really likes to give the muscles on the frontal side of my neck a real workout. What a blast. Motor mounts really do make a difference. Immagine that? More on that later.

From the talk on the stree, this wonderful site and others... the factory cats I"ve found in my research can not be beat. That's a given. Like you above had already illuminated, they are spec. Built with the motor in mind. You wouldn't put little Suzy Smith in Mrs. Burns 4th grade all star string quartet in the first chair of the Phil' Harmonic would 'ja? I understand the enthusiast would feel the same gut wrench...

However...

Would a guy be stupid... if...say such an aftermarket device would blow the NOX, O2 and &^%@#$*&!... and satisfy the sniffer in order to appease the sucking demon gods of CARB (Cal Air Resources Board), pass the test... and say such a man would return to the propriatory to say... STRAIGHT PIPE the cheesy $100 system... for some malted beverages allowing optimal performance for the forgoing two years?

"hake pa...." :strokinglongbeard:


You guys rock. I'm having fun here. :D

Ummmm, straight pipes. I was thinking along the lines of an x-pipe.:) Gotta love KS, no emissions Nazis here.

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Originally Posted by genphreak

you can just get second hand- a good looking one is off a wrecked car (with warranty) is less likely to be a problem than the non-standard items- plus the sepc will be right.

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This is illegal in my country.

Are they both rattling? How badly.

In my case, there was a faint rattle on the left side. My indy looked at it and was guessing the cats. I went round and round thinking about what option to choose, OE or aftermarket, cost versus quality.

Then, to my surprise, I pulled the exhaust while I was rebuilding my shift linkage, and when I put it all back together again, the rattle was gone. That was over a year ago. Maybe give it a try. It's cheap compared to new OE cats, which is basically the only real option in terms of fit and quality. Nothing else sounds like a good option.

I talked to Mike Miller of Tech Talk in the Roundel, and with a guy I know at Korman, and they both had to admit that the OE cats are really the only way to go, they are just really pricey.

Best of luck,

R.

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Originally Posted by mikell

This is illegal in my country.

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Sucks for you. :(

In the "States"... we have this legal ambiguity sometimes referred to has "clear as mud". There's usually a clever way to get around some red tape loophole with a splash of good old fashioned ingenuity. What our beaurocrats do is make laws with ultra high expectations, yet hire the most moronic dumb asses to enforce them. You see the advantage goes to the well informed... :D

(my spelling sucks... sorry)

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Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Ummmm, straight pipes. I was thinking along the lines of an x-pipe.:) Gotta love KS, no emissions Nazis here.

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Lucky bastid. :flipoff2:

We have the same car, I cant wait till mine looks more like yours. Sick ride dood. Vewy niiiiiiice.

I cant tell. Thats the thing. It's hard to re-create the rattle without a lift handy. I suppose I could floor jack her up on stand, cold in the moring, and have my wife in her nightie come out and fire her up with me belly to belly with the beast. :shrug:

I have to say though, now that I have about an hour on her out of the once over... the annoying rattle has all but gone away. By replacing some exhaust bracing, I believe the problem is still there, however the exhaust is not moving and vibrating as much, therefore the broken ceramic has less to do now.

What I'm thinking...

When needed, get the cheapest POS cat to pass the siniffer, get the job done. Good for two years, whoptie doo. Immediately toss the OEM's back on.

plan

As others have said, there are no good aftermarket direct fit replacements available. The DEC and A&B are worthless, with a max life of about two years. Most of the people I know who've installed these things say that they come back within a few months, and they tend not to pass HC emissions test to begin with.

The OEM cat isn't expensive when one considers that they last ten to fifteen years.

Personally, I'd weld in a carsound magnaflow and be done with it.

best, whit