OME CAT re-core by FABSPEED

For the other well known Cat brand, it fails CA smog tail pipe test so you have to go back to stock ones anyway. This re-core business only works if the tail pipe sniff test also passes, which is not a given for high performance cats.

 

What is the cost estimate for both cats?

 

I find it had to believe that after market cat would fail a sniff test. My cats were hollow and I failed CT emissions when I got the car. I put Nouvalari cats on it and it passed with no problem. The CT sniff test is the same as CA. We just don't require part to be CARB certification.

Yes, what's the cost.

 

True! It will be interesting to see the numbers from Peter on the smog machine. I think he has a easier time passing in Nevada vs. Cali but there is no reason Peter couldn't do a sniff test in cali just to see what numbers he blows.

I'm really glad that a quality company like FS is doing this.

 

TrajanFan, glad we could help you out!! For anyone else that is interested, this is a custom job but with proper planning I should be able to do this for most OEM cats

 

You don't live in California, do you John?

 

No I don't live in CA but my car came form CA with a 2013 CA emissions report. The numbers for my car as tested in CT at 2500 RPM, with the Nouvalari 200 cell cats, are: HC = 18ppm, CO = 0.10%, NOx = 31ppm. The CA report gives limits for HCmax=49ppm, COmax=0.46%, NOx=711ppm. So with the Nouvalari cats the car is well below the CA limits. I understand that the Nouvalari cats don't meet CARB requirements but form a sniff test point of view they are doing the job, other issues aside. So I would expect the Fabspeed rebuilds to do as well, no?

If a car fails a CA sniff test with other after market brand then either those particular cats suck from an emissions point of view, the engine was way out if tune, or the cats were not up to temperature.

 

California tests cars on a rolling dyno at 2 speeds in 2 different gears during a sniff test. The tests are different from CT.

Three years ago, my 355 with after market cat passed the test with 1ppm to spare at 25mph. Last year, not wanting to take a chance, I swapped in the stock cats and the car passed with a large margin.

That just goes to show that the after market cats have a tougher problem, and may not pass.

YMMV

 

I would not say this too loud. CARB comes down hard on no certified cat rebuilding $$$$$$

 

Yes, I am aware of the CA test. As I said I have the CA document from Feb 2013 for my car where it passed both the 15 mph and 25 mph tests. The car had 19130 miles on it at the time. I had it tested in CT in June of 2014 with the same cats as were on it in CA, at 19602 miles and it failed. This was a dyno test at 25 mph and the same RPM as the CA 25mph test (same gear). I asked the tech about and showed him the CA document and he stated that the CT test is the same as the CA 25 mph test (the CT test shows the same speed and RPM as the CA 25 mph test with inn error, and on a dyno). The car just missed on CO. After seeing the doc he did a retest and it still failed. Apparently one of the OE cats was on the way out. I replaced the cats, as I said, and it passed the 25 mph test well below the limits required by either CA or CT. So make what you want of it. I can not imagine that my car with the Nouvalari cats would have any problem passing the CA sniff test and both 15 and 25 mph. But it would not pass the visual.

 

TrojanFan and Fabspeed: This sounds like a great solution for someone whose factory cats are already dead or dying. At a minimum, you'll have hi-flow cats that look factory. If it also passes the CA smog test, then that's the icing on the cake. Looking forward to seeing your results!

 

Any picts, particularly shots of the inside?

 

When you get the shot a couple of photos up the exhaust end of the cats before you put them on.

 

Bump--- Peter, did you get them? Any photos?

 

I can email specific photos to anyone who is curious, I would prefer to keep them off the forum.

 

I'm very curious to hear how this turns out too as I need headers and may do cats also. Evan was nice enough to quote me Fabspeed's $ earlier today, but my mechanic has raised the question of whether or not the Fabspeed headers and cats are CARB approved (Evan I'm going to have to call you on this-are either??). I understand that the retrofit of HJS cats as described in this thread passes the visual CARB test, but I also understand there has been a recurring issue with aftermarket cats triggering the 2nd O2 sensor in smog tests and autofailing due to a CEL having been triggered.

There must be hundreds in Calif. who are also on F-chat and are running Fabspeed's stuff and have had smog tests...care to comment on your experiences, PLEASE?!

 

Just a point of feedback, those welds are less than nice...pretty poor. At a min, they should have been ground which would add 15 minutes to the job...