Catalyst Failure - Options

kennyr

kennyr

New Member
Messages
29
Hello kindly denizens of Sports Maserati,

It would seem a few months have passed since I had to sell body parts to finance work to my beloved 4200, so it is time for me to once again ask for some advice. The primary catalyst on the left hand side has started breaking up, this is causing some pretty rough running and some nasty rattling noises. A few searches on here have indicated that the Larini sports cats are the best option but with so few saleable organs left I am looking at all the options. Searching the interwebs doesn't seem to through up many options for the UK/European style catalyst replacement (at least for the primary cats) So as I see it I have the following options:

1) Buy new OEM part, seems to be around £1600+vat from eurospares. Least favoured option
2) Buy a second hand part. I've been looking for a couple of weeks but none have come up apart from on eurospares and they want £1100 + vat for it. How much do second hand LHS cat sections usually go for?
3) Buy Larini sports cats. Looking most likely at the moment and has the advantage that both sides would be replaced with lifetime guarantee.
4) Get a custom made replacement from somewhere like: http://www.prindiville.co.uk/storefront/maserati-1/4200-gt/4200-gt-exhausts/ This seems like a reasonable price but I can't really find any information about them. I think I found a post on here where someone was asking about them but I don't think there were any replies.

I'd welcome any comments suggestions on the above and if anyone has had a Prindiville exhaust and knows anything about them that would be great too. Also if I go for the Larini option I'd have a spare RHS cat section to sell. Roughly what would that be worth on ebay etc?

On the plus side, at the current rate I'll have a completely new car by 2014 :)

Cheers,
Kenny
 
Parisien

Parisien

Moderator
Messages
34,927
For starters Kenny...would avoid running the car as those fragments can be sucked into the engine and then its another huge bill!


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Parisien

Parisien

Moderator
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34,927
Kenny, have you tried breakeronly on this forum....pm him...or there may be a link to him on his personal page.......or hold on will put up another link


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kennyr

kennyr

New Member
Messages
29
Hi Frank,

Thanks for the replies/info. Sadly I need to drive her to get into work but I'll be keeping the mileage to a minimum until its sorted. I knew David Askew didn't have one so I tried Greg and they sold the one they had three days ago! Still, seems a useful number to have so thanks again.

Cheers,
Kenny
 
dickygrace

dickygrace

www.richardgracecars.co.uk
Messages
7,344
If the cats break up it could be sucked into the engine and need a whole engine rebuild. Hire a Micra for a week. It could be a disaster.
 
conaero

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,678
Parisien said:
For starters Kenny...would avoid running the car as those fragments can be sucked into the engine and then its another huge bill!


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Click to expand...

Yes, second that, do not run the car. The fragments get sucked back up into the combustion chamber and then its "Good night Vienna"

If it were me, and we are talking secondary cats here, I would have them opened up, scoop all the gubins out then weld them back up again. If its the primaries, you can do the same but have the correct material fitted. Someone like ProSpeed in Wales will be able to do it for you.

And one more time, DONT RUN THE ENGINE!!!!!
 
lozcb

lozcb

Member
Messages
12,586
Follow the advice above , or risk at your peril , have a word with David at Larini , he might if you supply the part delivered and are happy to sign a disclaimer cut out the old material and refill with new far a reasonable cost , possibily in the region of £400 per side ( and dont be a tight wad ) have both sides done at the same time , as also mentioned Charlie at prospeed can do the same



regards loz
 
Emtee

Emtee

New Member
Messages
8,446
All of the above advice is entirely sound, and I agree with Matt in removing the existing cats as a quick fix if you absolutely must drive the car, though you'll need to accommodate the lambda ports..........however I do have to take issue with "backdraft"..............

Come on guys? Where is there proof that a failed cat has lunched an engine, specifically in a UK rather than US spec car where the cats are further "down-stream". This has been discussed in the past, and it scared me ****less when I read these comments after the cat failed on my 4200, but I searched all the forums high and low at the time to find nothing but unproven supposition.

And to add my two kenneth - jump on Fleebay, buy yourself a pair of cats with lambda ports and get your local garage to weld them in - simples.
 
lozcb

lozcb

Member
Messages
12,586
Emtee said:
All of the above advice is entirely sound, and I agree with Matt in removing the existing cats as a quick fix if you absolutely must drive the car, though you'll need to accommodate the lambda ports..........however I do have to take issue with "backdraft"..............

Come on guys? Where is there proof that a failed cat has lunched an engine, specifically in a UK rather than US spec car where the cats are further "down-stream". This has been discussed in the past, and it scared me ****less when I read these comments after the cat failed on my 4200, but I searched all the forums high and low at the time to find nothing but unproven supposition
Click to expand...
.

And to add my two kenneth - jump on Fleebay, buy yourself a pair of cats with lambda ports and get your local garage to weld them in - simples.
Click to expand...

Roberto at Grimaldi was the first person to inform me of this , and Marios has also confirmed it when i spaoke to him , I believe Emblem have also rectified one or two , apparently it only happens on start up


regards loz
 
BennyD

BennyD

Sea Urchin Pate
Messages
15,007
Emtee said:
All of the above advice is entirely sound, and I agree with Matt in removing the existing cats as a quick fix if you absolutely must drive the car, though you'll need to accommodate the lambda ports..........however I do have to take issue with "backdraft"..............

Come on guys? Where is there proof that a failed cat has lunched an engine, specifically in a UK rather than US spec car where the cats are further "down-stream". This has been discussed in the past, and it scared me ****less when I read these comments after the cat failed on my 4200, but I searched all the forums high and low at the time to find nothing but unproven supposition.

And to add my two kenneth - jump on Fleebay, buy yourself a pair of cats with lambda ports and get your local garage to weld them in - simples.
Click to expand...

Miles, speak to Marios, or Russell, at Autoshield as he has a 4200 QP in with a lunched engine due to the primary cats breaking down. It is currently the subject of legal action by the owner.
 
Emtee

Emtee

New Member
Messages
8,446
lozcb said:
Roberto at Grimaldi was the first person to inform me of this , and Marios has also confirmed it when i spaoke to him , I believe Emblem have also rectified one or two , apparently it only happens on start up


regards loz
Click to expand...

No, I've heard these comments too Loz, but never offered as conclusive. It seems always (and in my case also) that the primary breaks down (lumpy but running) to then go downstream to take out the secondary causing the limp mode and no option but to replace. Where is the back pressure coming from that would direct this debris back up into the engine?
 
conaero

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,678
Myles at Emblem has warned me about this and they see few.

Agreed, if it's the secondaries it's not going to make it back into the engine, but primaries are a different matter.

Is it worth the risk?
 
Parisien

Parisien

Moderator
Messages
34,927
Emtee said:
All of the above advice is entirely sound, and I agree with Matt in removing the existing cats as a quick fix if you absolutely must drive the car, though you'll need to accommodate the lambda ports..........however I do have to take issue with "backdraft"..............

Come on guys? Where is there proof that a failed cat has lunched an engine, specifically in a UK rather than US spec car where the cats are further "down-stream". This has been discussed in the past, and it scared me ****less when I read these comments after the cat failed on my 4200, but I searched all the forums high and low at the time to find nothing but unproven supposition.

And to add my two kenneth - jump on Fleebay, buy yourself a pair of cats with lambda ports and get your local garage to weld them in - simples.
Click to expand...

Well Miles.....when one went on my car as per the previous owners invoices, they did check no damage had occured to the engine as part of the repairs



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