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Catalytic converter - heavy duty type available?

The catalytic converter on my 1996 Mini has started to rattle - I presume the innards are breaking up. This is the second cat I've had since I bought the car - the last one went the same way. Tested the tailpipe CO and it'd less than 0.5% so I presume that it's still working for now.

The place where I work (NHS hospital) has lots of harsh do-gooder speed-humps on the access roads and there's no way to drive over them without the exhaust and cat scraping - which I presume is causing the ceramic innards of the cat to break up. I suppose I should complain that I can't drive a standard production car into work without damaging it, but that's another matter.

My question is - does anyone make heavy-duty cats (?metal innards not ceramic) which can stand up to a bit of punnishment? I don't fancy buying a new cat to see it get smashed to bits again.

Reply to
Richard C
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Bolt some sort of guard under the car, like the rally types do with their sump guards.

Reply to
Doki

I agree - a good move, and readily available for mini's I would have thought. Unfortunately that will reduce the ground clearance further - so you'll have to be even more careful!

Can you increase the ride height with higher profile tyres?

Reply to
TimM

Or get a car with better ground clearance?

Alan

Reply to
Alan

Cats are delicate and they all have ceramics.

I would look at your car though. In theory all except sports cars should clear sensible speed humps.

If the car is at the right height, are the humps too high?

If they are, the car park owner is at fault and they should pay.

I would certainly not expect to replace a cat once in this time let alone twice.

Reply to
Alan

You'll be bouncing up and down on a bit of alloy or steel though - I imagine it won't be knackered by speed humps, but it might knacker whatever it's bolted to given enough time.

Reply to
Doki

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