Goofaroo

I have a 99 E320 wagon and the driver side rear converter is rattling. My indie shop wanted $800 to replace it which is not going to happen on a car that's only worth about $6000. I've been searching threads here on the forum and I know that I can have my local muffler shop tack in a universal one for a lot less but I'm really curious about just removing it and going with a straight pipe. I've seen mention of this in a few threads but never a difinitive answer about whether or not it will work. Has anyone had any experience with trying this?

ohlord

you can straight pipe it.
Or magnaflow 60 bucks if you mind the bit less quiet of the delete.
You can pick up a bolt on full stainless front to rear all inclusive for undr 5 bills that indie is trying to rape you.

Goofaroo

I wouldn't mind a little bit of an exhaust note as long as it isn't obnoxious. I guess my main concern was whether or not a straight pipe may cause CEL problems. Also, if I straight pipe one should I go ahead and do both for proper balance?

ohlord

to remain balanced. And no you won't get a cel since the secondary cats are well past any emission related sensors i.e. heated o2's.
The exhaust note won't be unruly.
Since you will still retain the muffler

Goofaroo

It's in the shop right now having both cats replaced with straight pipes. The passenger side cat looked like it had recently been replaced with a factory part. I felt kind of bad about telling him to cut it up. Anyway, there were a couple of resonators and a plenty of mufflers so I figured it couldn't sound too bad just from taking out the secondary converters. I pick it up in about an hour so we'll see. It'll be great to have the rattle gone. By the way- $150 for those that are curious.

Goofaroo

I just got it back. It runs great, the rattle is gone, exhaust has just a slight hint of attitude at heavy throttle, and it may be all in my head but it seems to have a little more pep.

ohlord

a few more hp but the sound is more likely to make you feel the pep.
And you are up 650 bucks so that no doubt puts a kick in your giddyap

1986CJ7

Where are you and where did you do this. I'm having a blast over here with my mechanics wanting me to spend 2k for the cats. It's a '99 wagon ffs, let it breathe

FlatlineEF9

I doubt hes going to respond to a 3 year old post. Hes probably bought and sold 2 other cars by now, retired from his job, and raised a family of 4.

1986CJ7

Family of 4, eh?

Goofaroo

I'm not ready to retire yet but I did have another grandchild. The wagon is still my wife's daily driver and doing great.

I had the cats removed and straight pipes put in at a muffler shop here in Edmond, Oklahoma. That probably doesn't help much since you are in Vancouver but I bet a local shop there can do the work as long as it doesn't break any laws. Here in Oklahoma, we don't have vehicle inspections.

ChadNuesmeyer

Did going straight pipe mess with any of your 'check engine' sensors? if so, how did you fix that?

Also, which cats are the secondary's? My rattle is in the pair that are just in front of the middle of the body.

'01 e320 post facelift (W210)

FlatlineEF9

Nope. If it does, then install pigtail bungs in with your O2 sensors. They are sold universally. I know of a few CLK guys who were able to fix their CELs with that.

The term"secondary" cats refers to the ones that come after the primary cats (or further down the exhaust from the engine). My car only had 2 cats...deleted both. Some cars have 4 cats...2 primary (right after the header) and 2 further down the exhaust closer to the middle of the car.

ChadNuesmeyer

@FlatlineEF9 Thanks... Further research has said that my w210 has 4 cats (dual exhaust) the first 2 come right after the manifold. The second 2 are the 'mid body' ones that I referenced.

The more I read about straight piping the more interested I am. I like the idea of helping the car breathe and simplifying the whole process. I am located in Utah and we have Emissions yearly on the car. Does anybody have any experience, would removing the secondary cats cause the car to fail on emissions?

FlatlineEF9

No experience with Utah but in California it may or may not fail emissions. Odds are, they wouldn't look under the car...but may or may not fail the sniffy test (probe in the tailpipe)

p1701

The 2 secondary cats on my 2002 E320 also rattles and need to be replaced. The local independent Mercedes mechanic quoted $2700 to replace all 4 cats and that the only way they'd do it. I bought 2 Walker cats, part number 93251, at Autozone and took them to my regular mechanic for install. Autozone could not tell me the actual dimension of the widest part of the cats. After looking under the car with the Walker cats in hand, he said these Walker cats are too wide to fit side by side in the existing space, and that the off center cats would be better. Many in the forum have mentioned Megaflow 53003 and 99205HM. These Meaflow also are very wide (5.125 inches) and would not fit. I measured the Walker 93251 cats, the width is about 4.5 to 5 inches. I do not think I can straight pipe in Virginia.
Any other cats with smaller width that you know of and can recommend? Many thanks.

1986CJ7

Autohausaz - left and right pipes with cats. That's what I did and problem solved. I can use the car for another 300k km

http://www.autohausaz.com/search/pro...ic%20Converter

p1701

I will try just to replace the rear catalytic converters first before going to Autohaus. I found the Thunderbolt cat converters, part 99355HM, on eBay with 4 inch round body, which should fit 2 side by side in the available space. But these have O2 sensor port. My current set up does not have this port. Must I have O2 sensor installed on this Thunderbolt cat to make it work? I have not received answer from the vendor.
The link below shows the Thunderbolt for my car:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-25-Thunderbolt-Heavy-Load-High-Flow-Catalytic-Converter-Center-O2-/140942069195?fits=Year%3A2002%7CMake%3AMercedes-Benz%7CModel%3AE320%7CSubmodel%3ABase&hash=item20d0cd4dcb&vxp=mtr

CafeRacer87

If you don't need the O2 sensor hole in that cat just plug it:


http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from...+plug&_sacat=0


This is assuming your existing four O2 sensors are still being used, just in front of and behind the forward mounted cats.