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Subject:Re: Seeking Wisdom on a friday
From:jimt
Date:Fri, 11 Mar 2005 21:43:08 -0700

On 3/11/05 17:31, "Anonymous Digest" <jbrush@AROS.NET> wrote:

> Its not a friday OT, but it may appear inane or frivilous.
> 
> Does anyone know if the catalytic converter has to be in front of the
> muffler? I know, I know, but I have a good reason to ask <g>
> 
> Its an air cooled, and so there is no O2 sensor to deal with, and I am
> just sitting here late on a friday with no one to ask but the collective
> geniuses who inhabit the list.
> 
> I will end up at the smog station eventually to check and make sure, but I
> figure its free to just ask around.  I have to put one on my van, and you
> can imagine how much easier it would be to add it after the muffler.
> Outside of being nonstandard, I figure maybe it needs to be before the
> muffler where the exhaust is hotter, but I am still curious. Anyone have
> an opinion or useful comment?
> 
> Thanks a lot.
> 
> John
> 
> 

It is not a matter so much of being in front of the muffler as being within
a certain distance of the engine highest temperatures.  A cat generally has
to have a minimum of over 600 degrees F to do its job right. To far from
engine and wont function right.  Too close to engine and it has a short
life.  Generally look at the exhaust distance from the engine of the
original and you need to be within inches of that.  I can almost guarantee
that if your engine is functioning correctly you will only have a couple
hundred degrees if you put the muffler before the cat.  It would act as a
large exhaust cooler.

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jimt
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