converter unlimited vs. Flame arrester

 

The struggle of automotive engineers for environment has led to appearance of units that are not use for movement,

but reduction of air pollution.  converter unlimitedis one of them.

A metal can with a ceramic honeycomb system “burns” exhaust gases inside and reduces the harmfulness of car exhaust. According to experts, you need to get rid of a catalyst after 150-200 thousand kilometers.

It is for such a run that this node is designed. It’s better to do it as soon as fuel consumption starts to increase and the car starts to accelerate worse.

Removing converte runlimited

 

and installing a flame arrester will cost much less than replacing converter unlimited self.

But removing of catalyst will increase toxicity of emissions, so this option is not suitable for people concerned about environmental safety of our planet.

But converter unlimited is not eternal, sooner or later the catalyst is clogged, its cells are destroyed, and it not only ceases to fulfill its functions, but also prevents the engine from working

So which are the options for a car owner regarding replacement?

It is possible to replace a faulty converter unlimited with a new one, however such a replacement will cost a good sum of money. Such catalysts are very expensive.

The cost goes up to a quarter of market value of a used car. But there are models where several catalysts are installed, and each should be changed in case of breakdown.

Naturally, the majority of car owners prefer a more economic resolution, like installation of a flame arrester instead of a converter unlimited

The advantages of this approach are the following:

1. Lower price. Replacing the catalyst with a flame arrester can cost 5-10 times cheaper than buying a new cat. There are no comments here.
2. A slight increase in engine power and lower fuel consumption.
3. The flame arrester creates less resistance to exhaust gases than the catalyst, engine “breathes” better, which means it adds to the power.
4. The increase, as well as fuel economy, is not very large, about 5-10%. Most drivers will not feel it.
5. It is not worth it to specially remove the catalyst for the sake of increasing power,
6. but for those who still decide on this procedure, improving engine performance is a small bonus.
7. Reduced fuel quality requirements. converter unlimited react most sharply to bad quality gasoline and often it is because of that quality, catalyst fails.
8. The flame arrester does not cope with such work. This does not mean that after replacing a converter unlimited,
9. refueling at cheap gas stations will be a good idea, but you don’t have to worry about an expensive and fragile part when using unfamiliar gas stations.

converter unlimited Cons are the following:

1. First of all, ecology. If you are proud that your car doesn’t pollute environment, then after replacing the catalyst with a substitute, you need to stop doing this, because your car will no longer have Euro-4 or Euro-5 standard.
2. No need to program car computer. Vehicle electronic control system is designed to use a converter unlimited and without it will start to go crazy. Using a substitute, you need to invent tricks on oxygen sensors, and in the best case, reprogram the engine.
3. Reducing the resource of the exhaust system. Even a good converter unlimited substitute with the task of lowering the temperature of exhaust copes worse than the catalytic converter, so the risk that the muffler burns out increases. On the other hand, you can change more than one silencer for money that will save a flash suppressor.

If the benefits of replacing converter unlimited with a flame arrester are obvious for you, then a detailed instruction of step-by-step process will be useful.

Usually, car owners have to deal with universal flame arresters, which must be adjusted locally or even make such a unit on their own. People without experience with a grinder and welding should not take up the replacement.

Step 1. Removal of the converter unlimited

The converter unlimited and collector are located directly in the exhaust manifold. converter unlimited is easier to remove, especially if the design permits using a screwdriver.

If there is no such a possibility, because they are tightly attached, a grinder is used. The second one requires dismantling the exhaust manifold, which increases the complexity of the process.

Step 2. Choosing a flame arrester

The supply of such car parts is sufficient, you can consider the details, cost, and other elements. In general, the main thing is that it is two-layer, the brand is not so important. However, this is such a simple unit that you can do it yourself.

Cut the casing from theconverter unlimited , knock out the entire filling from it, and instead insert a piece of perforated pipe, cover the casing from the inside with heat-resistant, sound-absorbing material, brew, and the arrester is ready.

As for cost, such an assembly will turn out to be very cheap, but only those who know how to use a welding machine should undertake independent manufacture of a flame arrester. As practice shows, the most popular damage to a flame arrester is a burst weld.

Step 3. Installing a flame arrester instead of aconverter unlimited

If we are not talking about products that are precisely designe for regular places, then to install aconverter unlimited substitute you have to use a combination of welding and ingenuity.

It&rsquo’s not that it’s very difficult, but you have to measure and adjust the dimensions, think over the location, especially when it comes to collector arresters. In addition, no manufacturer describes such a procedure in official reference materials, so you need to look for information in additional sources.

Step 4. Correction of electronics

For the car to work correctly without converter unlimited, you need to consider re

programming for the second lambda probe or completely reflash the motor. The deception is like a  converter unlimited in miniature, it “filters” a piece of exhaust that enters the sensor, showing that everything is fine, the emulator simply transfers the values ​​that it expects to the engine, without real measurements.

Deceptions and emulators may not work, but a good alternative firmware almost always solves problems after installing such a device.

What is the general cost to replace the converter unlimited with a flame arrester?

Units themselves are relatively inexpensive from 15 to 20 USD, depending on the brand and design. Prices for catalyst replacement services depend on region and brand of car.

The average price would be 75-100 USD for such a service (although the price range is very large). Separately, you will need to pay extra for installing a lambda sensor and reprogramming.

Talking about converter unlimited  its starting cost will get even up to 1200 USD, which is not a limit, due to various car models. That is why in case of a problem with catalysts it is very reasonable to pay attention to other options (which can be 10 times cheaper!).

Savings are obvious, and replacement can be done by yourself or in most car service stations, the main thing is not to forget to adjust engine and electronic system.