I was wondering if anyone has modified or replaced their exhaust manifold in a way that removes that bulky catalytic convertor art on the bottom half. I cant find a new one anywhere that doesn't cost $500+ for that assembly. I dont live somewhere that requires emissions testing, can I somehow get a cheap manifold that doesn't have the cat on it and run the exhaust out to the rest of the piping? Its pretty crazy the pricing on that particular part.

 

Why is replacement required? Is it clogged?

I only ask because it may be possible to remove from the vehicle and ream out the guts of the catcon portion, then reassemble.

It looks like it could be cut at the weld just about the catcon portion,then have a section of straight cast iron pipe with a flange welded in its place.

Then again I know nothing about welding nor material costs nor labor costs. I believe I saw a used one on eBay for about $60 but again I'm not sure why you are seeking one so that may or may not be helpful.

Unfortunately, the first and second generation s cars used an exhaust manifold with a different mounting hole layout and different number of mounting bolts and I do not believe the older ones can be modified to fit the newer engines.

On that note, I suppose it is theoretically possible to build a conversion mounting plate but it's thickness might cause mating issues with the manifold exit and the downpipe. This is all speculation on my part.

 

I can tell there's an exhaust leak from somewhere in the front part of the system, so I was just going to replace the entire thing from manifold down to muffler because it's old and rusty. That is until I saw how much that first part of it cost! I had thought there were lots of aftermarket stuff for Saturn but that manifold and cat Frankenstein is one part that is a rare bird.

 

Find the leak and replace only what you need to. If the rest has lasted this long, it will last a little longer. Unless it is going to the block at Barrett-Jackson, Rusty and functional is just fine.

 

I just realized that all catalytic converters are through the roof right now, yeah I'll try to find the hole and patch it!