Date:         Thu, 19 Feb 2009 20:19:03 -0800
Reply-To:     Kim Springer <kimspringer@ASTOUND.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Kim Springer <kimspringer@ASTOUND.NET>
Subject:      Re: Broken Catalytic converter
In-Reply-To:  <c4e7c5f90902191901i567f026fv651d037452429b36@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Take it to muffler shop and have them fix it. It sounds like the mounting
was stressed rather than bolted in place with all the flanges tightened, it
was probably mounted and the flanges tightened last to that the stress was
on the metal.

On a related note, I tried to go cheap once and install used primary pipes.
I think they were used to their original installation and not the stress of
the second use (my install). They worked fine for a few months and then both
cracked just like you would expect a tube in torsion to, down the length of
the pipe ans somewhat radially. Now maybe they were thin from their original
use, but had they died on their original installation, then they probably
would have just blown a hole through near the flange or rusted through aling
the pipe somewhere?

How have your primary pipes failed with age? Rusted out? Cracked?

Anyway, my bet is that the cat was stressed due to installation, causing it
to crack.

Just my 2 cents,

Kim

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
neil N
Sent: Thursday, February 19, 2009 7:02 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Broken Catalytic converter

On Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 6:27 PM, Bill Nagle <wnagle@nc.rr.com> wrote:
> Less than 2000 Miles ago I got a new tiico engine, new catalytic
> converter and muffler, etc....the CC has cracked apart just before the
> muffler attachment. Do I just replace it or is there a simple fix I
> could do?
>
> Is this a characteristic of tiicos?
> Thanks
> Bill Nagle
> '85 Westy
> wnagle@nc.rr.com
>




A new Tiico engine/exhaust system with less than 2000 miles on it?

IMO, if ALL parts installed correctly, I would suspect a faulty or
lesser quality cat before suspecting the Tiico design.

Though not a Tiico conversion, to put it in perspective, on my Jetta
2.0 conversion, I ran my new exhaust system with a poorly designed
exhaust mounting, system (now rectified) for ~2000 km's. The cat was
fine. (though not so for the brackets!) The cat is still fine after
6000+ KM's.

Fix? Remove it, take it to a weldor and ask. :)

Neil.


--
Neil Nicholson '81 VanaJetta "Jaco"

http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/

http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engine
s