[jerry455]

In Michigan, you can only bring in one convertor a day at that yard. I put on new convertors on my brother in laws 2005 Avalanche, they have two, one in each down pipe. They would not let me turn in both at the same time even though they were from the same truck. I had to make separate trips. I got $75 each.

[Sirrotica]

All you have to do here is go on Marketplace to find buyers:

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...erter%20buyers

Some of them will come to you, and pay cash.

[mgarblik]

Here in Ohio, if you scrap your vehicle, the wrecking yard will only take it if you produce a title. Once you show a legal title, they want to know if the converters are on the car. The typical payout on a scrap car is about $150.00 less if the converters are missing. Wrecking yards do not sell removed catalytic converters in Ohio legally. The Ohio EPA does not allow "used converters" to be installed. Used converters that have been tested and re-certified by an approved EPA converter "rebuilder" can be sold. That's who the wrecking yards in Ohio sell ALL their converters to. So when a car is scrapped, the converters are cut off right away and sold to a converter rebuilder. I went to one in southwest OH to see their operation. They had 2 old small block Chevy's running on engine stands all day long. Just old beaters. They had thousands of catalytic converters laying all over the place. The converters would be looked over for exterior damage, banged on with a rubber hammer to see if they were broken inside. If Ok, they were pressure washed and the ends and flanges cut off. Then they were clamped to the single outlet pipe of the SBC using a variety of adapters, to make it fit. Then the engine was run at around 3000 RPM for 3-4 minutes to get the converter to light off. They pointed an infra-red temp gun at the inlet and outlet to see if the converter was "working". When working, the outlet temp is 50-75 degrees hotter than the inlet. Then they stick the probe of a 5-gas analyzer in the outlet to look at HC, Co, Nox If it meets the minimum EPA standard it gets a dash of silver paint, an EPA order number stamped on it and new flanges mig welded on. That's the extent of the rebuilding process. If the converter is too damaged or fails the test, it gets thrown in another bin to be super-heated and the precious metals extracted.

[ZeGermanHam]

I was under the impression that most of them get packed up and sent overseas.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

They stole the Cats off both of my mothers vehicles at her house - while she was home.
Both were easy target vehicles , an SUV and a Pick-Up. No jack required .

In my town it has become commonplace hearing ordinary looking cars sounding like a tractor when they pull off from a stop light ... CatVerters stolen and driving them anyway.
Its getting really common

Years back it got bad and NC enacted strict laws and regulations on Converters that practically stopped all the activity. Hardly anyone would get involved with the red tape of dealing with them.
They have relaxed those regulations and it has gone wild again.

George , aftermarket converters have zero recycle value .

Burd , the old style converters from 70's & 80's GM are low value on recycle menu . (maybe $50 max)
Will have more value to a finicky restorer.
Sold a nice one several years ago to a Bandit restorer for $150 and that was probably too cheap.

[72projectbird]

They'll be deeply disappointed if they look under my vehicles. Even my daily GMC has long tubes and no cats.

lol

[Half-Inch Stud]

95 Towncar may have the spendy Cats and being duel exhaust with 2-stage cats is 4 spendy cores.

[fiedlerh]

My daughter owned her CR-V one week before thieves in Chicago hit the entire block. After she got it replaced I wrapped the exhaust in Concertina wire (barbed wire with razor-like edges) held in place with several muffler clamps and straps. Problem solved! Told her don't run any pedestrians over or they'll be shredded.

You can buy cat converter cages, but the thieves steel them too. Chicago cops occasionally arrest thieves and find hundreds of cat converters at their residence.

BTW, in Illinois getting the plate number does little good. Cops won't do anything unless you can give a description the driver. Reason being the plates will be stolen, the car will be stolen, or thief will say "Anybody could have been using my car."

[MIAGIMAN]

The thieves are all over, they attacked my son's large u haul Franchise in Florida and out of 20 trucks, found 4 without a protective shield, they had a hooded sweatshirt on and nothing else to go on even with cameras. In and out in minutes, professional cat crooks! If he leaves the pit loose in the yard and they get torn up the cops said they will probably sue him! Go Figure.

[vertigto]

Originally Posted by MIAGIMAN

The thieves are all over, they attacked my son's large u haul Franchise in Florida and out of 20 trucks, found 4 without a protective shield, they had a hooded sweatshirt on and nothing else to go on even with cameras. In and out in minutes, professional cat crooks! If he leaves the pit loose in the yard and they get torn up the cops said they will probably sue him! Go Figure.

Yep...it's a crazy world we live in.

[michaelfind]

Last year, all three of our church vans were hit, twice. I think they now park them in an Elder's storage space where they are in a more secure setting. Certainly not convenient.

[MIAGIMAN]

A few years back they were stealing the air bags out of the trucks and sometimes the wheels!! With 4 bucks a gallon around the corner stealing gas will start all over again. Lock & Load!!

[59safaricat]

Originally Posted by MIAGIMAN

With 4 bucks a gallon around the corner stealing gas will start all over again. Lock & Load!!

It's already $5 a gallon in some areas with larger areas getting mighty close. I laughed at the large truck SUV purchases when gas was cheap just a few years back....it's 2008 playing out all over again. Good thing I loaded up with a bunch oil stock the day it went negative in 2020, just like I did in early 2016 when it tanked. Fight fire with fire.

[71GP76TA]

I own a used car lot. There have been about 6-8 cats stolen. I'm now paying a guy fresh out of prison to keep an eye on the place at night. He's ran a few people off. Calling the cops is a waste of time...... My insurance deductible is higher than the cost of a cat. Average cost of a new cat here in CA is about $850.

[salem1912]

A lot of car manufacturers are going to catalytic convertor manavertor's. Combo manifold cat convertor. Harder to steel and cheaper to combine the two.

[Redpiston]

They just busted a recycler in KC for accepting and selling stolen cats. Handled almost 4 million in past 4 years

[Vid]

I haven’t done any research on the reason why, but it’s funny that scrap/salvage yards pay an average $150 for a converter when I can click on the Summit app and buy a new one for $150 and usually less. I’m sure it must have to do with the amount of rhodium in a OE cat versus an aftermarket, what else could it be.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mgarblik]

Originally Posted by salem1912

A lot of car manufacturers are going to catalytic convertor manavertor's. Combo manifold cat convertor. Harder to steel and cheaper to combine the two.

Combination converters and exhaust manifolds are a nightmare to service and very expensive to the customer. They may be harder to steal, I get that. But the law abiding car owner gets screwed in the end if they keep the car any length of time. Just looked up a very common unit for a 4-cyl Honda CRV. NAPA price $932.00. Plus labor. This would be a $1400.00-1500.00 repair at a typical shop and near 2K at a Honda dealer. Just so some thug can have a little harder time stealing your stuff? Bit of a head scratcher.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by mgarblik

Combination converters and exhaust manifolds are a nightmare to service and very expensive to the customer. They may be harder to steal, I get that. But the law abiding car owner gets screwed in the end if they keep the car any length of time. Just looked up a very common unit for a 4-cyl Honda CRV. NAPA price $932.00. Plus labor. This would be a $1400.00-1500.00 repair at a typical shop and near 2K at a Honda dealer. Just so some thug can have a little harder time stealing your stuff? Bit of a head scratcher.

But how long are they supposed to last? I would imagine they are normally lifetime parts, or nearly so.

[mgarblik]

Originally Posted by Stuart

But how long are they supposed to last? I would imagine they are normally lifetime parts, or nearly so.

I agree Stuart, that is a fair assessment. If the engine is running properly it's whole life, it should be a lifetime part. If it runs with a misfire for a while, that will kill the catalytic portion. Interestingly enough, the two I have replaced on Honda cars were both due to accident damage. The 4-cyl manifold/converter faces forward with little protection. In a minor collision of 20 MPH or more, it gets smashed and needs replacement. I guess in general I like components made so the actual part that is faulty can be replaced separately.