E39 Cat knackered - options?
Discussion
Hi all,
My cat has started rattling like mad, and there's a significant loss of power over about 3500rpm (car is E39 523i). I'm fairly certain the diagnosis is a dead cat. BMW want £830 to replace it (ouch), and Eurocarparts can sell one for about £370.
However, as I'm about to become a student again, I'm feeling particularly penny pinching, and I'm wondering if I have any alternative options. (I know fellow PHers will think me mad for giving up a job in F1 to go back to university, but it's a very long story!)
1) Is it possible to knock out the loose contents of the cat, and use the empty box as a cat bypass?
2) If (1) would still muck with the performance, where can I get a cat bypass for an E39?
3) Does anybody know if I stand a chance of passing an MOT without a cat?
Any advice gratefully received,
Will O'Brien
BAR F1
My cat has started rattling like mad, and there's a significant loss of power over about 3500rpm (car is E39 523i). I'm fairly certain the diagnosis is a dead cat. BMW want £830 to replace it (ouch), and Eurocarparts can sell one for about £370.
However, as I'm about to become a student again, I'm feeling particularly penny pinching, and I'm wondering if I have any alternative options. (I know fellow PHers will think me mad for giving up a job in F1 to go back to university, but it's a very long story!)
1) Is it possible to knock out the loose contents of the cat, and use the empty box as a cat bypass?
2) If (1) would still muck with the performance, where can I get a cat bypass for an E39?
3) Does anybody know if I stand a chance of passing an MOT without a cat?
Any advice gratefully received,
Will O'Brien
BAR F1
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