MatraSport Forum

Like every other component in the exhaust, the catalytic converter wears out. On mine, the pipework is detoriating rapidly now. My trustworthy mechanic has welded it, but it's not lasting. So I started looking for a new one... Renault wants more than 8000 DKK for it, plus VAT.

But this German company sells it for about 190€ plus shipping, so it ended at a more than 200€. That's 70% off Renault's price!

http://www.bandel-online.de/KAT_KATALYSATOR_RENAULT_ESPACE_III_3_30_V6_24V_i0_778.htm

Here it is:

(http://gallery.dinsen.net/d/27719-2/DSC_1712.JPG)

How many km/miles have your current cat on its life?

Please take a picture from the front, and the rear of cat if possible....

I'm still trying to solve my engine problems, and have tryied with another cat. - Without any luck, but maybe i have to change everything that MIGHT cause any engine problems.

Current cat has done 215.000 km and is still running except it's rusting apart.
Do you want photos of the new one? I don't think your running problems are related to the catalytic converter...

No, not the new one! - But when you take off the old one.

I have been told, that the front of the cat always looks perfect, but the end of the cat shows if it is "dead".
If you can look throug the cat its perfect, but if the rear end is like concret - Your cat is dead.

I see your new cat is from bandel automobiltechnik gmbh.
I bought one there for, I think it was 199 euro.
It was listed as being edelstahl on ebay, which I guesed was stainless steel, however it's not.
It fitted perfectly but has allready a lot of rust after just 6 months.

2.0 liter 16v

Ohh... Anders, can you check the quality of the ones you bought?

I was 5 minutters from ordering a cat from that firm...

The quality is okay, Troels. There's nothing wrong with this cat and pipework. I'm not particularly worried that it will start rusting quickly - cat's do that because of the heat. Yes, they claim "stainless", but I didn't beleive it when I ordered it. And for 199€ for a complete cat with pipes, you get what you pay for. Good quality considering the price. The same part costs 5-8 times as much from Renault. I cant get a lot of Bandel-cats for that!

/Anders

In my eyes, you are a very trustworthy person, so I take your word for the quality and will place my order tonight.

Btw, where do you bought your exhaust? – Both the one you are using right now, and the ones from you homepage? (The first exhaust you changed I guess)

Good luck with it!

Hello, Anders & Jack Daniels

How are your Bandel exhaust?
It is rusty?

Last week I started to have problems, with my cat. The welded joint in the back of the catalytic converter has snapped. And ... I think I have a dead horse inside the pipes! ;D

I don't see the horse  8) but his tail is coming out from the exhaust.

Is this related to converter or it is the second problem with my exhaust?

the cat is fine. It has no more rust than an average exhaust part of the same age.
The 199 euro cat is a shade noisier than the original.
the flexible joint is stainless steel so that should never be an issue.

(http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/6654/photo043t.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/87/photo043t.jpg/)
(http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/1973/photo044.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/849/photo044.jpg/)

This is the horse tail  ;D
It is related to cat or to final exhaust ?


and here I have the snapped weld:
(http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/3406/bild578393703268.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/23/bild578393703268.jpg/)

Looks like you actually have a CAT inside  ::)

Hi to all as this is my first post.
I had this tail hanging out of my tail pipe, and I pulled it all out. It was only slightly sooty but there was so much of it. I was told it was the baffle material from the exhaust box.
Just before I noticed it the car seemed to be struggling but after I pulled it out it was OK again and it would if this was blocking the pipe. The only problem now is the exhaust sounds rather noisy and as I have the MOT in the next week I’m worried it will fail because of this.
So is it from the CAT or from the exhaust box and will it cause problems with the MOT on noise or emissions I’ll just have to wait and see?

e.space3, this is exactly where my original kat broke, the rest of it including the internals were ok. I did not manage to source the piece needed to match the middle joint. It should be possible to weld on a new piece here if you have the equipment to do so and the rest of the cat is ok. You'd maybe have to cut the special flange off the front of the middle piece.
.

That's why I'm asking where that hair came from?

It is from catalytic converter ? >>>>> New catalytic converter.
It is from final exhaust box (plausible) ? >>>>> New exhaust box + Old catalytic converter welded.

Respect

I was told it’s from the final exhaust box and not the cat as I understood the cat is ceramic and not really large enough to take all the hair that came out.
e.space3 have you pulled the hair out, it surprised me how much there was stuffed up there and the car ran better after although louder. Even then it coughed some more out some miles later.

I looked around in my old cat and saw no signs of cat hair in there so I am pretty sure it's a hair free cat.

The hair in the photo is most likely from the muffler only. I used house wall isolation, Glava or rockwool, in a motorcycle muffler once and welded it back up.  That worked just fine. Ran very quiet too.