OK so my poor little asthmatic SOHC 1.5L has been wheezing even more than normal lately. Towards the top of the RPM range (say in the last 2k RPMs or so) the car just starts to get sluggish....even more sluggish than usual. Just really bogging down.



Consensus is that the catalytic converter is clogged (103k on the clock) and needs to be replaced. Well I'm NOT spending $400+ on the stupid factory set-up (who attaches the CC directly to the exhaust manifold? Who I ask you?) so that leaves me looking for a header.



My problem is ...... there doesn't seem to be any except for that one (the name is escaping me at the moment) that is running $400+.



I've looked through every post and article on every site I could find that talked about headers and this is what I've found:



1) A header for the older 1.5L will work.

2) A header for the older 1.5L will NOT work.



Could someone who has actually put a header on a SOHC 1.5L motor from 2001 tell me what they've used? How hard was it (as far as fabrication goes)? Anything you feel the need to pass on?



Any help in this would be GREATLY appreciated.



Thanks!

 

I highly doubt its your CC theres always talk about CC going bad but you will know if its bad because you will smell rotten eggs... more than likely a o2 sensor or some air sensor possibly even a misfire - CEL? Had it checked? Give us more details but im 99.9% sure its not your CC

 

The o2 sensor on the cat has been replaced just a few months ago - I did not replace the o2 sensor further down the line in the exhaust (mainly because I didn't realize it was there until later). I know about the rotten eggs smell but I have also been told that they can get clogged to the point of restricting airflow without that smell.



Doesn't feel like a misfire it feels like something is choking the car at higher revs - kind of hard to explain.



Figured that if I can get a cheap enough header (found them for every Accent motor except mine on ebay for around $100) then I'd try it - not looking for a large gain in performance, just looking for the car not to feel like it's bogging down in the last 2k rpms.

 

If the car can rev like nothing when the exhaust manifold is off, it may be partially clogged. It could also be the fueling or ignition or air intake systems that are restricting the engine.

 

When my ignition coils started going out I noticed at high rpm my car seemed to flat line, it would stop pulling until I shifted to the next gear. If you still have the OEM coils then I would look into replacing them first.



Have you replaced your muffler yet? I have run across cars with similar issues that had clogged mufflers near your current mileage and the problem went away after I replaced it. A clogged muffler usually makes weird noises at idle. Kinda sounds like a gurgling muffled sound that is noticeable with your ear close to the bumper.



If you have infrared pyrometer, check the temps of the catalytic converter piping before and after the cat since a bad converter will overheat and a temp difference of over 200 degrees is a sign of a bad cat.



Also when the car is idling in park or neutral can you rev it past the rpm where it starts bogging down without any problems or is the bog present? A clogged cat would make the rev bog down and it would kinda sound like a vacuum cleaner with a clogged hose.



Another method to try is when your car is idling, walk to the back and put your hand near the exhaust output and feel how much air is coming out and have someone rev the engine a little and see if you notice more air flowing out. Then try the same test on another car with a similar size engine to use as a comparison.



If your cat is bad then I would look into the cause for it's failure since it will probably happen to the replacement one.