Catalytic Converter Theft • Hacker News Board

Re: Catalytic Converter Theft

#151

Post by cartoonworld » Sat, Jun 26, 2021, 5:06 AM UTC

29083011397778 wrote: post #150

cartoonworld wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cat install costs way more than that. But aside, would you really be okay going back to the days of photochemical smog choking away your sunlight and skyrocketing rates of asthma and acid rain dissolving your ancestor's gravestones?? Federal law requires the catalytic converters. Everyone is definitely better off for them.

We wouldn't necessarily have to go back to that. We would be worse off without them [0], but Honda could get even GM's 5.7L V8 engine to pass regulations without a catalytic converter [1] in the mid-seventies. Eventually they couldn't get their CVCC engines to pass emissions without a cat, but we could make it back to the late seventies / early eighties. And that assumes we have made zero progress in engineering and…

That's really interesting, I was unaware of this CVCC technology.

However, the first article mentions leaded gas as its upside, which is abhorrent, causing me to literally tremble in fear.

I'll restrain myself from any analysis as I'm unfamiliar with this technology. Very interesting, thank you.

Re: Catalytic Converter Theft

#152

Post by gbrown » Sat, Jun 26, 2021, 2:51 PM UTC

cartoonworld wrote: post #66

gbrown wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you misunderstood the OP. > what cat you put on what as long as it sniffs within spec

I don't think so, but I'm open to be educated about a $50 fifty state downstream catalytic converter. Cali cats are often more $ but, where in the USA is there a $50 catalyst? More over, which shop charges less then $100/hr labor? The down stream cat cleans up the photosmog producing tailpipe emissions. California learned how horrible the smog is, we knew about the causes almost a hundred years ago. Letting people in…

I read the post as indicating that specific models of cat are required by car, but that what really matters are the specs, creating artificial complexity.

Don’t know how true that is, or what the effect on price would be, but your reply didn’t seem to fit with how I understood the post.

Re: Catalytic Converter Theft

#153

Post by icedistilled » Mon, Jun 28, 2021, 7:10 AM UTC

iammisc wrote: post #119

icedistilled wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Certain suburbs like Irvine CA are for safety but not for diversity and culture of a city. Choose one.

Irvine is more diverse than the majority of the USA... What are you talking about?

Irvine is notable for it's sterility and being family friendly and clean. While it's safe (mostly) to walk around late at night, there's nowhere to walk. All of it is basically office park style landscaping mandated by HOA's and beige houses. The majority of businesses are chains. The selection of restaurants is not remarkable for california.

Re: Catalytic Converter Theft

#154

Post by blinkingled » Mon, Jun 28, 2021, 5:20 PM UTC

sawjet wrote: post #137

reducesuffering wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The thiefs like to be in and out very quickly for obvious reasons. Without the shield it's a couple minutes. If they jack it up and there's a shield, that's going to take 15 minutes, they'll likely just abandon it as the risk/reward isn't there.

A skilled jackman can lift a car in mere seconds. Just watch some NASCAR

Unless you're saying all thieves are NASCAR level skilled jackmans - I don't see how it is not a deterrent. Sure some maybe but if most aren't it still slows them down and adds noise.

Re: Catalytic Converter Theft

#155

Post by cartoonworld » Mon, Jul 05, 2021, 4:06 AM UTC

gbrown wrote: post #152

cartoonworld wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think so, but I'm open to be educated about a $50 fifty state downstream catalytic converter. Cali cats are often more $ but, where in the USA is there a $50 catalyst? More over, which shop charges less then $100/hr labor? The down stream cat cleans up the photosmog producing tailpipe emissions. California learned how horrible the smog is, we knew about the causes almost a hundred years ago. Letting people in…

I read the post as indicating that specific models of cat are required by car, but that what really matters are the specs, creating artificial complexity. Don’t know how true that is, or what the effect on price would be, but your reply didn’t seem to fit with how I understood the post.

Sorry about that, I probably glossed over some domain knowledge that I took for granted. It is complicated, to put it simply.

California certifies the cats so that they ensure they are created well enough to last a while. They don't want a cat installed that works for a couple of days, just long enough to pass the smog dyno test and then who cares. It's probably excessive, but the smog was so bad, I can't help but empathize.

You can totally do that janky work and it will "sniff within spec at the tailpipe". Soon, the substrate melts in the cat because your check engine light throws P0125 next week because your car is in open loop from your coolant temp sensor malfunctioning and you are too cheap to go fix because the emissions check isn't for 3 months. It's just the engine coolant temp sensor, that doesn't cause global warming, right?

People want to get cheap cats because they don't see the value proposition in driving the photochemical smog towards zero, or they misunderstand the difference between the emissions check (ECU monitors provide this) and the smog check (the standalone dyno "moving road" load test) or mischaracterize all this "bullshit" to be about "funding" and "global warming" which they are motivated to reason is fake or whatever.

For further information, acquire California's CARB cert document CALIFORNIA EVALUATION PROCEDURES FOR NEW AFTERMARKET CATALYTIC CONVERTERS[0]

Peruse (e)(3) also sections (A) and (B) to learn of the age requirements. They require of cats that they work for 5 years.

Sections (e)(4), (A) (B) and (C) describes how they should function including fuel economy considerations (appreciated, given prices) and how they must be securely installed in order to prevent failures during the time period.

(e)(5)(A) and (B) outlines the procedure for ensuring they function into the required life of the device. They require the cat to be aged until they cause the MIL (check engine light) in order to verify the quality.

This is hardly affectatious testing. But hypothetically, if you were really hurting, I'd mail you a 50-state cat and then sleep at night.

[0] - PROCEDURES: https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/msprog/aftermktcat/amcat_proc_2017.pd...