Cat for MOT

[Kezzieboy]

Alright guys, I'm guessing this might be a problem for a few of us since the changes to the MOT guidelines, so I thought I'd start a thread.

So I, like many of you, have decatted my HDi. Unfortunately, unlike most, I didn't just butcher the cat, as I already had a stainless cat back, so I got a stainless decat front pipe.

Now, the new mot regs require a visual check for a cat, which obviously I will fail, so what's the best way of dealing with this? Shall i:

1. Make a dummy cat, with a pipe straight through the middle, and weld in place of a bit which i cut out of mine.

2. Attach a dummy cat to the outside of my exhaust, by cutting it down the middle, and then welding it shut on the outside of the pipe where the cat used to be.

3. Build some sort of front pipe I can take in and out for the MOT, by modifying my current system so it has a flange.

4. Get a full, standard system on the cheap (or borrow one?) and swap it at Mot time.

5. Other

How are you guys planning on dealing with it? Pain in the arse, but somehow it's got to be done.


Cheers fellas.

[cully]

i vote other!
slip the MOT tester a beer token

mines running empty CAT as i knocked the centre out
visualy its there

[Connor]

Either don't worry about it, or weld a "cat" around your current exhaust

[Slam Wagon]

Cable tie a cover so it cant be seen on the day. Take it back off again straight after.

[Tom]

Find a better mot station lol...

[Niall]

Find a friendly mot station and take a pack of beer

EFA

[bashbarnard]

Got told by vosa themselves the other day. As older cars go how did you know it was there as standard can the tester prove it? No has to pass.

[Poodle]

Exactly that. ^^^

If you're that worried weld a shell around it. If the tester fails it it's because they're a lady garden, not because the mot guidelines say anything without a cat must fail - because they don't say that.

[bashbarnard]

Also 90% of testers won't mind as long as it passes emmisions. If your a diesel your laughing if your car's before 2008 due to a massive amount of smoke aloud .

[Kezzieboy]

I've seen the exact notice, it clearly states that a cat must be present.

I would just use a pikey tester, but I like the garage I use, as they're incredibly anal, and they spot the stuff that I wouldn't, so I can sort it myself before it becomes an issue.

[Connor]

I've seen the exact notice, it clearly states that a cat must be present.

I would just use a pikey tester, but I like the garage I use, as they're incredibly anal, and they spot the stuff that I wouldn't, so I can sort it myself before it becomes an issue.

If fitted at time of manufacture, pre 94 dturbos didnt have filters fitted, they can't be expected to be retro fitted

[Slam Wagon]

Considering its in the hdi section i would guess we arent talking about pre 94 cars so all will be expected to have a cat.

[Connor]

No I was just pointing out that it says all cars must have cats

[Poodle]

Isn't this all in relation to dpf's anyway?

[bashbarnard]

No cat as standard it states I can take PIC of special notice tomorrow and upload

---

It states not as states

[Kezzieboy]

Nope, cats too poodle.

Either way, that's not the point not here, the fact is that it's now an MOT fail to have a decat on an HDi, so how best to avoid immediate failure?

[mspdan]

bloke i use for mots is pretty sound as long as it passes emissions he is okay.

if you moter is anal, i would either put a cover over it or like i did kept my old exhaust with cat, in your case borrow or buy one for mot time

suppose it depends how picky they are mate

[mattgreene]

ive mot'd my 306 hdi, on saturday and she passed, with just a mid to back box conversion, no cat, no back box

[Frosty]

At the end of the day to all down to the tester

[Razorback_Rob]

I'm welding the cat casing off my original downpipe and cat onto my decat pipe. Should pass visuals and smoke test just fine

[Kezzieboy]

Only concern with that method is that the cat will be mild steel, whereas my exhaust is stainless, so it'll be introducing some nice corrosion into the system :/

[Poodle]

Get a stainless one made then lol.

[Kezzieboy]

Can you get stainless cats? Wont they be a bit expensive to buy just to bash the insides out?

[Poodle]

So you're buying a real cat rather than having the box welded around the outside? Seems a bit retarded if you're just going to empty it anyway...?

[Connor]

Kez find an exhaust place and ask them for a stainless "cat" /drevil

[Kwik]

from what i understand from my last test as long as the exhaust is not blowing and emissions are fine it passes. mine had a cat on it but i done a decat and tester said nowt except it's really good on emissions lol.

guess does depend where you go