Walker

Walker Direct Fit Catalitic Converter

[5/9/2009] Reviewed by: Kevin - cageeey@hotmail.com

Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter

This is for a Wlaker after market replacement catalitic converter for a 1993 Miata original equiptment catalytic converter. It is a direct fit model not a universal - part #15777. Price $199 at my local John Collins parts store. I like these guys. Everything I have gotten fits the first time. Cool.

The product was easy to install and was an almost an exact direct fit. The flange closest to the headder was not a perfect fit like the muffler side was but it was good enough to seal the converter to the pipe. It also looks nothing like the OE one that was on there and I first thought it was not going too. The Walker converter I got was the exact same as the one on the Walker web site for my model. I am pretty sure I have it on right and if I do the the engraved words are on the bottom. There is nothing to say which way the front is. 30 mins for the first time ever repalcing a CAT after the car was on the jack stands.

I don't know if this tip worked or not because this Miata has been garaged most of its life and the rear bolts were not in bad shape. The front bolts saw more weather. I started to spray the bolts with WD40 before I went out every day for 4 days before I tried to take it off and 3 of the bolts broke away easy. The driver's side front bolt was stiff and the pipe has a bend there that made the ratchet head sit on an angle that was causing it to slip. I used a 14mm open end that was flat and it came off. It was still the hardest but it didn't strip or break. That was it. The original converter has bolts imbedded in the it so I had to pull the pipes apart to get it clear. Heads-up --- The Walker box includes the gaskets but not the bolts and nuts. I purchased them separately at Ace. The converter went on easy after that and the car works a lot better. There were even some things that were bugging me before that I couldn't figure out that were because of the converter. First was this slight grind sound every time I shifted up and pushed the cluthc in at about 3500 rpm. I know it sonds wierd but I thought it was the clutch. Turns out that it was the first sign of a buzz in the CAT. That is gone now. Second was this smell that I noticed when pushing the revs up to about 4000. I thought it was burning trans oil cause I know what burning motor oil smells like and this wasn't that. That smell is gone too. It is good to know that both of these things involved reving the engine up. That is all I have. I don't usually write like this but I hope it helps someone.

Under 30 minutes to remove completely