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gary
PostPosted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 7:17 pm 
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Location: Southampton
Hi everyone,
I have just spent the last 2 hours removing the Van Aaken system from my cab. Everything, including the catalytic converter, EGR bits and all the wires and what can I say? Was it worth it? Most definitely YES. The cab feels faster, more responsive and less asthmatic. I have kept the actual catalyser just in case there is a problem at the MOT but as the cab was made without one, I can't see there being any trouble. A new exhaust downpipe and a new manifold/downpipe gasket is all that is required plus some Fire Gum to ease assembly. These can be got from londontaxiparts.com.
I also hope it will improve the fuel consumption too... We'll see :)
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gusmac
PostPosted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 8:53 pm 
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Location: Aberdeen
    Removing Catalytic Converters from a Diesel Car – What you need to know

    Removing the Catalytic converter from Diesel Cars has for a number of years been an easy way of helping to increase responsiveness and increase fuel efficiency and at Longlife Exhausts we have carried out a great many cat removals with great success. In recent months, we’ve increasingly heard from concerned customers and potential customers saying that they’ve read or have been told that this is no longer legal. Certainly, there seems to be much confusion regarding this matter – even some MOT testers don’t seem to have the correct information so we’re here to set the record straight.

    All of what you are about to read has been verified in person with two representatives from VOSA, who are the highest authority regarding such matters. At Longlife Head Office we also have an MOT Testing Station and so clearly need to be 100% sure we’re giving the right information to our customers and also to our Franchisees and so to this end, we’ve sat down with VOSA twice in 2012 already to clarify the situation.

    The long and short of it is, you CAN remove ALL of the catalytic converters on a Diesel vehicle without any issue on your MOT test. The confusion has come about due to a change in the regulations that came into effect in January 2012 regarding Petrol cars. In the MOT testing manual for Class 3, 4, 5 and 7 vehicles (which you can download yourself HERE) it says that for cars that qualify for a full gas emissions test, the MOT tester should check for the presence of a Catalytic Converter. A reason for failure is that a Catalytic Converter is missing when one was fitted as standard. Diesel Cars DON’T QUALIFY FOR A FULL GAS EMISSIONS TEST, only a smoke test and so aren’t subject to the above regulation. If you wish to see this page yourself in the manual, it’s part 7.1 and is the only page in the manual that deals with the exhaust.

    The same is true for Diesel Particulate Filters – they’re not even mentioned in the manual and therefore aren’t tested. This means you can happily remove them without an issue.

    All of the above information is correct as of April 2012. VOSA couldn’t say that the law won’t change in the future but as of when we last spoke to them (last month) they said that there was noting in the pipeline to suggest it would change. If you don’t have a cat on your diesel car and the MOT tester fails it, you should ask them to check the manual at part 7.1 for clarification of what is correct – if they still refuse to pass the car, you should appeal the decision with VOSA who WILL overrule it.


http://www.longlife.co.uk/blog/index.ph ... d-to-know/

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gary
PostPosted: Wed Aug 07, 2013 12:16 am 
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Location: Southampton
Thanks for the info Gusmac! :)
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Baconsdozen
PostPosted: Wed Aug 07, 2013 8:16 am 
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Joined: Wed May 21, 2008 1:54 pm
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Location: Used to be in Lowestoft,now escaped.
In some areas there's a free catalytic converter removal service. You don't even need to make an appointment. You just leave it in a certain area overnight and someone comes along with a cordless angle grinder and whips it off.
They don't even tell you when its been done but you'll hear the difference as soon as you start the car.

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