Aparently there is a fault with the MR2s in that the pre cat deteriates and blows the engine.

Would you still leave it alone?

Edited by macski on 13/02/2018 at 01:11

Sounds like this has tightened up since I left the UK. Surprise!

There certainly used to be cars from which it was legal to remove catalytic converters, though I doubt a 2001 MR2 was one of them.

For example, on the Honest John Review pages, for the Volvo 740

"Cats are £600, but can be ditched because all 740s are pre-August '92."

Should this be changed?

I've read somewhere that a car running on LPG doesn't have to meet the same emissions standards as the same car running on petrol, but if OEM emmissions kit is now mandatory it may have to have the same kit fitted.

IF this is true, the cats could perhaps be de-gutted (which should render them harmless, IIRC the engine ingests internal debris via the exhaust valves) and it MIGHT be a work-around, though an MR2 is probably a fairly unusual LPG conversion and you might have trouble finding room for the tank.

Edited by edlithgow on 14/02/2018 at 12:31

I have removed my pre cats on my 36,000 mile 2001 MR2 by replacing the manifold in Aug 2020 with a s/steel model without pre cats fitted, although it does have the ports to allow the CO2 sensors to be refitted. It took about 6hrs to remove and refit excluding refit of heat shields. I had it MOT'd at Toyota on 8th Sept 2020 and it passed without any advisories! So a definitive answer to the remove & MOT question. Best regards.

Thank you for your post! There is nothing like practical experience, which begs the question, why were they fitted in the first place?

I have removed my pre cats on my 36,000 mile 2001 MR2 by replacing the manifold in Aug 2020 with a s/steel model without pre cats fitted, although it does have the ports to allow the CO2 sensors to be refitted. It took about 6hrs to remove and refit excluding refit of heat shields. I had it MOT'd at Toyota on 8th Sept 2020 and it passed without any advisories! So a definitive answer to the remove & MOT question. Best regards.

You can sometines "get away with it" re MOT but except for some special "brown"cars for a while (eg Lada etc) every petrol car by law has been fitted with a catalytic converter since August 1992. If removed you are driving an illegal car.

Edited by Big John on 16/09/2020 at 20:32