My catalytic converter is all busted up and rattling and yesterday it started to get really sluggish. I don't have much money so I was wondering that if I gut it out what is the easiest way to do it?

 

Can you get at it to do that? Mine was all one piece from the Y-pipe back to the muffler and gutting the cat wouldn't have been easy to do. And where it sat, welding it back in after cutting it out would be tough (for me anyway).

 

If you hear rattling you may want to check that it's not just a heat shield that's come loose. Also, keep in mind that if your region does emissions inspections gutting your cat will cause your vehicle to fail the inspection.

I know that thefts of catalytic converters are a huge problem nowadays because they contain valuable metals, so if you're sure the old one is shot you may also want to check into whether the old one may actually be worth money at a scrap yard when you replace it.