Review on MagnaFlow 51851 Catalytic Converter Compliant by Shane Miller

I am very disappointed in the quality of this catalytic converter/exhaust manifold, especially given the higher price compared to other brands. The first thing I noticed was the lower weight of the device compared to the OEM. Not bad per se, but it definitely has a shorter and smaller catalyst section and larger honeycomb pattern for higher flow. In fact, for some people, this can be a plus. The Magnaflow lacks the mounting hardware for the heat shields that were around the stock unit, which in turn removes mounting points for the O2 sensor harnesses. So you'll have to re-route the wiring harness with zip ties - it's not the most professional approach, but it works. When fitting the block to the cylinder head, I noticed that the exhaust pipe made contact with the heat shield that goes around the alternator. Tube design could be better. Also, the bracket that attaches the coil to the engine block required a lot of force with a 4 foot pry bar and a very large hammer. I had to do this with very cheap exhaust parts, which isn't a big deal, but at $850 I expect a product that actually attaches without too much trouble. after tightening to about 8-10 ft-lbs. The specification is about double! Absolutely terrible quality. Luckily I was able to clean up and close the thread, but it took me way longer than I expected to complete the job. Also, no fasteners are included, so you'll have to buy a few nuts and screws/bolts separately or break them up. old ones with an impact wrench and reuse studs like me. The nuts are welded on so you'll need a decent amount of torque. The gaskets included in the kit proved to be of good quality, the exhaust manifold gasket is MLS. If I had to do this repair again I would use a significantly cheaper alternative - yes you may have the same problems but at least you have a few hundred bucks in your wallet. This actually fixed the problem with our check engine light.