Newbie with sentra cat/converter questions

[lewjr]

the wife's 1996 sentra gxe 150 k daily driver good all around car just getting to the TLC days of its life . odometer stopped workinng but the spedo still works no biggie I hope but the bottom heat shield on the Cat/converter broke from one side ...the tack welds that is ....So I inspected it and removed it but now it rattles like heck and I am considering replacing it and the whole exaust back ......
I just need some words of advice and experience to tackle thewse issues and some way to tell when a cat is bad ....? they are pricy ...
And why the odometer is dead ... but the speedo works?


thanks in advance

My first
of many post ..
Lewjr

[wes]

Originally Posted by lewjr

the wife's 1996 sentra gxe 150 k daily driver good all around car just getting to the TLC days of its life . odometer stopped workinng but the spedo still works no biggie I hope but the bottom heat shield on the Cat/converter broke from one side ...the tack welds that is ....So I inspected it and removed it but now it rattles like heck and I am considering replacing it and the whole exaust back ......
I just need some words of advice and experience to tackle thewse issues and some way to tell when a cat is bad ....? they are pricy ...
And why the odometer is dead ... but the speedo works?


thanks in advance

My first
of many post ..
Lewjr

Well if the cat was bad it could make the car run like crap and/or smell like sulfur. If it is not bad I would just remove the entire heat shield and let it be. Otherwise use the classifieds to buy a used cat for cheap.