Some symptoms of a bad catalytic converter on a 1994 Lumina are engine stalling, engine backfiring, no start of engine, and poor power pick up. If the catalytic converter has rust holes, the vehicle will also be very loud when running.
catalytic converter
That depends on the engine and the fuel you've used. If the engine starts burning oil a catalytic converter can fail rapidly. Some fuel additives can also cause a catalytic converter to fail prematurely.
I have done the research and here are some online websites that can help you find a catalytic converter www.autopartswarehouse.com/catalytic_converters~pop.html
Some of them depending on where sold and size of machine
All O2 sensors (AKA Air/Fuel sensors) are threaded into the exhaust system. Some before the catalytic converter (upstream) and some after the catalytic converter (downstream).
There are no different kinds of catalytic converters. They are all made with the same inner workings. The only difference is the outside casing, whether it is made to fit or not. There is even such a thing as a universal catalytic converter that some muffler shops use. They cut the pipes off of your old cat, and weld them onto the replacement cat to make it fit.
The price varies from vehicle to vehicle. Some are very expensive and some are not.
Almost all cars have only one catalytic converter. Some can have two, four, etc.
Should you cut off the catalytic converter? No. But can you and will SOME vehicles actually benefit? Yes. It is illegal to remove any emmision control device from your vehicle in most if not all states. For countries such as Mexico where it is not illegal, some vehicles without downstream Oxygen sensors (after the catalytic converter) it can have some benefits. It is really the same benefit as a free flowing exhaust. Modern (97+) cars already have a free flowing design catalytic converter so there is no benefit to doing this.
no its not the only state that some catalytic converters r against the law is in CA
Depending on what kind of "whirring" sound you are referring to, it can either be your catalytic converter or some problem with the exhaust system. Most likely the catalytic converter if its what I'm thinking of.