I finally overcame my native inertia and started to replace the rattlebox
that my cat converter became. I had given several weeks treatment of mystery oil on the four flange bolts, and after the first one came out with some help with
a torch, the second bolt head simply snapped off. The next two didn't seem to want to go anywhere so I soaked them some more and went to the rear clamp.
I couldn't tell what fasteners were used on the two part clamp, where the bolt
head would have been there was some ugly rusted cone, resembling a dunce cap.
So lacking a cutting torch I cut the thing off with a Dremel tool.

Then I had a pleasant interlude putting in a new gas filter, and couldn't see
where people had trouble there, it went in easily.

Then back to that evil cat converter... I had unplugged the front sensor and now
I went hunting for the rear sensor. This is the bad part: I unbolted a cross member below the tail end of the cat and of the 4 bolts which all turned easily,
two just started spinning. Ach! Can I reach these things from the floor inside?
They look like some hokey arrangement where the female nut is just staked into the floorboard sheetmetal? and you cant get a wrench on the hidden nut!
Grrrr I'm PO'd! What to do?

Whats the story with the connection between the cat and the muffler?
I cant see if they just butt up to each other and simply split apart or one
piece slides into the other or what.

Where is the rear cat converter plug?

Now I don't know if I should go out in my comfy driveway and get the rest of those SOB flange bolts out or to have a lengthy lunch complete with a few frosty ones? A tough decision! :-(

Bill