well my compression check came back normal and i only add less than 1/4 of one quart every 3k miles . so that calculated out shows me to be burning 8 ounces of oil every 3,000 miles or 2.67 ounces every 1,000 miles. so while i'm on the smog dyno i can't be burning enough oil to cause me to fail.... oh well i guess i'll replace the cat and see what happens.. thanks guys