leave the o2 zip tied to the frame. Mine is also zip tied to it. A High Flow cat or no cat can cause it to toss a code and not pass inspection. As long as the rear o2 is sensing something different then the pre cat o2 your golden and can get away with no cat or a high flow like myself.

Its not hurting anything, it also only works on some 01s and down.. so we are lucky we can do that little trick. I heard in 03 they caught on or somthing and they fixed it. Im not 100% sure though.

I would tear the motor down and inspect the internals and while its all off clean and powdercoat the stuff it you want to.

Its not to bad of a tear down, but if you go down to the heads you will need to replace the bolts unless it has studs. ARP makes some good studs/bolts i just ripped mine down cuz i floated a valve and broke a .600lift valve spring. All is well now i polished up the pistons and cleaned up the heads and replaced all the gaskets. Thing runs even better now. I had some leaky valve seals to so i replaced those.

I wouls alteast the pop the valve covers off and see if anything was swapped out.

 

my O2 is also zip tied to the frame, mostly cause i dont have a place in the exaust to put it,
but if ohio goes away with its emissions check in 2012 like they're talking about, cat go away so the hamster can play

 

Good info about the O2. thats one less thing to worry about now the engine is supposed to have only 11000 on the rebuild, so I most likely wont be doing much to it.
I think I will do as you suggest and pull the valve cover just to have a look.. if the miles since rebuild is true.. it should be pretty clean.. and would be nice to see if they did upgrade the rockers and or springs.
I have never had an emissions check .. lucky I guess.. lived in Ohio my whole life.. everything I own either has no cats.. or they are hollowed out lol

 

/\ lucky bastard ... lol
they only check in 7 counties.

maybe this summer we can meet up at a show sometime, im up near cleveland

 

stopped by the local exhaust shop today... they said my exhaust while new.. was all jacked up lol so.. tomorrow.. I spend $180 to get it redid.. I need to decide.. whether to rout it behind the rears.. or just in front of them on the passenger side.. leaning toward behind.. just cause I like a balanced look..
I discovered.. my tail gate wont open.. whoever put on the roll pan.. got it way too close to the gate.. (gives me an excuse to get a steel one and ditch the fiberglass)
Found some original R/t rims.. but haven't had a chance to look at them. I,ll be ordering tail lights and headlights next week.. then that leaves the paint job... got an estimate...they said no more than $1400. I don't think thats is too bad.. might be March b4 I can get it done though.

Batman, I haven't been to a car show in years... but might go to a few this year.. Mopar nationals for sure if I dont have to work though it again.

 

be careful, full paint for 1400?
what does it include?
im gonna try to make it to mopar nationals, hopefully i'll have the truck on airride all the way around, might even show it...lol

 

personaly I like mine straight out the back and dead-even with the bumper with a slight angle cut. I"m not a big fan of behind the wheels simply because they seem to take so much abuse back there from road debris.

 

all the body work the bed has got a nice dent.. looks like someone rubbed a pole or something.. some minor dings in the fender... back of the cab needs some work too.. its been rear ended at some point.. looks like the bed hit the cab.. I've known the guy my whole life.. he did my Jeep for about the same price... and there was alot more work.. body panel replacments.. full paint... mechanical work..including an engine swap lol
even better is he said if I do get the factory r/t wheels.. hell knock of a couple of hundred if I give him the 20s

Good point... the ones on my Ram catch alot from the tires.... I definately need to make a decision before tomorrow afternoone lol

 

dump them behind the cab no tips, no ugly pipes to look at

 

x2, that's what I have.