Hey guys I plan on gutting my cat today but I have a few questions before I begin. I plan on using my sawzall to cut the pipe after the bracket and wrapping /c-clamping the exhaust back afterwards. I got down and looked at the exhaust and noticed the pipe bends upwards right after the cat. Will this get in the way? Also I was wondering if there were any tricks to making this easier or something to watch out for?

 

Just cut it out and replace it with pipe. Why dick around.

 

I would replace it if I had a welder or didn't have to get it inspected every year and since I don't know anyone who will pass inspection without a cat I will just keep it.

 

Do they do emissions testing also if so you need to replace the cat no way you'll pass with it gutted also very likely it will throw a code unless you do the non fouler trick to the rear o2

 

More than likely the inspector isn't going to just look under your truck and say "Oh I see your cat your good to go." They are going to stick a sensor on your tail pipe that reads your exhaust emmisions. So your pretty much going to have the same result as a straight pipe and fail. Accept you are going to get better exhaust flow out of a staright pipe rather than a big hallow jug in your exhaust.

My advise, keep the cat AS IS if you plan on passing emissions. If you want a tinny boost in sound and performance, save some money and buy a direct fit high flow cat that is legal in your state. If for some reason I am mis understanding and you do not have emissions testing, cut the cat off and straight pipe it the same way you planed to re instal the OEM cat you are gutting.

 

This.

 

There is no emission test in NC so no worries there. And as I've said before I don't have a welder so unless someone would like to drive down to help I'm **** out of luck for welding a straight pipe and no exhaust shop will remove a cat and not put one back on. With that being said the truck is 15 years old and more likely than not the cat is fairly clogged and the truck is beginning to bog down on me at times.

 

Catalytic converters are designed to run the life of the vehical, so unless there is another issue somewhere clogging the cat I'd just leave it. You could just as easily clamp a straight pipe on rather than weld it.

Also your more than likely to lose performance by gutting the cat rather than staright piping it or replacing it with a new cat.

 

Didn't they have a recall on our's though because of this issue? And what y pipe would I use to just clamp it on? I know it's dual 2" in/2.5" out but not sure of spacing between the dual in.

 

You can bend them around a bit if you have to. (just not the easiest thing in the world to do....)