+5 on the cat!

Here is an easy way to check the cat. Remove the exhaust shackles (where the headers meet the exhaust), then crank and rev the engine.

If that little procedure help your engine, then the cat is blocked.

When my cat took a dump, most of it turned into a powder so there was very little if any rattle.

 

I'll try doing this today. Thanks for the tip!

 

You can also pull the pre cat O2 sensors and see if the exhaust escaping from the bung improves your situation any. You'll throw a CEL but you can clear that afterward.

 

Anyone know the y-pipe diameter where the cats are attached to? Better yet, a cheap place to find replacement cats? Thanks.

 

For California, you have to get a stock cat, IIRC. No aftermarket.

Was the truck made for sale in California, or is it something that was bought/brought over from another state?

 

Unfortunately, it is from California and I only plan on keeping it for just another year so I don't really want to waste a bunch of money into it while I have it. I was thinking of replacing the cats with universal OBDII cats but the CA cats are twice the price. I'm trying to think of other solutions since it doesn't need inspection this year but for sure they will need it in October 2010.

 

I live in Cali, as long as you make sure it's 50 state legal, your good. I switched my busted stock cat for a magnaflow 4 years ago and haven't had any problems with the test only stations.

 

Exhaust pipe diameter on my 1996 5.9 is...

Pre-cat = 2"
Post-cat = 2 1/2"

 

Try this as it is really easy.... Take your gas cap off and take it for a spin. No fast corners if you are full

My 05 did the same thing, was a bad cap as hard as that is to believe.

 

If all else fails, the cats inspect OK and so does the gas cap, check the coil. I used to have a problem with my Ram running rough with no power above 4000 RPM and it turned out to be the stock coil. Switched to an Accel (some folks prefer MSD) and revs right up to red line, nearly as I am not that brave, with no problems now.