My 99 Ram 5.9l Needs a new Cat.

Rattle sound coming from the cat, and having a decent loss of power...classic signs of failure.

Taking it to the mechanic this coming Tuesday....

I asked him on the phone if it would be possible to just cut the cat out and weld a pipe in there to save me some money, as I have had this done to my other car some years back, He said that would not be possible because of OBD2...Said something like if he did that id have a CEL light on because of the O2 sensors, and the truck would become crazy bad on gas. He said the only option is replacing it. which is going to cost me around $500

Is there any truth to this?

I do not have emission testing where I live (Alberta, Canada) , so the emissions from not having a cat are not the issue.

 

It's possible to cheat the cat efficiency sensor (the rear oxygen sensor) with a couple of spark plug non-foulers. There's a DIY in the FAQ section, I believe. That will get rid of the CEL.

As long as the front oxygen sensor remains in the stream and is functioning properly, you'll see no change at all in power or fuel efficiency.

 

Sounds like somebody's trying to make money off of you.

 

I concur with these guys. Doing the non-fouler trick will deal with the CEL, and cat efficiency will have no affect on fuel economy.

That aside, I note he didn't mention the legal aspect of it.......

 

Having some trouble finding said FAQ....would you be able to point me to it?

EDIT: Nevermind, found it: https://dodgeforum.com/forum/2nd-gen...converter.html