I called the dealer and they said there was no recall for my '97 Sport 4x4 5.9l

 

I believe all of the extended warrantys offered on the cats have expired

 

Last week I cut open the cat and the material inside it was in 3 large pieces. I broke it into dozens of smaller pieces and removed it all. I then re-welded it shut. The truck sounds different (possibly a bit better IMO), and runs just fine. I've driven about 100 miles since then and no CEL. Sure nice to not hear that rattle anymore. Thanks for the advice guys!