I was thinking of removing the catalytic converter from my van. Is there anything really to worry about here? I've heard stories of people having to do various things to fix the dash warnings that would appear because of o2 sensors not reading correctly, and other stories of people having no issues at all. Has anyone done this with our vans? If so, what was your experience and would you suggest it? I do not want the van to have any issues going down the road because of this, so if it's best to just leave things alone, I'll consider that.

What I'm looking to accomplish here: Possibly more power plus some louder exhaust sound.

 

There may be a forum rule about having a discussion on removing a catalytic converter which is illegal just about everywhere I can think of -- you may want to check that out. Even if it were completely OK I'd recommend against it since you will likely get O2 sensor errors.

There are high flow cats and louder muffs to install that will give you way more sound but you could still have O2 trouble. At the risk being a buzz-kill I'd recommend saving the hi-perf exhaust for your car.

 

There are still locations where its legal to remove catalytic converters and other emission equipment. If you search the 2nd generation Dodge pickup truck area of the forum you can find much more specific information about removing catalytic converters and the results.

Many of us are forced to live in cities with mandatory vehicle inspections, and in some cities your vehicle also has to pass a sniff test. Thats the only reason why I still have a cat. I've read where a lot of guys have successfully removed the cat and with no 02 problems and no CEL light. My assumption would be that if the engine is well maintained and tuned properly that would be a key issue.

I have to pass a visual inspection here in SA every year and am not willing to go through the hassle of swapping out exhaust systems just to pass the stupid inspection every year. I installed the Magnaflow 23298 with a Walker Sound F/X and am happy with the increased power and noise level. The Walker Sound FX rumbles nice at idle but doesnt get annoying loud at 80mph. The Magnaflow cat system isnt cheap but if you shop it around, wait for a deal and then resell your old cat (I got like $70) it doesn't come out all that expensive and you have a whole new exhaust system that'll pass any test, anywhere. There are probably better systems out there and better approaches to this issue if cost is not a concern.

https://dodgeforum.com/forum/dodge-r...r-failure.html

 

Yeah, where I live there are no restrictions (inspections/emissions). My thinking was to just remove the cat and weld a regular piece of pipe in its place and not spend any money. My only concern was the O2 sensor, so I'll just have to give it a shot and see how it goes. I can always toss the cat back on if I need to. Judging by the comments on the life of the cats in these vans from the thread you linked to, a 15 year old van with 170,000 miles is probably ready for a new cat or a total cat removal anyway.

 

Are you going to be racing your van? If not, the small gains (extremely small) you would get are not impressive enough to warrant the deletion. Are you going to put a full custom exhaust on? Mandrel bent tubing, proper headers, larger diameter piping while expensive, would show a much better gain, but if you were thinking about this, then high flow catalytic converters are available. Are you planning on driving in any state that has laws governing catalytic converters? Just sayin'

 

No.

Not worth the trouble to get rid of a potential problem-cat that may be waiting for me? Not worth the trouble to get some exhaust rumble in an otherwise quiet van?


No.

That cost money, money that I don't want to spend. Even If I were to do those suggested upgrades, I'd still not waste money on a catalytic converter at all. At most, once I get the cat off and all is well, I might consider replacing the stock muffler with a Flowmaster muffler. That's about it.

Not that I'm aware of at the moment. Even if I were, passing through wouldn't be an issue. It's not like I'm going to be waiting around for an emissions test.

 

Well at least you won't have to deal with the inspection hassle.

Its a good idea to replace a clogged cat. You can tell when they are shot by how hot they are running or by doing a pressure test before and after the cat. Mine was really cooking, the passenger floor seat studs measured over 100F when I replaced mine (at 110k miles). The factory y-pipe is very restrictive at the join point and it should be replaced. Other than that point (or a clogged cat) the system is pretty decent on these.

The single 2 3/4 or 3" exhaust system welded to a decent (not factory) y-pipe -or- dual 2" should be about right. Any larger and you will lose torque. The muffler choice is a matter of personal preference. I love glass packs but the noise becomes annoying on long highway trips at high speed, and thats pretty much all the driving I do anymore.

 

For what it's worth, I snapped a shot of my muffler and catalytic converter while I was under there looking at my transmission pan gasket.





That's about the only things rusted under there.