DCMONEY

The DC area has been hit pretty hard by the catalytic converter thieves. They get us at the metro stations which is where mine was ripped off.

I was looking for advice on what parts I actually need to replace in addition to the cat. They basically sawed it off clean at the head pipe and the exhaust pipe.

Do I need a new O2 Sensor and where does it sit, before or after cat?
What brands are best?
Do I need brand new pipes as well?
As for replacement catalytic converters, I was told to go with Walker or Bosal - any thoughts?

I have pics, but all they show is a big gap where the CC used to be.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Smokey

What metro station? We've been getting hit pretty hard in the Columbia (Baltimore metro) area pretty hard too. My building management at work have been sending out warnings about Toyota's (4Runners, Tacos, Ravs...) being targeted for about 6 months - 1 year. More recently, Jeeps have been hit up too.

Sorrry to hear about you loss....

Chris

mjwalfredo

Check for Magnaflow cats on Ebay. They are cheap. I believe you want one for 2.25" exhaust pipes but you can search to be sure. There is plenty of information here.

Also, you should have two O2 sensors, one before the cat and one after the cat. Make sure they are both there.

Sorry to hear you got hit by this too. A lady at work was telling me the other day how it happened to her husband. I asked her if he happened to drive a Toyota and he sure did. She told me they took it to the dealership and the quote for a new cat and pipes was so much that they are talking with the insurance company about totaling it!

mkgarrison5

how much do cat converters cost?

lexustech

thats been happening allot here recently in dallas, we ve had 3 in the shop for that in the last 2 weeks, 2 of them happened in a walmart parking lot while the people were inside shopping

psraff

Don't have this problem yet up here, but I was looking anyway.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2-25-...spagenameZWDVW

Now are all Magnaflow cats considered more "Free Flowing" compaired to OEM? Or are those in a seperate catagory?

mjwalfredo

Just for the cat itself from the dealership in Columbia, SC, they wanted something like $800 the woman said. She said they told her husband that they would have to put all new pipes in and between that and the labor it was going to be close to 2 grand. Insane!! It's hard to believe they would have quoted that much but they quoted me like $500 for me to bring in an axle and have a new bearing pushed on because they could only give me a quote for all the labor including removing the axle.... Their service writers either aren't very bright or are very lazy. Not sure which one....

The magnaflow cats are free flow cats that are supposed to increase performance and probably change the tone of your exhaust too. Not sure how much of an increase they give though but I bet it's not too much on an otherwise stock vehicle.

DCMONEY

Thanks for all the feedback. I was parked at the Vienna, VA Metro.

Some more details about the car - its a '97 4Runner Limited V6.

I actually did go through insurance because the estimates I was getting over the phone for the repairs approached $1,000. Insurance was willing to cover the $1,000 minus a hefty deductible. So now I am trying to get this done myself with the money I got after deductible which is roughly half.

I will check out the MagnaFlows.

CyMoN

check out summit racing

Man4God

This world is sick. Is there any way we can attach razor blades or some other grenade like device on our cars? Perhaps a claymore? My truck is parked out side and the last thing I want is to come out and have the damn thing fire up and be without a portion of my exhaust by some crack head.

crolison

magnaflow or flowmaster, when my old cat on my vdub got clogged it was roughly 200 bucks to have it fixed by a local exhaust shop, i recommend doing the same.

PAULUNM

I just bought a CARB OBDII Magnaflow (Tacoma application) for $170, and had it installed for $70. Most shops wanted $400+ to do the job. Theives suck.

crolison

thats the way to do it

PAULUNM

By the way, the part number is 43005. Might be best to buy it somewhere, and take it to another muffler shop to install it.

Froggy93

what's with this sudden cat stealing craze? I don't get what the big deal is. I didn't think cats were worth that much.

4X4snowRunner

Consider this Catclamp for protection fron the thieft.


http://catclamp.com/catclamp.asp

4X4snowRunner

Consider this catclamp for protection from the thieft



http://catclamp.com/catclamp.asp

hross14

i got a better idea--Buy a Full Skid Plate from Bud Built and be done with it. If they are able to still steal it--damn--nothing will stop them

Smokey

There is a small amount of platinum inside them, which can be a quick $100 at a local scrap yard. Someone mentioned the easy access of the toyota's as the reason they are being targeted, but I would think that other manufacter's would be just as easy? Maybe not...is there something extra special about Toyota's cat's?

The problem is the pawn shops, scrap yards, etc accepting these from every Crackhead Bob that comes in off the streets with cats in hand.

Ughhh...f#@*$ing idoits!

infiltrator

Mine got stolen 3 weeks ago. Sucks to start your car and hear that crap, let alone to have to drive it home. Sounds worse than a bad sounding Harley.

I got mine done for $120 but had to call around, prices ranging from over $200 to around $160 before found the people I went to.

My truck was the last year 4runners were made with OBD1, and yours since its newer has got to be OBD2 (Its a type of emissions thing or something, just know the difference between your truck and others)...

So what the guy at the muffler shop told me was that if my truck was newer and had the OBD2, the price would be upwards of $300!! That is wayy too much.

What I suggest you do for that much money is freaking get a straight pipe put on there and forget the cat.Then, save up some money and right before you have to get a smog, (if you live in Ca especially) you have to get one put back on...

I have heard that there is a difference in cats. I got one called a "high-flow" cat I guess. They are not worth much the guy told me and shouldn't get stolen. The people who steal these most likely know what they are looking for. But hey, at least I got a new shiney one haha.