There is a precious metal in them Morph. I think platinum maybe. I forgot all about that.

 

its platnum, and palladium mostly. I know here in Maine most of the thefts have been at car dealerships.

 

Im starting to wish I didnt let the muffler shop keep my oem cat

 

Cutting through a piece of solid stock welded across the top wouldn't slow down a cordless sawz-all very much, but braiding the whole area with 1/16 stainless woven cable so that is is wrapped in a net would stop them.
Have you ever tried to hack saw through a cable? It is a real pain in the butt. That would even make using a grinder difficult. A cutting torch would be the only thing left, and that would be very, very, obvious.

 

Yeah the guy that replaced mine did my exhaust system up right. I climbed I8 east to El Cajon yesterday and the truck for the first time didn't down shift to 3rd. He put a larger and thicker pipe so it will be harder to cut. I think I'll throw a skid plate of sorts up there.

Frank

 

Hum.... sounds like your old kitty had a hair ball. Maybe they almost did you a favor cutting it out lol.

 

or some lock cutters.

seriously, that sucks. i would weld the cat in there with some kind of rod that would be difficult to cut, like in a weird spot.

only problem, is if it's hard to cut, then it'll probably be hard to weld too.

that is really gay though.

 

I kinda think so. The fiance doesn't yet see it that way but she hasn't driven the truck since either. She always points out that is doesn't get up and go like her Civic so maybe she'll notice that a little less.

The shop that did it gave me a great deal. He had just rerouted the exhaust on this Escape hybrid for which I designed an upgrade (new batteries were in the way) and was surprised to see me back at his shop so soon. He only charged me for parts, just used the best really expensive ones. He even got both done the same day staying late to do it. I have to say though, the difference is noticeable. Now I almost have to do something with the intake....

Frank

 

I've seen where one engine rebuilder claims that clogged cats are reponsible for a lot of the 3.0 head gasket failures. So just maybe they saved you a HG by ripping you off. See there is a seed of benefit with every adversity.

 

That is very interesting. My last truck had the cat-back redone and often that can allow some of the soot to get blown out of the cat. I wonder if that contributed to its long and lifespan of 297,000+.

I hope this one goes and goes. Much prefer to spend dough on upgrades as opposed to repairs.

Frank

 

I think I would rather just leave the exhaust the way it is. If you do something you think will protect it from being stolen all they will do is cut off more of your exhaust. Like cut the headpipe off etc. If they really want it they won't care how much damage they have to do to get it.

 

then make it so that they cut you some open headers next time!

 

you know whats funny is here at our scrap yard they don't even bother with the cats they get crushed with the rest of the tin.

 

No one has answered my question as to why keep that crap installed in a vehicle over 20 yrs old. Its just a problem to take care of later that does nothing for my performance or gas mileage. Even if I had a 10 yr old I could easily find an inspector that would overlook it. Ive never in my 39 yrs seen someone look or measure for a converter and Ive been in a really strict insp station several times. Am I missing something?

 

Depends where you live I guess.

Here if you do not have a cat, you cannot insure your vehicle.

Well you can just take your cat right after the emissions inspection but if a little piggy see's it... instant VI

 

I cant seem to find the thread that I posted what the metals are worth in...

But factory cats have 3 common precious metals: Rhodium, Platinum, and Palladium

As of 6:40 pm PST, here are the prices of these precious metals, per ounce.

Palladium: 379.00
Platinum: 1,280.00
Rhodium: 6500.00 (no, that is not a typo)


See this page, and you'll understand why they get stolen: http://www.integritymetalscompany.com/home.html

 

Most states wont notice it missing, however if your state has emissions, which many states are adding, you will most likely fail the emissions test. There reasons to leave it definitely outweigh the reasons to remove it. I personally like to breathe in fresh air.

 

X2....


i like the air i breathe too...put it back on....there is a reason why there are laws regarding this

 

I personally have "shepherded" an out of state vehicle in to CA (more than once) and got to see the difference a functional catalytic converter makes and it is huge. A high flow cat is not a significant bottle neck in an exhaust system but will reduce emission a lot. I would hope most of us would keep the cat when actually faced with the option.

Frank

 

So is there a particular generation of 4runner cats that seem to be targeted? (2nd Gen vs 4th gen etc?)

I know Cali has reported a bunch of thefts - haven't seen many here in Colorado but I want to know if I need to weld up a cat cage or something.