So where did you get your testing pipe?

 

Thats all fine and dandy but the biggest thing that jumps out at me, is why replace it with OEM cats'? Just toss a $50 ebay cat on there, will be easier and cheaper that way and they don't like stealing those since they are not worth near as much. Best of both worlds!

Having stuff stolen does suck, still have not replaced a lot of the stuff that they took 3 years ago.

 

It will run fine if you get an O2 simulator (or build one for $15 like i did).

 

I don't claim to be a professional of the law but some states (like California) has banned the sale of aftermarket CAT's. You can only purchase OEM which is crazy expensive. 2 years ago my CAT went out on me on my 2000 Honda Civic, we to replace it and got turned away everywhere and they said go to dealer. It's even illegal for the junk yards to sell used CATs as well. I luckily found one on Craigslist.

A new CAT at the dealer was going to cost about $850 and the fine to break the law and have an illegal setup is about $1000 per CAT in violation. This was to curb street racing mostly (IMO). Now that i'm out of CA and i'm in WA i might just straight pipe it, there is hardly any cops out here patroling the roads.

 

You are intertwining a few different laws/regulations there.

No one is allowed to sell used cats for use on cars, pretty sure thats federal law.

You are not supposed to remove the cat altogether, this is also federal law.

Running an aftermarket cat on the other hand is perfectly fine by federal law, Cali is the exception but you can't even take a poop there without permission.

Here you can go to any exhaust shop and have a cat installed/replaced for about $100 installed. no questions no problems.

Now removing the cat is technically against the law but besides cali you hardly ever hear of someone getting busted for it. In my case i just gutted the stock cat so the only way they would find out is if they pulled the exhaust system which they are not going to care enough to do.

With OBDII cars all you need is the ECU to think the Cat is still working and you pass emissions fine around here. Everyplace is different. Remov8ing the cat altogether is up to each person. Not really recommended unless they know what they are doing.

Running an aftermarket cat on the other hand is perfectly fine and legal except for maybe cali but they don't count.

 

You can't buy a "test pipe" in CA or have it shipped here (say, from LC or Amazon). Same goes for all the cheaper 49-state-legal cats (which have fewer catalysts I guess?).

You *CAN* buy aftermarket, 50 state legal cats online and have them delivered - that's what I did for my Datsun and 87 4runner when they failed smog. Bought from Amazon and both were around $160 each.

I have my old clogged cat in my garage for the 4runner if anyone wants to donate to my tools fund in exchange

 

x2 when my 49 4runner wouldn't pass CA smog due to a low restriction cat that was pretty much toast, got a cali cat from napa for 150, had the local shop weld it in. Passed.
By the way I thought Yuba City was in one of the counties in CA that don't have to smog?
josh

 

hey op, where are you located?

at around the same time mine was stolen at my wife's work in sanford FL
when i took it to a muffler shop, there was another 97 4runner there with a stolen cat....his was stolen just 3 miles from ours

cost us 260 bucks

 

Try as you may but if someone really wants to steal something, they will. Just a few months ago I made bank in the shop repairing fuel filler hoses when gas prices were near the roof. A few of those people had the locking fuel caps. Two problems with that. First they often turn on CEL for a small EVAP leak as the seals are junk. Secondly, the thieves were smart enough just to cut the fuel hoses lower than the filler caps.

You may be right, thieves want an easy steal but like I said, if they have the time and want something bad enough, then the risk is worth the reward to them.

 

No check engine light codes, but yes, the gas mileage has gone down a bit.

I got it from LC Engineering. It says "for off-road use only."

Never heard of an o2 simulator. What's that supposed to do?

 

You sure about that? I'm in northern Cali and had it shipped straight from LC Engineering to my house, no problems encountered.

Yuba City is in Sutter County, but we DO have to smog vehicles here.

And to those that say "just gut your catalytic converter," well, DO THE THEIVES KNOW THAT? Not all thieves are nice and just unbolt the cat. Some will straight cut that thing out. And if it is cut out, you'd have to get the new pipes/cat welded in.

If it LOOKS like a cat, what's stopping them from taking it? They don't know it's gutted.

 

It makes the ECU think that the CAT is still in place so that you don't get a CEL and will still pass emissions in most states. Also should help with the gas milage, mine went up after gutting the CAT.

The point about gutting the cat is i don't care if they steal it, the joke is on them. Will cost me a whole $20 to have some pipe welded back in.

 

Not here in California. We still have to smog every 2 years.

 

In Yuba City you might. Imperial County only makes you smog when the title changes. I hope it lasts forever.

 

Cali is different, they don't count lol. Here I pass with flying colors since all they do on OBDII cars is plug into the computer and check for codes, if no code, you pass fine.

 

I just heard about one of my brothers friends getting their cat cut off from their truck. Someone quoted them $1200 to replace it.

I don't get why... They guy at master muffler said he could do a manifold back exhaust for 450-500 bucks with flowmaster cat and muffler.

Is this high price just shops ripping people off?

 

Some people may try to gouge you for OEM CATs, if it's legal in your state to do aftermarket CATs then do that but make sure you get a quality CAT or you'll be replacing it like i did after another year when the insides fall out! I'd recommend trying to find a used OEM CAT, most of the time nothing is better than OEM Toyota parts. Good luck to yet another victim

 

I love my test pipe and my hollow cat on my other rig

 

So in your opinion I should keep my stock cat and not go with a flowmaster or magnaflow?

 

If your stock cat is fine then don't replace it