California Sucks.

Im not sure what theives might think about non OEM parts. I dont think it matters. From what I have heard, the platinum and other metals used in cats are worth a lot of money, so they try to cash in on the metals.

 

What did you end up replacing it with?

 

just went to the local shop and had them put one on. I have no clue which one or what brand it is. Don't really care either. It was probably the same one that was stolen from me...

 

Help! Finally got the 4Runner into the shop...and they are telling me there is NO approved aftermarket exhaust IN EXISTENCE for this model!

1998
2.7L 4 Cylinder
4 Wheel Drive

Has anyone actually gotten an aftermarket CAT installed in CA, and passed smog?

 

I have.... but mine is an 87, lol. Still, it's a 3way Higher Flow magnaflow CAT with a "CARB" stamp on it, ....Smog guy told me, "Yep, you're good to go with that!". My LCE Header got the thumbs up as well. Have you called LCE? Might be worth at least calling, eh?

 

Magnaflow makes a 50 state cat...

 

No they do not. Not for my model.

For the 1998 4 Runner, in 2.7L 4 Cyl, all the aftermarket CATs reference the 2WD model. So yes...Magnaflow does make one..but when it gets to smog...the Executive Order number and description do not match...and it will get rejected.

So again...has anyone with this specific model and year 4 Runner found a CA approved aftermarket CAT.

 

ChefYota4x4,

Again...1998, 4 Cyl, 4WD. Your situation has nothing to do with mine. The issue with the 1998 4 Runners has to do with there being so few 2.7L 4's in 4WD. No aftermarket mfgs got their cats listed for this model combo....

This sucks bigtime. My car was out of insurance when the theft happened...and I will have to drop $1600 on a new cat if I can not find an aftermarket option.

 

Well...what I figured out a month ago was correct. My muffler guy is an idiot. In fact...all the muffler guys I talked to were WRONG.

If you go from the mfgs data...none of them have an approved CAT. But that is not what matters. The SMOG shops look up the CARB Ref page, and then look up the EO number that appears on the CAT of the car they are smogging.

Each EO document on the CARB website has an Appendix, which lists the vehicles that CAT is approved for. So...the only way to know for sure is to spend time going through the actual CARB Executive Order documents...reviewing the appendices...and seeing if your car is on the list. These are the actual legal documents.

This is how the Smog techs do it. They look at the EO number on the CAT. They go online and open up that EO, look through the appendix, and see if your vehicle is there. If so, they double check the engine group number and see that it matches that on the tag under the hood.

For my vehicle...there is ONE mfg that has a CAT with my 98, 2.7L 4Runner listed. That mfg is Walker. EO number D-182-47, Model Number 81712. I could find no other mfg that has a CAT where the EO doc lists my vehicle in the Appendix of the EO.

The key doc is here....
http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/aftermk...xemptcat09.pdf

The EO Doc for the Walker is:
http://arb.ca.gov/msprog/aftermkt/de...o/D-182-47.pdf


I printed out the doc...went to the smog tech...and asked him if he would approve it. He said yes of course. The doc I had in my hand...was the doc he looked up.

Ever muffler shop I talked to said I had to go OEM..because they did not know anything about the EO Docs...they were just relying on mfg info... So in my experience...muffler guys really don't know how the law and documentation requirements are enforced.

Walker price: 250$
OEM: 1800$

Whew!

 

what a nightmare you guys are going thru. Just cause some knucklehead has a saw and nothing better to do with his time.....

 

Got the Walker CAT today. It is getting welded on now.

Our muffler shop welded on two different model Magnaflows...both of which were rejected by the Smog tech! Our muffler shop guy did not have a PC...and did not know how the the Smog Techs confirm compliance. We educated him.

Maganflow does not have a EO number that lists my model car...again...if anyone has a 4Runner with the 2.7L 4, and needs a CAT, Walker is the only company with a CAT.

 

x2.

Good luck getting that thing outta there in a hurry

 

i am thinking about welding some of this:

to my new cat:

stuff did wonders on roadblocks and when strung as tanglefoot

 

yea im in sacramento and somebody nabbed my cat 2 days ago right in front of my house. but they unbolted mine and bent the hell out of my tailpipe. i love people. except mine had like 270k on it and needed to be replaced anyway. however it sounds cooler and more beastie with the magnaflow cat i put on it. ......$200 dollars later right before xmas....