Catalytic Converter

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Marcos Beltran

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Thanks for everyones reply but i think im gonna take my chances and just keep the one thats on it right now. Got under my truck yesterday and it seems that from the manifolds to about a foot and a half pass the catalytic converter look fine. From that point on is all rusted, hell even the flowmaster has 2 or 3 rust pinholes.
 

DavidAlan

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On a legal note, it is illegal to remove or modify your exhaust , It is illegal to modify your vehicle in anyway, because of the environmental point, of emissions ,or that said.
My truck came to me with headers and 2 cherry bombs mufflers, for who are too young to understand, they are what we call glass packs, exhaust isn't restricted, and it doesn't have cats, I could add them, and no they don't harm the or create poor economy to your vehicle ,they are designed to create water vapor, than pure carbon monoxide which is poison to the air we breathe, won't get technical on that, remember your in the business to create awesome vehicles, your choice, and the county or state you live in, no police aren't going to arrest you, unless its in conjunction with a crime.
I am this summer going to rebuild my exhaust and give it a fresh perspective on what means to sound like a awesome truck.
 

Ehall8702

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So with these crazy prices on catalytic converters now a days if i were to cut it out and put a straight pipe will it affect the way the truck runs/drives? I know the engine light will come on but i can live with that. Just take the bulb out. Just dont want it running like crap. The truck is 25 years old and im pretty sure the cat has never been replaced. About to replace part of the exhaust cause it is rusted out and dont feel like paying those ridiculous prices. Its a 96 GMC Sierra vortec v6.
A 96 isn't gonna feel much effect from removing cats, took em off my 97 cause the started falling apart, ur mpg gonna drop and cel gonna be one but all in all not a big deal 80 percent chevs up here don't have cats and they go for MANY years. A v6 might get sluggish, in reality if u tune ecm to use map for air/fuel you wouldn't have any issues but a tune is $350 sonos it worth it to remove ur cat when it works properly just to get a few bucks, most likely not. Now if cat is plugged or rusted thru that's another story. If u don't have emissions where u r then it's ultimately your call.
 

Ed Hardy

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Take them cats off let that girl breathe! ELVIRA! Is a 91 suburban she 3&4” pipes all the way back and she just loves it. I’ll put a no name thrush muffler out of them Amazon I don’t know if she’s growling or purring. Take a nap cut off I just like take it off your old ladies bra off at the end of the day reach over and scratch the bottom side of those puppies And listen to her purr it’s the same thing. No check engine light nothing like that came on just deep breathing and a terror at red lights. I just smile and stomp the gas and look at the surprise on the faces next red light when They come up next to you slowly because they’ve seen a suburban smoke the tires before. Hee hee hee!
I had no idea the crisis was going on with the converter‘s until just the other day hell I gave mine to the scrap man, GAVE he just took em’ didn’t say a word (*******). Hell she’s gotta to weigh 100 pounds lighter it was damn near 8 ft of muffler and converter Combined! That’s my two cents.
 

red98

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If they're plugged, gut 'em or cut 'em. If they aren't, leave 'em.

There is absolutely a reason not to replace a failed converter, and that's if its a rear converter, and if you don't have the $$$.
And stop giving legal advice unless you're a lawyer, I doubt anyone talking about "$10,000 federal fines" has A)ever gotten one or B)knows your local laws.
 

Erik the Awful

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If you can afford to do the right thing, do the right thing. It's about $150, which I know isn't chump change. Don't whine about other people not living their life right if you're not going to do your part.
I doubt anyone talking about "$10,000 federal fines" has A)ever gotten one or B)knows your local laws.
I looked up Oklahoma's vehicle requirements. It used to be illegal to run sidepipes or to put duals on a vehicle that came with single exhaust, but they revamped the laws a few years ago. The only exhaust rule is that it's illegal to modify your vehicle to make it louder. Hasn't stopped anybody, though. I keep thinking my truck's too loud, and then some dude in a new Mustang or Camaro passes by crackling and burbling and I recognize they aren't enforcing any sound laws.

While I don't think any of us have ever received a federal emissions fine, Diesel Brothers did. That's a shot across the bow. Stronger enforcement is coming. Will it ever get down to the enthusiast level? Likely not, but you won't be mail-ordering "race only" parts without some kind of proof you have a "race only" vehicle.
 

red98

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If you can afford to do the right thing, do the right thing. It's about $150, which I know isn't chump change. Don't whine about other people not living their life right if you're not going to do your part.

I looked up Oklahoma's vehicle requirements. It used to be illegal to run sidepipes or to put duals on a vehicle that came with single exhaust, but they revamped the laws a few years ago. The only exhaust rule is that it's illegal to modify your vehicle to make it louder. Hasn't stopped anybody, though. I keep thinking my truck's too loud, and then some dude in a new Mustang or Camaro passes by crackling and burbling and I recognize they aren't enforcing any sound laws.

While I don't think any of us have ever received a federal emissions fine, Diesel Brothers did. That's a shot across the bow. Stronger enforcement is coming. Will it ever get down to the enthusiast level? Likely not, but you won't be mail-ordering "race only" parts without some kind of proof you have a "race only" vehicle.
The laws in most states read that you can't modify original equipment, period. If I was a stickler cop I could literally pull over and ticket every single member on this forum for some bullshit reason. You used Sylvania Silverstar headlight bulbs? That's modifying original equipment. You have different seats than original? Ticket. You have different tires? Ticket. You have different wheels? Ticket. Any exhaust work at all? Ticket. 0411 PCM swap? Ticket.
If you enforce the laws the way they're typically written (which is to give cops as much discretion as possible) you can be fined for almost anything.

Honestly the fact that bigdaddiesgarage or whatever the site is for that guy selling o2 sensor spacers and cat-cheaters is still up, is very telling, that they really don't give a ****. It'd very easy for the feds to grab that IP and shut him down.

MAYBE the fact that the Diesel Bros had a TV show showing off all the illegal **** they did was the reason they got dinged.
 

red98

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Only a matter of time when everything is electric anyways:p The conversion business will be booming! :gm:

Doug in P.R.:cool:
Conversions are just as illegal, if not more illegal, than cutting off your cats lol. The law doesn't allow for ANY mods of ANY kind in most places. Tesla, a multi-billion dollar company can barely make a decent EV and even then its way more likely to catch fire and be impossible to put out if involved in a high speed collision, now imagine shoddy conversions getting into high speed collisions and how poorly they'd most likely handle it.
 

88monteSS

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And stop giving legal advice unless you're a lawyer, I doubt anyone talking about "$10,000 federal fines" has A)ever gotten one or B)knows your local laws.

I don't have to be a lawyer to know that removing cats is illegal under federal law. In the US local laws don't matter on that front, a state could make a law that says it's ok to remove cats, but it would be superceded by the federal law that says it isn't. And as I stated before, the feds prefer going after shops. It's much more effective to make an example out of a shop as that will scare most other shops into compliance. Since the average joe doesn't have the equipment or know how to weld up their own exhaust that takes care of most of the problem.

I looked up Oklahoma's vehicle requirements. It used to be illegal to run sidepipes or to put duals on a vehicle that came with single exhaust, but they revamped the laws a few years ago. The only exhaust rule is that it's illegal to modify your vehicle to make it louder. Hasn't stopped anybody, though. I keep thinking my truck's too loud, and then some dude in a new Mustang or Camaro passes by crackling and burbling and I recognize they aren't enforcing any sound laws.

I saw someone in OK get pulled over for loud exhaust on live pd, so they do enforce it, but likely just as an "I need an excuse to pull this person over" type of thing.

While I don't think any of us have ever received a federal emissions fine, Diesel Brothers did. That's a shot across the bow. Stronger enforcement is coming. Will it ever get down to the enthusiast level? Likely not, but you won't be mail-ordering "race only" parts without some kind of proof you have a "race only" vehicle.

Exactly, likely the only way individuals ever end up with them currently is if you're being over the top obvious about it. Squeaky wheel gets the grease & all that.

My guess is the closest to enthusiasts it'll get besides not being able to get some parts is random epa raids at race tracks. That's a place that would probably have enough modified vehicles to make it worth their time.

If the rpm act actually passes, it will likely end up with a requirement that anything considered a dedicated race vehicle under that law would have to be registered as such, and to be able to deregister it & return it to the street it would have to pass an inspection confirming that all emissions components had been installed.

The worst case I can see is the feds pressuring states to require at least a visual inspection using the threat of withholding federal funds (same way they pushed states to raise the drinking age). From my limited knowledge of politics & law that would require congress to be on board with it. Right now I can't see something like that passing, but who knows what will happen in the future.

Honestly the fact that bigdaddiesgarage or whatever the site is for that guy selling o2 sensor spacers and cat-cheaters is still up, is very telling, that they really don't give a ****. It'd very easy for the feds to grab that IP and shut him down.

There's a ton of sites selling those sort of things, it'd be like whack a mole trying to shut them all down. My guess (and I stress this is a guess) is if they're doing anything it's going to hit as many of them as possible at the same time. Probably making sure they can get warrants for customer data too so they can send everyone that's bought one a nasty note.

That said, those do have a semi legitimate use, my mom's old impala has an aftermarket cat & the pcm hates it. Put a spacer on it to get the light to go off because she'd worry about the light being on.

MAYBE the fact that the Diesel Bros had a TV show showing off all the illegal **** they did was the reason they got dinged.

That's exactly why they got dinged. They made themselves a giant blip on the epa's radar. Same reason the youtuber that filmed himself jumping a creek & then driving through it got charged by the PA fish & boat commission. If he hadn't filmed it & posted it where they could find it they likely would have never known.

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