Magnaflow pirce gouging

[Bombader]

My truck is throwing a code for the catalytic converter efficiency being too low so I need to replace it. I live in Commifornia so I need a CARB approved catalytic converter. I went online and I saw there's two options one from a company called Eastern Catalytic that had the crimped type of bends in the tubing for abo and the other option was the MagnaFlow which has nice smooth bends in the tubing but it was a little over a hundred dollars more figured I would get the name brand with the nicer tubing so I ordered one off of eBay was a little over $500 after taxes directly from the MagnaFlow tuner store and they canceled my order and refund my money and said that that was discontinued and I needed to get a new one was over $600 part number just had two new numbers added to it looked exactly the same I tried to ask the rep if he knew what the difference was he he said he couldn't tell me so I'm assuming it's the exact same thing just with a new part number and almost a 50% price gouge

 

[alpinecrick]

Magnaflow may have switched to a different manufacturer.
It happens often enough......

 

[98 Nitro]

Magnaflow 23453 is still $489 on Amazon.

 

[df2x4]

Magnaflow 23453 is still $489 on Amazon.

That's a standard federal emissions part number, he needs the California legal CARB compliant versions which are more expensive unfortunately.

EDIT - I originally rambled off a bunch of part numbers and places to buy them here, but I missed the part in the OP's signature that said he swapped a 5.7L into a truck that was originally equipped with a 5.0L. IIRC, the 5.0L shares the same Y-pipe/cat setup as the 4.3L but I've never seen one so I really have no idea what exhaust setup he has. Considering that I redacted my rambletron, don't want to give out any wrong part numbers without being able to look at the truck.

 

[alpinecrick]

The 5.0 is a Y pipe into a single cat with three O2 sensors, with the 5.7 having dual exhaust, two cats and four O2 sensors. I always figured that accounted for a lot of the difference in cost between the two engine options.

It’s doubtful Magnaflow is playing games, they probably changed manufacturers, or there has been an increase in cost because of Wuhan Virus inspired bottlenecks in the supply chain.
Commodities have taken some dramatic leaps in price the last few months for that reason.

 

[AFZ1320]

Cali tax, as it should be. Don't like it, vote for change.

 

[Bombader]

Yeah it's 5.7 swapped but still running the single cat 5.0 exhaust and ECM and yes it's the same as the 4.3 but the CARB model has 4 o2 sensors, one for each bank, then one reads the blend right before the cat and of course one after the cat I tried to add a picture but I'm having difficulty and yea the price increase is I'm sure related to the Wuhan virus as stated, it just sucks that its advertised at a price by multiple vendors and one even stated they had 10 available but all invalid info. As far as voting for change in this state my faith there has faltered, this state's ruling families cater to only the ****** in SF and the ****/pervs in Hollywood, people here even voted for a gas tax that will allow the tyrants to raise more gas taxes whenever they feel like it, but the weather sure is nice.

 

[Bombader]

I know you guys said they might have switched vendors or you know materials due to covid-19 are definitely costing more but something's fishy here because eBay just emailed me the MagnaFlow tuner store their own eBay site that cancelled my order previously has relisted the item at the same price as I tried to purchase it so you tell me

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