exhaust system

General Off Topic
1

I have a 2002 ford f150 4X4 in very good condition but was recently told it needs a new exhaust system including catalytic converters and work done at the manifold (leak). What got me was the cost of the job. $2700 was the estimate. One question I have is, do I need to replace the converters or can I eliminate them? Does eliminating them affect the performance or computer stuff? I’ve heard of people knocking the stuffing out of converters with rebar. Thoughts?

2

Careful if you have leak at manifolds. The studs like to break off in the heads. May require head removal for complete repair. You could have converters gutted but would result in check engine light.

3

And exhaust shop cannot remove a catalytic converter without putting another one on. That being said if you drive to an exhaust shop without a catalytic converter they don’t need to put one on …do you get my drift. I would go to a shop like Mr. muffler on 17 a.m. Summerville and get an estimate from them. I had a duel exhaust system from manifolds back installed for $400 on my old F150.

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4

You can open up a can of worms when you start modding the exaust system on newer vehicles. Removing the cats would change the reading on the o2 sensors and cause the ECU to either throw codes and turn on the check engine light or cause it to adjust fuel/air mixture affecting your mileage or both. Of course, you can also go with aftermarket tunes to compensate. The question is, how much do you want to spend to avoid replacing the cats?

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5

The question is, who in Congress either owns a catalytic manufacturing facility or has a brother that does. Fapp,they are worthless. Another gov boondoggle.

6

How about open headers! Then you won’t have to worry about Catalytic converters or mufflers!But I wouldn’t think taking out the converters would be a big deal in an 02. On a ford forum with the same question I read it could be a bit louder and more emission but no performance issue if you were to replace them with a piece of straight pipe.

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7

Check around on this one. Modern exhaust systems on modern cars/truck do not fail like the old ones and never 100% ever. Stainless steel exhaust, fuel injection and electronic ignition do not even produce hot exhaust gases these days. Plastic manifolds fail and are expensive but you described otherwise. Ask someone you trust for the truth.

Andy Newton

8
quote:
Originally posted by ANDYNEWTO

Check around on this one. Modern exhaust systems on modern cars/truck do not fail like the old ones and never 100% ever. Stainless steel exhaust, fuel injection and electronic ignition do not even produce hot exhaust gases these days.
Andy Newton

Andy, not to be a smart arse, but modern engines run way hotter exhaust temps than older factory engines. The leaner you run an engine the hotter the exhaust. Everything now is about getting as lean an engine you can without causing harm to an engine. Most modern trucks actually run richer than stoich under a hard pull to help cool the engine. Sounds odd but a rich (more fuel) running engine will run cooler exhaust temps than a lean running engine.

Hooligan, I’ve got to older ford trucks with just the o2 sensor forward of the Cat. I left my cats on but gutted then. As of now S.C. does not perform any kind of emission testing and removing Cats does not make a huge difference anyway. ( i’ve seen probes in tail pipes on both) I think on your truck has 4 o2 sensors one forward and one aft of the cat. I’ve know people to run a “test pipe” in place of the cats and still have the o2 installed and never have a check engine light on. Then I’ve heard of doing this on 2008 and up and needing a new tune(after market) to keep the cel light off with a cat removal.

I also know a person that deleted his cats, left the front two in and tie strapped the back two to the frame and no lights.

I’d do what Sells said. $2700 sounds outrageous for exhaust work.

Easy way to gut a cat. make a three sided box 3"x3"(plasma is great, but a cut off wheel on a dremel works) open the flap beat the inside honeycomb material out, make sure you get it all! if not you’ll hate the rattle. bend back flap and weld shut.

9

Thanks for the info fred. It worth a try. If it work I save a bunch. If not, no harm done.