Finally tackled it this weekend. All the origional studs came out very easily without a hitch, and looked fairly new Oh well...I ain't complaining.
Had to cut and drill the studs that thread into the manifold collector, where the rest of the pipe bolts to it. I even heated them with my torch without luck. I just drilled out the origional studs and stuck a bolt through the hole instead of re-tapping them.
And while the Y-pipe was out of the truck, I gutted my cats Took a sawzall and cut them right between the upper and lower cats...pounded them out, and then welded them back up. Good as new (better than new!).
AND, I finally got around to changing the #4 spark plug and wire. I left that one alone when I did the other 7 a few months ago. It still took about 1.5 hours to change that one...
But that's where the good news ends
My EGR tube from the manifold to the TB is rusted in half right where it goes into the manifold.
And my damn exhaust leak IS STILL THERE! Same level of intensity, and at the same location. I think it's the passenger-side rear most exhaust port. There was only a very thin patch of flat metal for the gasket to seat on, on the manifold. I'm gunna try to re-tighten all the studs and maybe wiggle the collector area a little and see if it won't seal up. If not, I guess the manifold will come back off and I'll figure it out from there...
Illegal? They will have to prove it For all you know (or anyone else), I'm just a person who is capable of lying to make myself seem "cool." It's up to you to believe me or not.
The cats were not plugged up per-say, but they did have 11 years and 110K miles on them. One of them was cracked down the middle and the wire mesh was starting to come apart on the other.
No emissions in VA, and yes, I did discard the guts.
[quote=ATC Crazy;6193619]I gutted my cats Took a sawzall and cut them right between the upper and lower cats...quote]
I'm not sure about Federal law, but sounds like the animal protection people might want to get involved! Another case of a Virginian being bad to animals! ATC and Michael Vick might be sharing a cell.
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ATC....I had the same luck with the studs, all came out nice and undamaged. The leak you hear is probably the collector....I ran into the same problem and had to tear into the manifold again (passenger). Took some sandpaper and gave the mating sides a good cleaning and finished it with some copper rtv sealant made for a tight seal.
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"The mighty hand of vengeance, sent down to strike the unroadworthy!"
2002 F150 XTR 4X4
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Your suggestion is certainly a distinct possibility, especially among those who think its "cool" to go out of their way to increase pollution.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ATC Crazy
I'm just a person who is capable of lying to make myself seem "cool."
No emissions in VA
yes, I did discard the guts
Still pretty sure many in VA are required to have emissions tested. Thought it was statewide, maybe only in the cities, guess its just in VA's northern counties. Seem to recall seeing references to emissions testing while in VA last fall.
If you're not concerned about Federal requirements, VA laws, or the environment, you were still foolish to destroy the cats & "discard the guts". It would've been simple & far better to replace them w/a so called 'test pipe'. Junk, intact cats are valuable items to recycle. So much so that there's developed a black market theft phenomenon stealing cats off tall SUVs. Thieves sell junked cats they hack off to recyclers for $50 or more each. Good used cats can be worth much more b/c of rules preventing dismantlers from selling them & the very high cost of new OEM.
If you drive off stealing gas, or rape & murder a child, it is still "illegal" regardless of whether or not you're ever caught or they can "prove it". Often it doesn't even matter to "anyone else" except the perp & the victims.
Perhaps others can chime in on the Federal mandate to maintain cats on vehicles requiring them & any fines associated w/violations? Some assert that its only illegal for licensed shops to disable cats, suggesting an individual may be exempt? Regardless, the future seems to hold more emissions laws & your vehicle might eventually face emissions testing.
IMO functioning cats are a very good idea. Rodding out a ruined "plugged up" cat is one thing, rodding out cats that "were not plugged up" & to "discard the guts" is shooting yourself in the foot. FTE members should be encouraged not to follow Crazy's "pounded them out, and then welded them back up" example, no matter if "anyone else" can "believe" him or not. If you must go w/o cats, the better way is to replace them w/test pipes. This allows you, or a possible next owner, to easily switch back. Many "believe" the exhaust flow is significantly better w/o the empty cat chambers. Some claim the sound is better. Have also heard suggestions that exhaust valves & seats can be negatively affected.
In one way rodding out cats could indicate someone IS "capable of lying"-it allows them to pass a simple visual inspection. That is, cats & heat shields in place, not dented, cracked or corroding thru. Imagine buying a used pickup such as Crazy's & finding out you had to replace it's rodded out cats?
Pardon me, but whenever replacing gaskets & trying to seal leaks isn't it always SOP to inspect, clean & prepare the mating surfaces the 1st time around?
Quote:
Originally Posted by xtrford
had to tear into the manifold again
Took some sandpaper and gave the mating sides a good cleaning
Sorry guys, that is really 101!
One thing that's not 101 was Crazy's exhaust modification (henceforth to be referred to here as a 'mod' for those troubled by code) which: "Took a sawzall and cut them right between the upper and lower cats...and then welded them back up."
In doing such a mod it can be difficult to return the cut exhaust pipe back into the exact orientation required to line up perfectly, resulting in strain at the seal. Conversely, it can be very easy to weld "them back up" slightly out of alignment. Just a hunch, but FORD really squeezed the cats & pipe in tight. Computer controled pipe forming, factory jigs & robot welders produce exceptionally precise exhaust components. Cut these apart & weld them together again at your own risk.
Pardon me, but whenever replacing gaskets & trying to seal leaks isn't it always SOP to inspect, clean & prepare the mating surfaces the 1st time around?
Yes you are right.......we are human and make mistakes. Question is if you learned from it. I was lucky where the cost was only a couple of hours of my time.
As for your comment about comparing gas theft to raping a child? Need I say more.
__________________
Brad
"The mighty hand of vengeance, sent down to strike the unroadworthy!"
2002 F150 XTR 4X4
Xcal-3 custom tuned by Matt at the Mustang Shop, Scangauge II, Volant intake, port polished intake elbow, Mark VIII efan mod, SS long tube headers, full Magnaflow 3" exhaust, 24lbs Ford Racing injectors.....4:56's coming soon!
Well here in Kansas there are no emissions enforcements (yet), but I'm gonna keep my cats on the F-150 because I hear next year they're gonna start enforcing emissions, and I'm of the opinion that Modulars with no cats sound like crap. But at the same time, my '80 F350 won't ever have enforcements on it, so off came the cat, in went a gas-guzzling 460, and on went some stacks! I'll get pics up eventually, but my philosophy has always been "screw the environment, we were here first"!
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lol, i know i know. but i can't help but screw with environmentalist tree hugging hippies when they start spewing their baseless bull****! Do what you will with your trucks and let the law deal with it if they have a problem. If you get caught without properly working cats in most any state, you get a "fix-it ticket". Fix it in 30 days and have proof or pay a fine. I have a bumper sticker on my work truck that states "EARTH FIRST: we'll drill the hell out of the other planets later!"
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-1998 F150 Lariat 4x4 SuperCab Short Bed 5.4L with 22x,xxx mi: 285/75R16 Nitto Terra Grappler True Dual Exhaust "SUPERFORD"
-1980 F350 Flatbed 4x2 4spd 460 DRW "Ol' SMOKY"
ATC....I had the same luck with the studs, all came out nice and undamaged. The leak you hear is probably the collector....I ran into the same problem and had to tear into the manifold again (passenger). Took some sandpaper and gave the mating sides a good cleaning and finished it with some copper rtv sealant made for a tight seal.
The leak is coming from one of the back two ports on the passenger side. You can put your hand up there and feel the exhaust coming out.
A curious thing about the environment, that usually eludes antiscience, prodevelopment, reactionaries, is that its got a nasty habit of screwing back with a vengeance. It would appear your "philosophy" is based on falsehood, plainly the environment was "here first!"
Quote:
Originally Posted by superdutymj
my philosophy has always been "screw the environment, we were here first"!
i can't help but screw with environmentalist tree hugging hippies when they start spewing their baseless bull****!
a bumper sticker on my work truck that states "EARTH FIRST: we'll drill the hell out of the other planets later!"
This "hippies" work has been in Paleontology. You may consider it "baseless bull****!" but "EARTH" hasn't really been all that hospitable to species over the billions of years life has evolved here. The vast & overwelming majority of species, in the long history of life on Earth, have gone extinct. There isn't neccessarily going to be a "later!" for us. Poisoning the very air/water/species that sustain us, on our only life raft in the void, is a surely a recipe to bring "hell out".
I've said, if you have to have no cats, do it right, use a 'test pipe' & recycle your unwanted cats, don't destroy & discard them, sell them. Been a pretty simple & consistant message, comical to see the wrath unleashed. Crazy whines "Holy Hell....someone delete this thread" when he can simply request just that b/c Crazy is the author. My last contribution was the On Topic suggestion that the pipe may have been difficult to weld back together perfectly straight, as a possibly cause of the exhaust leak.
Hell ya ATC, glad you hear your truck sounds good now... did you notice any difference in performance, some say theres a loss of back pressure, but with the muffler i dont know...
I dont know if i will ever get around to doing that, but if my cats ever give me trouble i will for sure do the same.... Where i live, theres a lot of vehicles running around with out cats and what not no big deal...
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Oh well...I ain't complaining. 
Took a sawzall and cut them right between the upper and lower cats...pounded them out, and then welded them back up. Good as new (better than new!).
Same level of intensity, and at the same location. I think it's the passenger-side rear most exhaust port. There was only a very thin patch of flat metal for the gasket to seat on, on the manifold. I'm gunna try to re-tighten all the studs and maybe wiggle the collector area a little and see if it won't seal up. If not, I guess the manifold will come back off and I'll figure it out from there...
For all you know (or anyone else), I'm just a person who is capable of lying to make myself seem "cool." It's up to you to believe me or not. 
.......
