Im sorry, i did a search but could not find what im looking for.

I have a 96 2wd Ford Anger with the 2.3 5spd, its got 313000 kms on it, it has an aftermarket cat back exhaust, but from the cat forward is still stock. from what i read in my search it is the heat shield that is rattling down there. instead of replacing i just want to cut it out and put in a piece of pipe.

is this a definite no? or a maybe? or a not really anything wrong with it? I dont have to worry about any sort of emmisions regulations im just concerned about the o2 sensor behind the cat going crazy. My auto parts store could not find a sensor fooler for a 2.3, only the v6's.

your thoughts? thank you

 

I believe that it is illegal to remove the Cat from a system. I guess that in your case it might not be a big deal though.

 

Here in the states it's illigal to remove the cat, since your in the metric system, I don't know about your country.

 

Go to Home Depot or Lowes or your favorite hardware store. Buy 4 screw type hose clamps of the 'large' variety. Hook one clamp to another, head to tail, and then wrap the lengthened clamp around the converter and tighten it in place. Do this again at the other end of the converter. You now have a rattle-free converter shield, and it will likely stay that way as long as you own the truck.
Waay cheaper than a new converter, and it only takes a few minutes. If you can use a tape measure to figure out the proper length, you can combine one large and one medium to get enough to reach all the way around and not have extra flapping in the breeze.
tom

 

its also a good way to catch fire. those clamps will collect dry plant materials

 

Not only would it be illegal to remove the catalytic converter, but your vehicle is also what is known as an OBD-II system, which means among other things, that your converter is monitored by the vehicles computer system. If you remove it, you will trigger a CEL and a code P0420, which will cause you to automatically fail your annual inspections regardless of local emission laws. I vote for the clamp idea. It is primitive, but it is cheap and it works most of the time.


Also sensor alteration devices are illegal, and I doubt your parts store could order one for any application, V6 or otherwise. There used to be a large manufacturer of O2 simulators in Kansas, and they operated for years with just a disclaimer that their device was intended for offroad and track use only. However, they knew very well that people were using them to bypass emissions systems. As a result, the EPA had an easy case against them and won. The fees and penalties attached basically shut them down. Several other manufacturers followed suit. Also the customs was informed that such devices were not legal and so you cannot legally buy them in the US period. What would you hope to gain by eliminating the cat anyway? Its not going to improve your gas mileage, and its not going to increase your horsepower noticeably. Eliminating your cat just to get rid of a rattling heat shield is not a good idea, just clamp the shield back on and you will be fine. Also most O2 simulators rival the cost of a new converter.

 

Fordboy... he has a 4x2. And the clamps will snug up real well to the heat shield if you use the right length or you can have any excess on the top side, not hanging down to snag plants and trees and small critters. Oh, wait, maybe some small critters would cook up nice near the 'oven'... Heh.
tom

 

I have no legal issues to worry about, no inspections whatsoever around here and short of a DOT spotcheck, which has never been seen around here for years theres nothing to catch me, and the people i know that have been pulled over in big 4x4s by DOT have never been bothered about not having a cat. The hose clamp might elminate the sound, but its still and original 313000 km cat, its had a lot of run time. and i really dont want to replace it. all im really asking about is how much is it going to affect my motor? some people i talked too (with diffrent vehicles, but still newer, ie late 90's yota pickups, a 2001 cavalier etc) had no problems with their motors, no error codes at all after cutting out there cats.

 

First Try, I am in the 'Loops with no cat on my 4.0 no problem , however I only have one O2 sensor, my understanding is the second sensor tells the computer only whether the cat is working or not. I do not know if it would do anything other then throw a code, but I suspect a sensor alteration device for a 6 would probably work. For all of you emission bound people only the highly urbanized ( by Canadian standards ) lower 20 th of our province requires emission checks and enforcement, the rest of us are back in the 70's as far as the law goes. As long as you don't move to Vancouver no emission checks ever. Technically illegal to remove a properly functioning cat and replace it with a "test pipe" but not enforced.

 

Unless a cat has been over heated, it will not degenerate over time as far as flowing exhaust gas. It will also keep working as long as it has not been poisoned. Remember, a catalyst is just something there to get a reaction started, and is not used up or changed in any way by the reaction that occurs. So, catalytic converters just get stuff a goin' but are not supposed to change in any way, nor wear out. You can kill them with antifreeze, RTV silicone, and flowing too much fuel causing melt down. Other than that, they will work for zillions of miles. Most go to the junkyard fully functional, I bet. One of my converters has 240K on it, and it passed SMOG test fine in February.
tom

 

So on the 2.3 do ya just leave the one on the header or manifold ( it looks like header to me) and put the sender alteration device on the second one and you good to go don't give a flying F about emissions I'm in pritchard just out of Kamloops like my vehicles nice and loud so I can wake up all the nebours when I leave for work at 4am lol

 

Only if you spend an awful lot of time in tall dead grass. They are no more likely to catch debris than the stock shield is. The clamps are an excellent solution.

The signal alteration for one is tampering, and often they don't work. If the stock cat doesn't have anything wrong with it, why mess with it. If you keep your truck properly tuned, the stock cat will last until your motor wears out. The only thing you might gain by removing or gutting them is some extra noise. Considering that you are really gonna gain any power, the noise will just scream out "Hey, I'm a ricer too. See, I have lots of noise but no power, just like the ricers do. I also have to draw a lot of attention to myself because I have no self esteem and I have really small ****". Honestly, unless you do some mod that is gonna require lots of extra flow, like a turbocharger, why mess with stock when its not gonna get you much.

 

Lol wow every one is really against this just no answers at all. Ok so I'm going to turbo it then what do ya do to get rid of the cat

 

buy a 1998 Saab 900SE.they are cheap and go fast......

 

Lol ya not sure what the wife would think of another car in the yard. I wana go fast on the back roads though I was thinking of doing like 4cyl turbo baja style type of truck I think it would be kinda different do the fiber glass fenders and hood and good lift with extended radias arms, 31" tires electric fan cold air intake open the exuast to 2.5" and a 4:11 posi 8.8" rearend I think that would be fun