[usmc grunt]

I have an 02 TRD 4x4 and have 150k miles. I am finally getting around to adding headers and a magnaflow. My brother suggested that while I'm at it I replace the catalytic conveter as well. He says they clog up and sap torque (which is what I'm after). BUT, I don't want to waste money on a replacement if it's not necessary. How can I tell what condition it is in?

THANKS!

 

[Ando140]

Don't know how long they last, but if you do end up replacing them... fyi, there are places that recondition them to as good as new condition and sell them much cheaper than what a new one costs (think $200 instead of $1000).

 

[Twincam]

The one on my Dodge Ram truck lasted about 155,000 miles. Don't remember exactly, maybe parts and labor was 200.00. Man, when it went it went. Felt like truck was running on 3 of it's 8 cylinders. Some of the crap went into the muffler and I had to replace it also. I would go ahead and replace it now if it were me.

 

[Art64]

I have an 02 TRD 4x4 and have 150k miles. I am finally getting around to adding headers and a magnaflow. My brother suggested that while I'm at it I replace the catalytic conveter as well. He says they clog up and sap torque (which is what I'm after). BUT, I don't want to waste money on a replacement if it's not necessary. How can I tell what condition it is in?

THANKS!

Its hard to tell its condition without hooking up the truck to computerized engine analyzer and run an emission test. Other than that, its just gonna be a wild guess. If the exhaust smells like the vehicles from the 70's or 60's and it has been running like that for a long time, most likely the cat is gone. Some octane boosters will kill the cat too. If the engine is burning oil, the cat can get clogged. Your brother is right in a way. After doing all that mod, time and money spent, why take a chance on a high mileage catalytic converter. Get a new one and have a peace of mind knowing that everything is working up to par.

 

[Jonnie]

Replace them. Sometimes banging with your fist on a cold cat will produce a rattling sound and I think that's pretty much a clue to replace them. There is no temp sensors in the exhaust to warn of excessive temps, or shut the engine down. The extreme temps can occur if the exahust is plugged or say a fuel injector gets stuck wide open and is pumping too much fuel through the engine - the catalyst goes nuclear.

In a perfert world the engine would run so rough, you would know something is grossly wrong and shut the engine down right away, and then have it towed.

However, and in my experience, the dealer or a repair facility might seem close enough to try and drive to. Depending on the location of cat(s) an engine or cabin fires is next. They are hard to put out if you don't have plenty of extingusihers at hand, which you're lucky if you have even one extinguisher in the vehicle.

I didn't mean to sound dramatic, but cats, their performance and condition and lack of engine management tied to them is a pet peave.

Enjoy your new exhaust!

 

[corebreach]

the catalyst goes nuclear

I love your imagery.

 

[The Phoenix]

Gut the cat and run straight exhaust. Texas doesn't have state inspection do they? Cats make MPG worse anyway.

For the tree hugging, earth loving, & peace making hippies... save the speech. There is worse pollution in the air than a truck without a cat.

 

[thumbster]

Depending on the condition of the engine a cat converter can last the life of the vehicle. Even minor oil consumption, bad gas/fuel additives or small amounts of coolant can quickly deteriorate a converter. If it were me, I'd pony up the dough and change the converters. I doubt you'll be spending more than an extra $250 to change them. Plus most of the replacement converters flow better than stock, so you'll appreciate the performance gain to boot. The few extra hp you'll gain from removing the cats all together is not worth it, not to mention the $2500 fine if you get caught. Check out the new metallic cats magnaflow sells - these look like they flow very well and are very small, so you can put them in tight locations.

 

[rsayloriii]

Gut the cat and run straight exhaust. Texas doesn't have state inspection do they? Cats make MPG worse anyway.

For the tree hugging, earth loving, & peace making hippies... save the speech. There is worse pollution in the air than a truck without a cat.

Yes, Texas does have state inspections. And if you live in the Houston (I believe), Austin, DFW, or El Paso areas, you have an emission inspection also.

The actual mileage gains by removing the cat is negligable. A properly functioning cat won't affect gas mileage to where you would see a difference. Now if the cat was plugged in any way, then yes, you could see the difference. But if it's working the way it should, then there's no reason to remove it.

If you're worried about it, replace it. They're not that expensive for a universal fit one. If you were to go OE fit, then yes, those can get expensive and fast. But for the most part, the cat is designed to last the lifetime of the vehicle.

 

[Buckeyefan]

139,000 on my F150 which never saw a garage. 80,000 on my Mazda 626 that was in/out of the garage with a ton of salt on the road. Went through two mufflers and a cat on that damn Mazda. If a cat does go bad, you're in big trouble. The car won't run if it clogs up, as mine did in the middle of traffic on a 7 lane road.

 

[rcbuzzb]

Link:

Performance Catalytic Converters - JC Whitney: Auto Parts & Accessories

 

[jdeaton]

Link:

Performance Catalytic Converters - JC Whitney: Auto Parts & Accessories

this review made me laugh:


look unless u want a race car with like a blower on top & NOS installed, don't buy this product.. But if u do purchase it.. you'll help your engine breath more & eaiser.. causing less strain on it.. making more power & improves the fuel combustion.. there- by SAVING YOU MONEY on gas... So long as u don't race it like a stock car ... improves power & fuel consuption by 10% - 15%.

And if u change to a K&N air intake, add a nother 15%-25%, and if u change your muffler, to high flow (u should) add another 5%-10%. With these little changes they all add up to 50% improvment with hardly any heavy redesign change on the car"

 

[Buckeyefan]

this review made me laugh:


look unless u want a race car with like a blower on top & NOS installed, don't buy this product.. But if u do purchase it.. you'll help your engine breath more & eaiser.. causing less strain on it.. making more power & improves the fuel combustion.. there- by SAVING YOU MONEY on gas... So long as u don't race it like a stock car ... improves power & fuel consuption by 10% - 15%.

And if u change to a K&N air intake, add a nother 15%-25%, and if u change your muffler, to high flow (u should) add another 5%-10%. With these little changes they all add up to 50% improvment with hardly any heavy redesign change on the car"

A good sampling of your typical JC Whitney mensa subscriber.

 

[adamjt]

I have had good luck with original toyota cats. My 93 camry had 304,000 miles on it with the original cat and the car still passed emissions with flying colors. Original cat on my 01 tundra with 115k, 99 camry with close to 100k, and 96 camry with close to 200k.
Funny thing is with the camry the welds on the stainless exhaust went close to 300k and i replaced everything EXCEPT the cat and it still ran and passed emissions fine.

 

[rcbuzzb]

Well I only put the JCW link up show that there are options. I got one years ago and it worked well, it passed smog tests easily. It also handled the muffler's old job, it was about like having a glasspack.

 

[redbaron224]

I have a 2000 Access Limited V8 with 200,000 miles on it. About 195,000 miles we watched the "check engine" light up while on vacation 800 miles from home. Code? Bank 2 cat losing efficiency. After we got back home had Bank 1 Sensor 1 failure. What's next????? :sheesh:

Been driving it with no major problems but must replace cat and sensor before the end of May due to annual inspection needed. :-(

OEM Cat = $1,120
Aftermarket = $350
eBay = $45 + $35 core charge refunded when they get old one back.

I'm still not complaining. This is the most repair expense I've had in 200,000 miles. Best vehicle I've ever owned.

Oh, yeah, to answer original question.... I wouldn't replace them until they fail! Why waste your money?

 

[Marauder]

Magnaflow cats are good replacements, they are higher flow and OBD2 legal, and not that expensive. If you want, you can just buy a larger diameter to match your exhaust setup and have a muffler shop weld it up to your system.

 

[ounagi]

Hi,

I would love to go non-oem and save myself some money, perhaps on a magnaflow catalytic converter. However, I hear mixed reviews which seems to suggest I should pay more and just go OEM. What are your thoughts?

 

[jamesjr4750]

Hi,

I would love to go non-oem and save myself some money, perhaps on a magnaflow catalytic converter. However, I hear mixed reviews which seems to suggest I should pay more and just go OEM. What are your thoughts?

I was told by Magnaflow , their old CAT systems didn't all work on the Tundra As they threw check engine lights. When the truck's ECU does a check it is supposed to do whatever to make it "happy" doing whatever the material Cerium does that is in the stock OEM cat converters.

The newer released/upgraded Magnaflow CATS are supposed to be better and offer a solution to these earlier problems. I would have bought them , but they weren't in stock at the time. If going stock OEM .... be prepared to pay heavily for a pair of them. 1400-1600+ large.

 

[barron64]

Look in Jegg's or Summit racing for some universal fit high flow cats.