Question for Mike
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Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: San Diego
Question for Mike
Hi Mike,
I've been on her before under a diffrent name but it's been so long and i have so many names and passwords that I forgot what it was for this site, and i wanted to ask you a question about something that doesn't really have anything to do with the computer chip even though i do have the Micro Tuner and it's the best thing i've bought for my truck...
But on the other hand i'd like to ask you a quick couple of questions about Catalytic Converters that you sell on your website (wich i am a huge fan of). I was really interested in getting a pair of the High Flow Magnaflow cats from you but i'm affraid that they won't be smog legal in the state of California and i was wondering if you know wether or not they are legal or if the new 4300 series that Magnaflow has out if that one will be smog legal, now from what i hear they are smog legal in CA for the chevy's but for the Fords it might now have gone threw yet. This is a very very tuff situation i'm in b/c i'm getting ready to sell my f-150 and upgrade to a 250 but the thing won't pass smog, b/c the left side cat's (they did a diagnostic and told me this) out on my truck and being a 99 it has 4 freakin cats, and the place that did my smog was going to charge me over 1000 dollers for one side wich is just outragious.. Now I have never had a check engine light come so i really don't understand how it could be a CAT but i can only do what i'm told.. I'm very lost in this whole CAT thing b/c the state of California is so diffrent in they're smog laws it's just out of controll... I hope this jibber jabber makes some sence to you and all Advise is welcome... Thanks So much for you time and Glad to see your still answering everyone's Questions..
Michael aka: FlyinHighFord
1999 Ford F-150
6" RCD Life on Weld Rims and 35" BFG's
K&N Generation 2 Intake System With Throttle Body Spacer
Super Chips Max Micro Tuner 1715
3" Bullet Exhaust
4:56 Precesion Gears
I've been on her before under a diffrent name but it's been so long and i have so many names and passwords that I forgot what it was for this site, and i wanted to ask you a question about something that doesn't really have anything to do with the computer chip even though i do have the Micro Tuner and it's the best thing i've bought for my truck...
But on the other hand i'd like to ask you a quick couple of questions about Catalytic Converters that you sell on your website (wich i am a huge fan of). I was really interested in getting a pair of the High Flow Magnaflow cats from you but i'm affraid that they won't be smog legal in the state of California and i was wondering if you know wether or not they are legal or if the new 4300 series that Magnaflow has out if that one will be smog legal, now from what i hear they are smog legal in CA for the chevy's but for the Fords it might now have gone threw yet. This is a very very tuff situation i'm in b/c i'm getting ready to sell my f-150 and upgrade to a 250 but the thing won't pass smog, b/c the left side cat's (they did a diagnostic and told me this) out on my truck and being a 99 it has 4 freakin cats, and the place that did my smog was going to charge me over 1000 dollers for one side wich is just outragious.. Now I have never had a check engine light come so i really don't understand how it could be a CAT but i can only do what i'm told.. I'm very lost in this whole CAT thing b/c the state of California is so diffrent in they're smog laws it's just out of controll... I hope this jibber jabber makes some sence to you and all Advise is welcome... Thanks So much for you time and Glad to see your still answering everyone's Questions..
Michael aka: FlyinHighFord
1999 Ford F-150
6" RCD Life on Weld Rims and 35" BFG's
K&N Generation 2 Intake System With Throttle Body Spacer
Super Chips Max Micro Tuner 1715
3" Bullet Exhaust
4:56 Precesion Gears
Former Sponsor
Joined: Mar 1998
Posts: 13,385
Likes: 4
From: Virginia
Hi Michael,
Yeah, California's a pain sometimes when it comes to emissions & many other things, too..............
Actually, the only time it's legal according to federal law (as I understand it, and I could be wrong) to replace a factory catalytic converter is if the factory cat has failed - I disagree with that completely, by the way, as anyone with a brain can quickly deduce, the only thing that should really matter is just what is actually coming out of the exhaust and are those emissions within the allowable limit for that model year - - nothing else should matter in that regard, frankly. But that's not always how some of those laws read.
I cannot speak for California laws, and I want to make that *very* clear, I don't want to deceive or mislead anyone - but how we handle it is very simple - to us, what matters is what actually comes out of the tailpipe. And the Magnaflow cats, when *properly* installed and when the 2 upstream and 2 downstream O2's are properly reinstalled and functional, we have tested them and have found that they do in fact clean the exhaust properly, and they do satisfy the downstream o2 sensors - I've got them on my vehicle, replacing the 4 factory cats with 2 Magnaflow's (as well as long-tube headers, X-pipe, etc.), and it passes emissions with no problems, including the tailpipe sniff test and the OBD-II code test. So even though that may not agree with the absolute letter of the law, that vehicle is *not* polluting illegally, nor would I ever knowingly drive a vehicle on public roads that I knew was *not* putting out a clean enough exhaust - I like breathing clean air, too!
Sometimes these politicians make me crazy, and if it weren't for SEMA, you wouldn't believe what California would get away with - heck, they just tried to make it illegal to even install a cat-back exhaust system - those clowns were actually having traffic cops writing tickets for vehicles that the officer "thought" had the cat-back portion of the exhaust (which as we all very well know, is perfectly legal to change, and almost all of them in fact have CARB approval!) changed from stock, and/or was "louder than stock" - until SEMA stepped in and lobbied very hard to get some actual *standards* for allowable noise levels. Thank God for SEMA, they have saved us vehicle owners from so many asinine pieces of legislation, and we basically have them to tank for the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act getting passed years ago, too.
By the way, that factory Y-pipe assembly for those late-model F-150 includes the downtubes & all 4 cats, and runs about $1200 last I heard, from a Ford dealership - so a cost of $1000 just to "fix" one side is outrageous - I'd go to another shop.
If you are asking me if I can guarantee that it is "legal" in California to install a Magnaflow catalytic converter in place of a failed unit - I really can't answer that, as I'm not an emissions lawyer. I do know that aftermarket cats are allowed in general, you cannot be forced to buy *only* original manufacturer's parts as I understand it - generally, just as long as they properly function & clean the exhaust, aftermarket cats are OK, and you know how many companies make aftermarket cats - dozens & dozens, maybe even hundreds! But I cannot tell you with certainty that this will in fact be considered "legal" by any and all different emissions inspection stations out there, there's just no way for me to answer that definitively - sorry!
Last - as you may have deduced by now because of your experience, these OBD-II systems aren't infallible - though the downstream O2 sensor is supposed to look for a different voltage reading from it's upstream counterpart in order to check for catalytic converter presence & function, we've seen numerous vehicles with everything from 1 failed cat to all 4 cats failed to all 4 cats completely REMOVED and still not get any check engine light or have the PCM st any related code - now usually that *will* set a code, but not always, by any means.
Sorry I can't be of more help, & give us a call if you'd like to go over this in more detail, etc.
Good luck!
Yeah, California's a pain sometimes when it comes to emissions & many other things, too..............
Actually, the only time it's legal according to federal law (as I understand it, and I could be wrong) to replace a factory catalytic converter is if the factory cat has failed - I disagree with that completely, by the way, as anyone with a brain can quickly deduce, the only thing that should really matter is just what is actually coming out of the exhaust and are those emissions within the allowable limit for that model year - - nothing else should matter in that regard, frankly. But that's not always how some of those laws read.
I cannot speak for California laws, and I want to make that *very* clear, I don't want to deceive or mislead anyone - but how we handle it is very simple - to us, what matters is what actually comes out of the tailpipe. And the Magnaflow cats, when *properly* installed and when the 2 upstream and 2 downstream O2's are properly reinstalled and functional, we have tested them and have found that they do in fact clean the exhaust properly, and they do satisfy the downstream o2 sensors - I've got them on my vehicle, replacing the 4 factory cats with 2 Magnaflow's (as well as long-tube headers, X-pipe, etc.), and it passes emissions with no problems, including the tailpipe sniff test and the OBD-II code test. So even though that may not agree with the absolute letter of the law, that vehicle is *not* polluting illegally, nor would I ever knowingly drive a vehicle on public roads that I knew was *not* putting out a clean enough exhaust - I like breathing clean air, too!
Sometimes these politicians make me crazy, and if it weren't for SEMA, you wouldn't believe what California would get away with - heck, they just tried to make it illegal to even install a cat-back exhaust system - those clowns were actually having traffic cops writing tickets for vehicles that the officer "thought" had the cat-back portion of the exhaust (which as we all very well know, is perfectly legal to change, and almost all of them in fact have CARB approval!) changed from stock, and/or was "louder than stock" - until SEMA stepped in and lobbied very hard to get some actual *standards* for allowable noise levels. Thank God for SEMA, they have saved us vehicle owners from so many asinine pieces of legislation, and we basically have them to tank for the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act getting passed years ago, too.
By the way, that factory Y-pipe assembly for those late-model F-150 includes the downtubes & all 4 cats, and runs about $1200 last I heard, from a Ford dealership - so a cost of $1000 just to "fix" one side is outrageous - I'd go to another shop.
If you are asking me if I can guarantee that it is "legal" in California to install a Magnaflow catalytic converter in place of a failed unit - I really can't answer that, as I'm not an emissions lawyer. I do know that aftermarket cats are allowed in general, you cannot be forced to buy *only* original manufacturer's parts as I understand it - generally, just as long as they properly function & clean the exhaust, aftermarket cats are OK, and you know how many companies make aftermarket cats - dozens & dozens, maybe even hundreds! But I cannot tell you with certainty that this will in fact be considered "legal" by any and all different emissions inspection stations out there, there's just no way for me to answer that definitively - sorry!
Last - as you may have deduced by now because of your experience, these OBD-II systems aren't infallible - though the downstream O2 sensor is supposed to look for a different voltage reading from it's upstream counterpart in order to check for catalytic converter presence & function, we've seen numerous vehicles with everything from 1 failed cat to all 4 cats failed to all 4 cats completely REMOVED and still not get any check engine light or have the PCM st any related code - now usually that *will* set a code, but not always, by any means.
Sorry I can't be of more help, & give us a call if you'd like to go over this in more detail, etc.
Good luck!
Thread Starter
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Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: San Diego
Thanks Mike, Yeah it's really crappy out here with all the laws just to drive a freaking car, but i guess that's the price you pay to live in sunny san diego where right now it's almost 80 degrees.. hahahaha But yeah i was really thinking and I really dont' think a place is going to fail me just b/c i have thoes cats on there and if one place fails there's always 50 more in the same 3 block radius so it's all good.. Now if I do want to go from 4 to 2 how would i do that and what would you suggest to run? You said that the system you had passed everything no problem so i'd like to run the same thing your running except i'm sure you have the 5.4 and i'm runnin the 4.6.....
Thanks for you time Mike
Michael
Thanks for you time Mike
Michael
Former Sponsor
Joined: Mar 1998
Posts: 13,385
Likes: 4
From: Virginia
Hi Michael,
Sure, I can go over that with you, no problem - for the details on how to do that, please give me a call at our number listed below & I'll be happy to - we're off-topic for the Computer Chips section, and it's far too much to type!
Have fun & talk to you soon,
Sure, I can go over that with you, no problem - for the details on how to do that, please give me a call at our number listed below & I'll be happy to - we're off-topic for the Computer Chips section, and it's far too much to type!
Have fun & talk to you soon,