I was just getting estimates to have true duals with dynotech bullets installed, and possibly remove the 2 rear cats or put in hi-flow. But the place i stopped at said they couldn't do work on the cats unless the were broken, b/c it was illegal. Now i am going to try a couple other places this week, but was wondering if any has ran into this or can edumcate me?

Maybe i'll have to just "break" the cats b4 the install

 

Cats are requiered by federal law.....


Rules for Replacing Converters
In 1986, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued new guidelines for the construction, efficiency and installation of aftermarket catalytic converters.


E.P.A. guidelines state that replacement converters may be installed only in the following situations:

1. The vehicle is missing a converter
2. A state or local inspection program has determined that the existing converter needs replacement
3. Vehicles manufactured prior to 1996 must have more than 50,000 miles, and a legitimate need for replacement must be established and documented
4. In cases of OBD Il-equipped vehicles (1996 and later), the O.E. manufacturer's 8-year/80,000-mile warranty must have expired and a legitimate need for replacement must be established and documented.
Please note that Federal law prohibits removal or replacement of a properly functioning O.E. converter.

When replacement of the converter is appropriate (as outlined above), the E.P.A. further requires that:

1. It be installed in the same location as the original
2. It be the same type as the original (i.e., two-way, three-way, three-way plus air/three-way plus oxidation)
3. It be the proper model for the vehicle application as determined and specified by the manufacturer
4. It be properly connected to any existing air injection components on the vehicle
5. It be installed with any other required converter for a particular application
6. It be accompanied by a warranty information card to be completed by the installer.

 

Wow... I always knew you were required to have them, but offer lot of rules to replace them. Thanks for the lesson.

 

You can still get someone to swap them eventually, but depending on your year you will be required to have 4 or 2 in your area possibly with emissons.

 

although the truck would sound great with the cats, i wouldn't risk it ANYWHERE....my exhaust still has the cats and is louder than state law (which is BS in my opinion when I hear a harley bike next to me and speed away when the light turns green). never been pulled over with any of my trucks with illegal exhaust (but i always had cats), you just gotta pick the time to speed away when there's not a cop around and lay off when you pass one...i would hate to get a cop to bust me on exhaust without cats though, especially when everyone is pushing "Green"...from what i understand thats a $10K fine in WI...

 

I'm not concerned...

 

Yea the guy at the shop said they could get fined for doing the work, but there are probably others that would replace them. The way i see it,the law just saved me money on not buy hi-flows, for the time being that money will go to other mods.

 

go for it if thats your prerogative....not here to judge!

 

It's hard to find a shop that will do it in WI. I found a few but they were all really expensive. I finally found a friend that is fabricator with a hoist, pipe bender, and welder. He got laid off from work so he's doing mine for $100 for labor. You could always just saw them off put some flex pipe in and take it in with the new cats in the box. Then they'd pretty much have to do it, right?

 

I know a place they did mine pretty cheap

 

Where in WI are you?

 

Out here in Oklahoma there are a few shops that will cut off your cats. I asked one and they said it was illegal then i called another one and he was like we can do whatever you want. I want to take my cats and muffler off. Does anyone know if the 04 F150 has 2 or 4 cats

 

Get up under and look. Most likely 4. My '05 only had two though.

 

I have an '04 and its got 4.


I'm still trying to find a place to do the istall at a resonable price, the place i stopped at today priced 2-Dyno Bullets at $300, thats triple what i can get them for. Needless to say all their parts were either double or triple what it should have been, but that guy couldn't/wouldn't go down. They wanted $850 cats back

 

97's - 05's built before Jan 05 have the 4 cat system. Jan 05 + Ford went to two 16" cats... one per bank