exhaust question need fast answer

[ash98fordexp]

hey im having issues with my cats on my 98 ex 4.0l sohc.. can i just cut the cats off and replace with regular pipe until i get the funds to replace the cats? they are pluged up pretty bad and i cant afford to replaced them right now. i am going to be redoing all the exhaust sometime soon. would it hurt anything by doing this? when the cats started messing up the cel came on and now it hardly runs like it should and i need it for work. thanks for any info

 

[gavin]

if you remove all the cats:

#1 - you will be breaking a federal law.
#2 - your O2 sensors won't like you; your CEL will constantly be on and it will probably run like crap and/or get bad gas mileage.
#3 - I'm sure it will make the exhaust quite a bit louder.
#4 - how do you know for sure it's the cat(s)?

 

[ash98fordexp]

it has the rotten eggs smell and the cel light has been on sence its smelled like it and has been running rough for the last few days and i can hear rattling inside of them mine only has 2 cats. i am going to replace then but i was thinking of cutting them off, installing straight pipe for now maybe for a week until payday. i know all the laws on removing them and hav did it before on my chevy lumina van and it didnt make it any louder. my muffler is almost new and the pipes are in good shape. removing the cats shouldnt make it louder? thanks for the info tho

 

[IZwack]

Just wait the week or so ..

 

[Dan Whitaker]

Are you sure you only have two cats? Seeing as how you have a 1998 you should have 4 cats.

 

[IZwack]

Are you sure you only have two cats? Seeing as how you have a 1998 you should have 4 cats.

2 cats for the 98 sohc is correct ... 2 cats, 4 O2.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[Dan Whitaker]

2 cats for the 98 sohc is correct ... 2 cats, 4 O2.
Posted via Mobile Device

Great. Us 5.0 guys got screwed on that. I wonder why they (government) thought the 5.0 needed 4 cats while the SOCH only needed 2.

 

[Axial32]

I'm running no cats. I hacked off all 4 on my 97 Sohc Sport... I'm still getting fine gas millage... actually seems like more power... and luckily in Michigan, I don't need cats. as long as it's got a muffler. So it's not too loud, I'm perfectly fine...

 

[gavin]

I'm running no cats. I hacked off all 4 on my 97 Sohc Sport... I'm still getting fine gas millage... actually seems like more power... and luckily in Michigan, I don't need cats. as long as it's got a muffler. So it's not too loud, I'm perfectly fine...

yes, you do need cats.
just because your state doesn't do a visual or some kind of emissions testing, cats are still a Federal requirement

 

[Axial32]

Ohh well.... The police don't even check for cats. I got a R&R awhile back for no mufflers, I only had pipe all the way to the back... I put some glasspacks on and took it to the courthouse... the man laid down looked... listened to it at 2K rpm and said it was good... so no problems since then.

 

[gavin]

Ohh well.... The police don't even check for cats. I got a R&R awhile back for no mufflers, I only had pipe all the way to the back... I put some glasspacks on and took it to the courthouse... the man laid down looked... listened to it at 2K rpm and said it was good... so no problems since then.

that still doesn't mean running with no cats isn't against Federal laws.
gives the greenies more fuel for the fire.

 

[ash98fordexp]

well yeah maybe they say u need the cats.. i dont see where it hurts so mine are comming off i also live in mich and never had any problems with police as long it isnt loud. i looked under the ex again 2 cats, 4 o2's so now if i have no cats on i know the cel light will stay on but what would happen to the o2 sensors? i will replace them when i redo the exhaust. how much if any louder do you think she will be? all my pipes are in great shape other then the headers which will be replace also.. the muffler was replace in jan of this yr with warrenty from a local shop so no worries there... thanks guys... anymore input?

 

[gavin]

well yeah maybe they say u need the cats.. i dont see where it hurts so mine are comming off i also live in mich and never had any problems with police as long it isnt loud. i looked under the ex again 2 cats, 4 o2's so now if i have no cats on i know the cel light will stay on but what would happen to the o2 sensors? i will replace them when i redo the exhaust. how much if any louder do you think she will be? all my pipes are in great shape other then the headers which will be replace also.. the muffler was replace in jan of this yr with warrenty from a local shop so no worries there... thanks guys... anymore input?

Federal emissions regulations require the use of catalytic converters.
They help lower the amount of greenhouse gases coming from the exhaust.

They are there for a reason.

 

[King of So Cal]

well yeah maybe they say u need the cats.. i dont see where it hurts so mine are comming off i also live in mich and never had any problems with police as long it isnt loud. i looked under the ex again 2 cats, 4 o2's so now if i have no cats on i know the cel light will stay on but what would happen to the o2 sensors? i will replace them when i redo the exhaust. how much if any louder do you think she will be? all my pipes are in great shape other then the headers which will be replace also.. the muffler was replace in jan of this yr with warrenty from a local shop so no worries there... thanks guys... anymore input?

It will be WAY louder without cats. Cats REALLY muffle down the sound. I dont know a whole lot about older explorers but mine is an 06 4.0 and it has just two cats. I have a Flowmaster Super 40 and its still not that loud. One of my buds has the same muffler on his 3.0 4runner with no cats and that thing is WAY LOUDER then mine. But hes from out of state, I would LOVE to take the cats of my truck but living in Cali I dont really have an option.

 

[ash98fordexp]

well if its alittle louder then what it is now i can live with that.. mine now is quite cant tell its running sometimes so if it get a rumble to it then ill get a better muffler for it.. i know all about the greenhouse gases and all that but i think ill be fine without them for a week.

 

[ranger7ltr]

Why not just replace them with Thunderbolts ?

hey im having issues with my cats on my 98 ex 4.0l sohc.. can i just cut the cats off and replace with regular pipe until i get the funds to replace the cats? they are pluged up pretty bad and i cant afford to replaced them right now. i am going to be redoing all the exhaust sometime soon. would it hurt anything by doing this? when the cats started messing up the cel came on and now it hardly runs like it should and i need it for work. thanks for any info

It is a Federal offense to remove the catalytic convertors but replacing them is not...The Thunderbolt spincast high flows are easily welded in place of the stockers and they are cheap...

Check this link...http://performance-curve.com/410250-250catalyticconverter.aspx

Just because the state doesn't check for convertors doesn't stop the Feds from doing so...And the fine is high...These are the lowest cost high flow catalytic convertors I have found...

And be glad you don't have a truck with the 1999 OHV engine.. Mine has four cats;two in the head pipe from the manifolds and two inline after the head pipe...

 

[ash98fordexp]

my plan is to replace them but i have to work (60 miles one way) and my truck doesnt want to run like she should.. so iwas going to straight pipe it for about a week and then replace the cats and the 4 o2 sensors. i know the law about removing them and i live in a town of about 1200 people... most people i know dont have cats on theres and i have removed them before wit hout any problems

 

[Xplorer82]

my plan is to replace them but i have to work (60 miles one way) and my truck doesnt want to run like she should.. so iwas going to straight pipe it for about a week and then replace the cats and the 4 o2 sensors. i know the law about removing them and i live in a town of about 1200 people... most people i know dont have cats on theres and i have removed them before wit hout any problems

ok, then why even come on and start a thread? you say you have done it yourself before, and others you know have it done.................... and doing that to a vehicle will yeild the same end result CEL, w/out the use of MIL's or whatever their called.
and you also say:

i have removed them before wit hout any problems

so again, why even start the thread? im sure running straight pipes for a week would not "kill" your truck.

you probably<<and im using that word very loosely could have searched and got the same answer(s) you got here, correct?(yup).. and w/you having personal experience doing this kind of thing brings me back to why you even needed to ask. sheesh.

im not trying to be a dick, but first use your head and then if your still not sure, use the search then you wont have "smart ass post's" like mine and others up your back about it being illegal.




way to up the post count i guess

 

[gavin]

way to up the post count i guess

not to mention promoting something that is against Federal law.

 

[xolilbaby]

I don't even have a muffler on mine... All I have is the 2 cats and a little piece left of the pipe and that's all. I have been pulled over a couple times for it saying that it's too loud and I need to fix my muffler... what the cop doesn't know is one doesn't exist