Muffler question before I buy... | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Muffler question before I buy...

dwcopple

Active Member
Joined
July 22, 2011
Messages
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City, State
bay city, MI
Year, Model & Trim Level
'04 Mounty
I want them (whoever installs) to hack off the 3rd cat and weld on a hunk of 2.5" into a 2.5" muffler and re-use the stock tailpipe as I have no faith in any sort of custom bent one from the local shops. After poking around under the truck for a bit, it looks like an offset/offset muffler would be the one I need rather than an offset/center. Can anyone confirm?
 



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more than likely offset/offset will be your best bet, that way you can rotate for clearance, and what-not.. on my '01 it appears that a offset/center wouldn't be practical.. just my own opinion though..
 






dw- as long as you have the front 2 cats, the 2 rears can be removed entirely in Michigan. They were removed by the muffler shop when I put new cats on my '97. You could just put pipe across, you wouldn't have to "hide" it.


***Per what 04 EDGE is saying, this may not be allowed, even though my dealer did it. It is possible that the compact cat I had installed had a CA emissions waiver to allow it to replace two units...***
 






dw- as long as you have the front 2 cats, the 2 rears can be removed entirely in Michigan. They were removed by the muffler shop when I put new cats on my '97. You could just put pipe across, you wouldn't have to "hide" it.

I think mine only has 3 cats. two up front and the third (resonator as some call it) one is the one I wanna lose. I am not trying to "hide" anything.
 






Not saying you're trying to 'hide' intent, I meant 'hide' the pipe inside of a muffler. They just left mine with just a pipe.

Just noticed the '03... Might check. If you don't need it, you can just lose it and weld in a pipe and be done. That's what I did on my V8 SHO's, and they had 3 cats where the third was a resonator. Only the fronts were needed.
 






The stock pipe size is 2.25 not 2.5 I believe (atleast mine is)
 






Federal law states that removing or tampering with any OE installed emission device is illegal and the shop could be fined as much as $25,000, the tech $2,500 and up to one year of license suspension. Good luck finding a reputable shop in Michigan to do this for you. We do not do this at our shop. It is amazing however the amount of calls we get asking about this.

BTW the 3rd cat is not a resonator, it to is a catalyst. It is there to clean up what the others cant.

http://www.catalyticconverter.org/law/index.htm

http://www.epa.gov/oms/consumer/warr95fs.txt

First paragraph and part 11

http://www.epa.gov/oms/cert/factshts/catcvrts.pdf
 






Well, the Ford Dealer removed my 2 rear converters wen they replaced the front 2 with new ones, said it 'twas in compliance with federal law. So...









...maybe I need to turn them in :shifty_ey


Either way, this thread doesn't expect to be around much longer, I suspect...
 












The stock pipe size is 2.25 not 2.5 I believe (atleast mine is)

The pipe leading to the third "resonator" is 2.5" I'd like to keep it 2.5" from there to the muffler and then reduce down to 2.25" for the OEM tailpipe.
 






We all know what talking about removing cats leads to....



thread-lock.jpg
 






I find that very hard to believe.

Well, believe it. I've been around long enough and have no reason to lie. :rolleyes:


Went in to see if they were clogged, drank some coffee, then an hour later the 2 rears were apparently gone, and the 2 fronts replaced with these:

IMG_0115.jpg



When they said that I didn't need the 2 rears since I was replacing the 2 fronts with new cats and everything was fine, who am I to question. They're the dealer.



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Do you have all of the proper documentation? I would love to see the ford dealer invoice for this. I have been around a long time and have never seen a pipe bender or welder at any ford dealer in SE Michigan! No offense but that looks like some shade tree hack shop work. Those welds are pitiful! I highly doubt a Ford dealer did that.
 












Yes, I will retrieve paperwork from the new owner. :dunno:

I've seen and had to fix enough cars that came out of dealerships that had professional detailers work on them that it is entirely possible that their professional welders are just as good. :)

What was told to me was that the cat they were using had a CA waiver to replace a double cat system. There was something in my paperwork listing executive order or something. I don't know what it was entirely, I just know it was less money than replacing all 4 with OEM cats that were $1,400 each.

It was Tony Betten Ford, but I don't have the truck anymore. Sold last summer.
 






We all know what talking about removing cats leads to....



thread-lock.jpg

It better not get locked, seeing as how I read about this "resonator" removal in no less than 30 other threads...
 






It better not get locked, seeing as how I read about this "resonator" removal in no less than 30 other threads...

Are you talking about removing a resonator or a cat? They are 2 completely different things. Removing a resonator is legal, removing a cat isnt. Which one do you want to remove? ;)
 






Are you talking about removing a resonator or a cat? They are 2 completely different things. Removing a resonator is legal, removing a cat isnt. Which one do you want to remove? ;)

Whatever the "mystery" thing is right after the Y merge before the actual muffler on the truck...call it what you want, there is no O2 sensor near it.
 



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Are you talking about removing a resonator or a cat? They are 2 completely different things. Removing a resonator is legal, removing a cat isnt. Which one do you want to remove? ;)


He is wanting to remove the 3rd converter. It is not a mystery device. Common sense would tell you what it is just from looking at it.
 






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