Need New Cat Converters ... fast

[OrbeaRider]

Can anyone recommend a direct fit catalytic converter for an 03 Sport with, sadly, California emissions? My cats are bad (I've replaced all O2 sensors and had my mechanic look at this repeatedly) and I have to get them replaced quick. I can't find anything that is direct fit for a CA emissions system and I'm getting desperate. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[CXS]

Go to any reputable exhaust shop and have them cut & weld new ones in, don't go to the dealer. Should be $300-$400 each rather than the $1200-$1400 each a dealer will charge to replace the manifolds and cats. Just get in writing that your truck will pass CA emissions from the shop as a guarantee.

 

[drewm]

Can anyone recommend a direct fit catalytic converter for an 03 Sport with, sadly, California emissions? My cats are bad (I've replaced all O2 sensors and had my mechanic look at this repeatedly) and I have to get them replaced quick. I can't find anything that is direct fit for a CA emissions system and I'm getting desperate. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Go to any good exhaust shop, they can fab you a cat and install it for usually around $300-400. Carb rules allow you to replace the cat when it fails.

 

[OrbeaRider]

Thanks guys. I actually don't need to pass CA emissions, I need to pass North Carolina emissions but the cats are bad and I was hoping to avoid getting a cat welded on if at all possible. I guess I was hoping that a 49 state cat would fit my vehicle.

I hate CA emissions.

 

[coconutpete]

Thanks guys. I actually don't need to pass CA emissions, I need to pass North Carolina emissions but the cats are bad and I was hoping to avoid getting a cat welded on if at all possible. I guess I was hoping that a 49 state cat would fit my vehicle.

I hate CA emissions.

The cats are one piece with the exhaust manifolds........ the only way to avoid welding is to replace the whole thing.

 

[t-man]

I keep wondering if we can cut cats off and replace them with regular piping. I don't have to worry about emissions here in Michigan thankfully.

 

[chmura]

I keep wondering if we can cut cats off and replace them with regular piping. I don't have to worry about emissions here in Michigan thankfully.

If you do that than you will get a check engine light that is on all the time. I would not really want that since what if something else fails than you won't know it's throwing a code since the light is always on.

 

[t-man]

If you do that than you will get a check engine light that is on all the time. I would not really want that since what if something else fails than you won't know it's throwing a code since the light is always on.

That was what I thought I had heard somewhere else. Sucky, and stupid in my opinion. Oh well, I guess I will deal with it. Still sounds badass with my Gibson exhaust at least

 

[Gumps_runner]

try the spark plug fowler from Summit. you can search the threads on here and see others have done it and it worked. I just did it in the last month and have had no more check engine light and its been 5k miles.
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-g...-yes-i-searched-maybe-i-am-doing-wrong-2.html this is to the link in the forum.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/rn...FUxo7AodjnMAMw this is link to fowler for 04 4runner, I beleive 03 is the same.

 

[youngr]

This may help:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/sale-t4r-items/165906-08-4-0-exhaust-manifolds-cats-tri-state.html

 

[OrbeaRider]

Found something

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. I ended up ordering Davico cats from RockAuto. I have a feeling they're crap but I have 160K on the 4Runner and I got all four cats for $900 with delivery. I hated to do it but, since registration is due next week, I had no choice.

 

[radlynx]

let us know if this works for you. what's your mileage?

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. I ended up ordering Davico cats from RockAuto. I have a feeling they're crap but I have 160K on the 4Runner and I got all four cats for $900 with delivery. I hated to do it but, since registration is due next week, I had no choice.

 

[Nathana92]

I keep wondering if we can cut cats off and replace them with regular piping. I don't have to worry about emissions here in Michigan thankfully.

If you do that than you will get a check engine light that is on all the time. I would not really want that since what if something else fails than you won't know it's throwing a code since the light is always on.

URD makes an O2 simulator that allows you to delete both front cats with no CEL. I've had it on my truck for a long time now since my headers are long tubes and remove the 2 manifold cats.

 

[t-man]

URD makes an O2 simulator that allows you to delete both front cats with no CEL. I've had it on my truck for a long time now since my headers are long tubes and remove the 2 manifold cats.

Really? Nice. I will look them up. I have the v8 so no headers available for some stupid reason, but for the cost of 2 new manifolds I could probably find a shop to make some. Pacesetter runs $700 just for the manifolds, not including the y-pipe that has another 2 cats on them... Ugh.

 

[Nathana92]

Really? Nice. I will look them up. I have the v8 so no headers available for some stupid reason, but for the cost of 2 new manifolds I could probably find a shop to make some. Pacesetter runs $700 just for the manifolds, not including the y-pipe that has another 2 cats on them... Ugh.

I have a V8 too...tehe yes you could absolutely find someone to make some or buy some Tundra headers and have a shop make them fit, that's what I did. If you went the pacesetter route an exhaust shop could make you a Y-pipe on the cheap--I'd assume $80-100. But if headers is the route you wanna go make it happen, that's what I did, everyone said they wouldn't fit. Which to give them credit was true, that doesn't mean they can't be made to fit. Bottom line headers are great.

 

[t-man]

I have a V8 too...tehe yes you could absolutely find someone to make some or buy some Tundra headers and have a shop make them fit, that's what I did. If you went the pacesetter route an exhaust shop could make you a Y-pipe on the cheap--I'd assume $80-100. But if headers is the route you wanna go make it happen, that's what I did, everyone said they wouldn't fit. Which to give them credit was true, that doesn't mean they can't be made to fit. Bottom line headers are great.

Do you know what they had to do to make the Tundra headers fit by chance? PM me if you need.

 

[Nathana92]

Do you know what they had to do to make the Tundra headers fit by chance? PM me if you need.

They had to pound in a good bit where the steering shaft was rubbing. They also had to reroute and bend the oil dipstick. They bolt straight up to the block. Then they made a custom Y-pipe. I think there were other places they had to pound and bend to clear the strut towers...all in all nothing a good shop couldn't handle.

 

[t-man]

They had to pound in a good bit where the steering shaft was rubbing. They also had to reroute and bend the oil dipstick. They bolt straight up to the block. Then they made a custom Y-pipe. I think there were other places they had to pound and bend to clear the strut towers...all in all nothing a good shop couldn't handle.

Sweet! Good to know, thanks! I will look into this. I'm sure headers are cheaper, and oh so worth it!

 

[OrbeaRider]

let us know if this works for you. what's your mileage?

Just a quick update ... the cats arrived from RockAuto yesterday (surprisingly, one of them wasn't even boxed up and I'm a bit disappointed about that ... they just slapped a FedEx sticker on it) and I dropped everything off with my mechanic. I have a sneaking suspicion that, despite being labeled as direct fit, there will be some issue. Will let you all know as soon as I get it back.

 

[OrbeaRider]

Update

Well, I've had the cats on for a few weeks now and, so far, no CEL. Better still, I passed inspection with no problems. The downside is that the rotten egg smell is still pretty prevalent when accelerating which sucks.

The one real downside was that, as expected, the cats weren't quite direct fit. One of the cats (not sure which one) didn't have a hole bored for the O2 sensor so my mechanic had to drill that in. Otherwise, things seem to be going okay.