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franklin2

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Hmm, forgive me, I would say the engine itself is louder maybe, and the exhaust. I know he did a tune up but I did my own tune up a few years back with the help of a mechanic buddy of mine and that didn’t change the overall loudness. Truck used to go vroom vroom now it goes VROOM VROOM!!! Haha. The engine definitely sounds more powerful I guess I would say. I know he took my O2 sensor out, it’s currently sitting above my glove box...?
Some people drive a pipe through the converter and knock the guts out of it. Maybe he did that.
 


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Thats a lot of work. That mechanic doesn't sound like the "lot of work" kind of guy. Besides. If he did that, the restriction would be gone and he could have left the O2 sensor in place.
 

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i remember what I replaced was on the drivers side frame rail like you said
There are technically two fuel filters on the frame rail - one in a round metal canister that is pretty close to the engine cross-member and sometimes, but not always, one inside a round black plastic canister. That canister is located right next to the transfer case if your truck is 4 wheel drive, or a little past the end of the trans if it's 2wd. I say sometimes but not always because Ford put filters in them for a while and then left them empty... you may or may not have a filter in there.
 

Cees Klumper

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Today I replaced my complete exhaust system. I am in California and the catalytic converter cost me $509 plus tax, ouch. Last weekend my muffler blew a big gash (backfire on the highway I suspect) and, although I welded a piece of sheet metal over that that closed it up, the car also had suffered a ruptured fuel pressure regulator that caused a few gallons of raw fuel to wash straight into the exhaust system and burned up there with huge clouds of smoke - according to a mechanic buddy who helped me diagnose and fix it, this likely destroyed the cat. So rather than chancing it at the annual smog check, I decided to just replace the whole system. The old one was welded together so had to cut it in two sections to get it out, and installed a Magnaflow dual cat, California/CARB appropriate, without welding but with the proper gaskets, spring bolts etc. The muffler and tailpipes were only about $65 together. Anyway, now the system is a whole lot quieter, and although the truck was running really well and strong (with its 230,000 miles), it seems even peppier now. So I am happy I bit the bullet, and will feel a whole lot more confident when I pull up to the SMOG station next month.
 

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I used Cat-a-Clean in my son's Mustang when it developed the rotten egg smell and that fixed it right up. I think the problem was that it got stored in the winters when he was in college only driven sparingly on the occasional weekend. On the other hand, it did not fix the cats and CEL on my Sport Trac last year to pass emissions but the truck had 183,000 miles on it then and I had to get new cats.

So my take is that it CAN work but then it might not.

Johnny O's First Rule Of Auto Repair: If you're not sure what the problem is, start with the cheapest fix first. (y)
 
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Nice! I am now thinking about replacing my whole exhaust system, but like I said before I’m no mechanic. I do have a friend that is willing to help and used to be a mechanic. He was saying if my cat is plugged and I also have exhaust leaks elsewhere( which I do) right after the cat I believe, then maybe I should just do the whole exhaust system. Was saying it would probably be easier even than just dealing with the cat but more expensive. I don’t know much about the exhaust system so if anyone can help me out it would be much appreciated. Do I just order all the parts separate or is there somewhere I can get the total package? Estimated cost and expected labor for replacing just the cat vs. the whole exhaust? I know you said around $500 for the cat and $65 for muffler and tailpipes, is that everything I need? Someone else had posted in this thread a link to the cat at rock auto I think for around $150 I believe. I put cataclean in today but don’t think that’s going to cut it. Anyway, any help would be great, please and thank you.
 

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Cees Klumper

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Hi Sean - what type of catalytic converter you need depends on your state, likely you can get away with a much cheaper one. You will also need a clamp for the tailpipe, and possibly a gasket or two (my cat came with two gaskets so I did not need any). Cheaper cats go for under $100, so if your friend can help you install it, you could be looking at less than $250. In my case, my muffler not only had a gash at the bottom, but also at the top (which I only saw when I removed the whole system). Now the truck is much quieter. Good luck!
 

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Here's a page with the walker numbers for the exhaust. This is handy when searching on the internet for the parts you need. Some can be found on ebay, some on amazon, some on rockauto, some at your local parts store. Welcome to owning a older vehicle.

It may be cheaper to see if you can find a shop to custom bend the whole thing and weld it up.

 

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There are technically two fuel filters on the frame rail - one in a round metal canister that is pretty close to the engine cross-member and sometimes, but not always, one inside a round black plastic canister. That canister is located right next to the transfer case if your truck is 4 wheel drive, or a little past the end of the trans if it's 2wd. I say sometimes but not always because Ford put filters in them for a while and then left them empty... you may or may not have a filter in there.
So my cat issue is resolved, but all the cleaner I put in tank must have knocked a lot of other stuff loose because now I’m having other issues. Truck wouldn’t start, wasn’t getting fuel, replace fuel filter at the end of the line closest to engine. Truck starts, everything was good for a few days until today. The other one you were talking about between the tank and pump, the black plastic canister( online found as fuel reservoir) is leaking, pretty badly. Auto part stores don’t have it, kind of hard to find from what I gather. I think I can find online but are there any tips or anything you are aware of that I should try first?
 

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Some of them have an O ring that seals it...some do not. You could use some JB weld fuel tank sealer (steel stik I think is that it's called) to seal it up if you can't find one online or at a junkyard. They are used on full size trucks too, easy to find if your local junkyard has older trucks. Its purpose from what I can tells is to more or less equalize fuel supply between the two pumps so that neither starves. Needlessly complicated system and typical of 80's Ford.
 
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Some of them have an O ring that seals it...some do not. You could use some JB weld fuel tank sealer (steel stik I think is that it's called) to seal it up if you can't find one online or at a junkyard. They are used on full size trucks too, easy to find if your local junkyard has older trucks. Its purpose from what I can tells is to more or less equalize fuel supply between the two pumps so that neither starves. Needlessly complicated system and typical of 80's Ford.
Thanks. I guess I’ll just go get some hose clamps and pull it off and have a look
 

franklin2

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Some of them have an O ring that seals it...some do not. You could use some JB weld fuel tank sealer (steel stik I think is that it's called) to seal it up if you can't find one online or at a junkyard. They are used on full size trucks too, easy to find if your local junkyard has older trucks. Its purpose from what I can tells is to more or less equalize fuel supply between the two pumps so that neither starves. Needlessly complicated system and typical of 80's Ford.
I have been told these older Ford fuel injected trucks have no baffling in the tanks like the newer ones do. So the reservoir was to keep the fuel supply going when the fuel in the tank sloshes around. Not sure if it's true, but all the newer trucks do have the "fuel cartridge" in the tank which is basically the fuel pump inside a plastic pipe that sits on the bottom of the fuel tank. That must help hold fuel around the pump as you are going around turns, and the return line dumps inside the pipe also.
 

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I have been told these older Ford fuel injected trucks have no baffling in the tanks like the newer ones do. So the reservoir was to keep the fuel supply going when the fuel in the tank sloshes around. Not sure if it's true, but all the newer trucks do have the "fuel cartridge" in the tank which is basically the fuel pump inside a plastic pipe that sits on the bottom of the fuel tank. That must help hold fuel around the pump as you are going around turns, and the return line dumps inside the pipe also.
I've never been in a tank newer than '98 but I have never seen baffles. I've also never seen that cartridge thing you speak of in a Ranger... I know what you're talking about though, I have a Mustang sending unit on my bench with that enclosure around the pump. Quite possible that it does hold some fuel although how much I don't know - it's just kinda clipped around the pump... no seals or anything to keep fuel inside it.

89 and newer RBVs have a single pump so as long as the
 

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