price on cat's seems high...?

[Mickey Bitsko]

Hey guys.. I have to replace both front cats on my 2000 4.0 ohv and the best price I can find is $200 each, does that sound right...?
Dang California emissions:bawling
I guess it is what it is.

 

[96firephoenix]

that sounds right for the cali-only ones. out here in Free America, they are only about $120/each.

 

[Mickey Bitsko]

The mechanic that ordered them said they come as one piece , I guess meaning they have the flange for exhaust manifolds and the tail piece for the other two cats, I dunno..I just have to get it done, I shouldn't complain , they are 173K and 15years old. It pinches a a little if you know what I mean

 

[adsm08]

The direct fit ones are expensive because they are direct fit. On the later Rangers they are part of the Y pipe to boot, which jacks the price further.

I just did a cat on an 09 (under warranty thankfully), the left was $600 and the right was almost $1000.

 

[Tedybear]

Price is decent. Just ordered a new cat and downpipe for our Beetle. (Great German Car...)

Dealership was over $900. Other stores not understanding the "CARB" laws that NY put into effect kept trying to sell me one for Cali emissions. Yes kids. New York State now REQUIRES all cars sold after I think 2014 to meet Cali Emissions standards.

Finally found a parts house in NYC that has them for $159 with a 5 year warranty. After taxes and shipping it's under $200. I had to call the parts rep yesterday from work as they had to play 20 questions with me so they knew it was a legal sale to a NYS resident.

We need to kick our rep's in the arse over that nonsense. Federal Emissions are fine for the rest of the country. CA has it's own set of issues.

S-

 

[adsm08]

Yeah, PA has been a CARB state since 05. The ONLY good thing that comes of it is the 8 year 80K mile California Emissions warranty on things like cats and computers.

 

[Mickey Bitsko]

adsm08/tedybear, Thank you for your input, adsm08, I always respect your opinion because your a cert ford tech, anyway thank all of you.
The mechanic told me he could hollow them out but rcomended we don"t ,if I ever wanted to sell the truck I would have to replace them anyway, living in the little town here we don't have emission tests [yet], but I'do want the old girl to be right and this is what it takes

 

[adsm08]

Hollowing cats is iffy. If you are in a pinch and have to drive it and they are collapsed it will get you on the road. My personal experience has been that it produces undesirable results if done incorrectly. To do it right you need to put a pipe in place that is the same size as the rest of the pipes. If you just punch them out and put the housing back in empty, like I did years ago, you loose highway mileage. I dropped an average 2 MPG.

 

[Mickey Bitsko]

Not going to mess with altering the cat's , just buy the new parts. I'm pretty sure these are original, if I get half the life of the new ones I'll be happy.

I think I've read your comments before on guy's that want to or have gutted their cats and causes the trucks to not run right or it messes the computer ,
I don't want to chance it or throw money away..

Thanks..
d

 

[adsm08]

For the most part it will run OK, and it won't really mess with the computer. The real thing with it is that the heads and exhaust system are tuned to flow with that restriction in place because the exhaust system scavenges itself. If you remove that you put a big pocket of dead space in the system that makes the engine work harder at certain points in the RPM range. Plus the only truly toxic component of exhaust is the NOx and that's what the cats are there to deal with.

 

[Mickey Bitsko]

That makes sense, I know engines are supposed to a certain amount of back pressure. My milage the last 300 miles had gone right in the dumper. I believe the mechanic said there was 200 degrees temperature between the cats and there is a 'rattling noise", behind the cat in the exhaust pipe and said thats one telltale sign on the bad cat side, but I'm going to change them both, they are original I believe.

 

[willy]

How many cats does your 2000 have mine had 2 total and it was a cali truck with a 4.0 if you need just the cats i have the ones out of my truck there not going back in we would have to figure out shipping

 

[Mickey Bitsko]

It has four, I'm going to keep it stock, if I ever sell it , could be a problem.
I'm not planning selling but, you never know.

 

[Karbuster]

so i have a 2003 4.0l in washington that the cats just took a poop on, laid back area, never even seen an emissions test performed (and i travel between the northwest states a lot) i hope its just the back 2 that are bad and not the front two cause if it is im going to just bet a pipe fabbed up to replace the back two and replace the muffler with an aftermarket. What do you guys think?