cat-less y-pipe for 2003 4.0 SOHC

[03FX4LEVELII]

I am in need of a replacement exhaust from the heads all the way to the tailpipe. The engine that was in I blew a head gasket and coolant ruined the cats and one of the manifolds was cracked near the collector.

My question is will a y-pipe from a 94 ranger 4.0 fit a 2003 4.0 at the stock location allowing for use of 2003 manifolds or headers? These look to be the same minus the cat preheaters and buying the 94 version is significantly cheaper. I'm not quite comfortable dropping the money for OE replacement on a 17-year-old vehicle that is only used for Snow/Work/Play
2003 version Walker 50202
1994 version walker 50206

I plan to still use the factory cats from a 1994 that bolts up to the 94 y-pipe if so

If this will not work is there a cheaper than OE option that will work? or an option similar in price but better performance?

 

[adsm08]

No, it won't work. Side by side the two Y-pipes look very similar, but I tried this with my 4.0 SOHC swap and my existing 4.0 OHV Y-pipe. I could kind of get both collectors on the manifolds, but they didn't seal right and the end of it would have hit the cab floor, if the cab had been on the frame.

I made it work by cutting the collectors off, setting the rest of the exhaust in, and making bent adapters to go from the collectors to the rest of the pipe that put it in the right spot. Given the places I needed access to and the trouble I had with a bare frame and engine, I seriously doubt the pipe could be re-made with the cab on.

The exhaust, cats and all, are tuned to flow optimally for mid-band power in stock form. The cats are much larger than the rest of the pipes so that they have the same flow capacity even with the catalyst matrix in there. You will not gain any performance from changing or removing anything, only shift where in the RPM band the power is made.

You will experience a few other issues using the cat system from a 94. It will set a check engine light for cat efficiency for one. That will probably be the most noticeable to you.

How ruined are the cats? It may be worth trying to run it and burn them clean, if they aren't melted. A few bottles of cat-a-clean or similar may help. You can also check with local muffler shops, they may be able to make you something for less than the Walker.

 

[Jarhead Ranger]

I am in need of a replacement exhaust from the heads all the way to the tailpipe. The engine that was in I blew a head gasket and coolant ruined the cats and one of the manifolds was cracked near the collector.

My question is will a y-pipe from a 94 ranger 4.0 fit a 2003 4.0 at the stock location allowing for use of 2003 manifolds or headers? These look to be the same minus the cat preheaters and buying the 94 version is significantly cheaper. I'm not quite comfortable dropping the money for OE replacement on a 17-year-old vehicle that is only used for Snow/Work/Play
2003 version Walker 50202
1994 version walker 50206

I plan to still use the factory cats from a 1994 that bolts up to the 94 y-pipe if so

If this will not work is there a cheaper than OE option that will work? or an option similar in price but better performance?

Ever find anything cheaper? I am trying to redo my 05 4.0 SOHC Ranger.

 

[sgtsandman]

Ever find anything cheaper? I am trying to redo my 05 4.0 SOHC Ranger.

The original poster hasn't been back since August of 2020. Hopefully they have their notifications setup so they get an email. If not, chances are not good you will get an answer. Good luck!

 

[gw33gp]

You should seriously find a good muffler shop. I had to replace the cat system for my 02 4.0 SOHC engine. I thought using a complete Walker system would be the way to go. As soon as i received it I realized it had thinner gauge pipe and was much lighter. I installed it thinking it should be a good system and would still be durable.

Unfortunately, it kept breaking in several areas. After several warranty replacements I designed a reinforcement for the hanger attachment between the two main cats and that fixed that failure prone area.

The cracking near the flanges on the Y-pipe at the manifold connection was a more difficult one to resolve. I have a brother that has an automotive shop in Kansas which is also a muffler shop. I asked if he could get thick wall SS exhaust pipe and replace that section of the flange areas. He had the equipment to make the flanges and was able to find the thicker pipe I needed. He cut out about 6" of the thin wall pipes and welded in the thicker wall pipe with the proper flanges. He also found the Y-pipe was strained and cut it near the junction and welded in a new section to relieve that stress.

That repair has held up very well for over 40K miles with many of those being off-road in very rough conditions. If I had known of this problem when I needed to replace the cats, I would have kept the original exhaust system and just had new cats installed.