Stolen Catalytic Converter

toedtoes wrote:

ol Bombero-JC wrote:
"Becoming very common in California."

VERY common EVERYWHERE !!...:S

Visit YouTube to view various anti-theft devices and options for same.

The cats are NOT being re-sold by salvage yards - they are destroyed to recover the precious metals.

Your comprehensive insurance (minus deductible) may cover it.

Replacement is not cheap - no matter where a replacement is sourced..:(


.

This.

And there are a ton of regulations, federal and state, that restrict the allowable replacement parameters. I would go through my insurance and a reputable shop to get the work done, especially if you live in a state with required smog checks.

BTW - also correct. The forum omitted the quoted "format" on my original reply to "lwidds", but at least the quotations are there.

~

ol Bombero-JC wrote:
"Becoming very common in California."

VERY common EVERYWHERE !!...:S

Visit YouTube to view various anti-theft devices and options for same.

The cats are NOT being re-sold by salvage yards - they are destroyed to recover the precious metals.

Your comprehensive insurance (minus deductible) may cover it.

Replacement is not cheap - no matter where a replacement is sourced..:(


.

"TOEDTOES" - You incorrectly attributed the post by "lwiddis" to me...:(

I quoted from lwiddis' post - as above - stating Catalytic Converter theft is very common *everywhere* !!.... Which, of course it is - including California.

And This: All the above is correct.

~

ferndaleflyer wrote:
If you have no emissions inspections who knows or cares if you have a straight pipe. I have 2 pickups that haven’t had converters in years.

Most states have SOME "form" of checking/testing emissions, operating without ALL emission related equipment in place AND operating can be a hassle.

Myself, I am lucky to be just outside a county that DOES do full emissions testing, my county only requires the safety inspection mechanics to merely check to make sure cats are not missing.

As far as a vehicle operating fine without Cats, you obviously do not have a newer modern emission system or you have chipped your vehicle to bypass emissions.

OPs system is on a 2003 V10, 2003 typically will only have upstream O2 sensors which are before the cats, it may appear to "work fine" without cats but the reality is without having the back pressure of the cats those sensors will report back to the engine computer INCORRECT oxygen levels. The upstream O2 sensors are what the engine computer uses to detect the fuel mixture information. This WILL affect the fuel trim which can lead to an overly "rich" fuel mixture or an overly "lean" fuel mixture. This results in burning excessive fuel (dropping mileage) and if overly lean the engine will run excessively hot and possibly damage the engine.

Many vehicles sold specifically for California before 2003 CAN have upstream AND downstream O2 sensors and without a cat in place and operating it WILL cause a check engine light to stay lit..

I know emissions systems were changed between 2003 and 2006 and our 2006 5.4 V8 had BOTH upstream and downstream O2 sensors and I can assure you, ANY malfunction of the upstream or downstream 02 sensors CAN AND WILL affect the engines performance and mileage plus set the check engine light.. Been there, done that..

As far as cats, generics are not all that expensive considering the cost of a vehicle, we paid less than $250 per cat for generics (2006 5.4 had TWO cats, one for each bank).. The generic replacements work fine, we had no issue with them..

OPs 2003, the thieves may have done the OP a favor, that is within the yrs of cats known to suffer with the rattle of death in which the internal cat structure would fail and start rattling until it clogs..

If you have no emissions inspections who knows or cares if you have a straight pipe. I have 2 pickups that haven’t had converters in years.

Six or seven years ago we had to have the Cat replaced on the F150 5.4. Cost was about 400.00-500.00 at Ford Dealer.
As log as the ox sensor is in front of that Ca a pipe will suffice.

Catch the Vision wrote:
..... future thefts. They weld a sheet underneath that protects the cat. What are your thoughts on this protection device?

One caution on putting a shield underneath. Cats generate a LOT of heat and require breathing room for heat dissipation. I would not be blocking it in any way. Possible fire hazard.

Protection device would work similar to a heat shield.
Generic cat or exact OEM replacement?

I appreciate all of the replies. Yesterday I found a muffler shop, Scott's Mufflers in Beaumont who is going to take care of it. He said they have created and designed their own security device to protect from future thefts. They weld a sheet underneath that protects the cat. What are your thoughts on this protection device? Thanks so much everyone!

That reminds me of an ole 77 Caprice that I had that somebody had put a test pipe in. If you ran a half tank of AMACO ultimate thru it and then hit the smog test it would romp thru there in flying colors. :h

That really sucks. But there is no wayI would cancel a trip. Yes I would put a "test" tube in the gap. There is no reason any physically normal person couldn't do it.