guttin the cats...

[737jet]

Have a 98 Expedition 4.6l 4x4 and I need the cats gutted. I have another Y pipe wich I plan to use to pass emissions. I want to gutt the cats out of the spare Y pipe I have so I can bolt them on and off as I please.

Here's the problem. I can't really get at the cats towards the Y of the y pipe. 90 degrees makes it hard to shove a pipe down it's throat. Any Ideas? Firecrackers? LOL!

Anything would help at this point. Mine's the one on the right.

 

[tk1971]

What about a long piece of rebar bent to go down into the Y area? Add a sledge hammer and you've gotta party.

tk

 

[737jet]

Yeah it'll get past the 90 but then isn't it kinda stuck in the bend? F it just keeping hammering it down 'er throat?

 

[tk1971]

Keep pounding, then turn the thing upside down and go from the other ends until you get it all out. Once upon a time, I gutted many a cat (just not ever on an expy). The beginning is hard. It gets easier once you get some big chunks out.

 

[737jet]

Thanks bro, I'll remember that. Hey man, couple guys from f150 online warned me not to do this. No power gains.

What's your opinion? Every vehicle I've ever done it to works better. These freakin things have 4 cats and then a Y.

 

[tk1971]

If it was tuned for the restrictive cats, then you would get less backpressure from your exhaust, and therefore you can potentially lose power. Unless, of course you have something that will re-tune the ECU so that it knows that the exhaust is now "free"...

Just understand that by changing the timing and air/fuel mixtures to lean things out, which is what most of those performance enhancers do, will almost certainly require premium fuel to prevent knocking. And with the Expedition's fuel economy (or un-economy?), that might get expensive. Good luck.

tk

 

[green03]

i actually found that too free-flowing on these trucks lead to less part-throttle response.... I added a second muffler behind my magnaflow to add just a bit of backpressure.....

 

[737jet]

That's where you come into play and tune this puppy for a more free flow exhaust. Will get back to you soon green03, I will need your programmer.

Also, I found a used Y pipe that has the cats replaced with pipe.

No need for the party now tk1971!!!!