Catalytic converter questions

[Kojoff]

OK, I have a question I cannot seem to find a thread on. Please forgive me if there is one and I have overlooked it.
So, here is my issue. I have a 97 Eddie Bauer edition with 4-wheel drive and a 5.4L. A couple of years ago, the cats stopped up and I parked it. Well, it set there and my son had an issue with his vehicle so, I pulled my 97 out of mothballs and removed the cats from the truck and gutted them, and put them back on the truck as a temporary fix for him to drive till his issue was resolved. It works ok, runs rich as expected, and stalls out at idle in gear once in a while. I have been researching and I have a couple of other trucks (I like to collect scrap) that are not Expeditions. I have a 97 F-150 4 wheel drive with a 4.6 and a 98 Econoline with 5.4. Has anyone "recycled" cats from another truck, and does anyone have any experience with using "used" cats? Would these even work on my Expy? Additionally, I just do not have the money to purchase new parts to fix it the way I know it should be fixed right now. The economy is hitting some of us extremely hard right now. Thanks in advance for any hints and advice.

 

[tack87]

I do believe that the cats from the F150 WOULD FIT.

 

[Ellison Brown III]

I they should fit as well. Get under both, and make a mental note of each. Possibly, take some measurements.

 

[Ellison Brown III]

Might be able to find something cheap at the junkyard.

 

[MesaGuy]

The 4.6L engine cats DO NOT interoperate with the 5.4L cats, they lookup with different part numbers,, and the two engines, exhuast manifolds, and hence exhaust system including cat demensions has different measurements.

The 1998 Econoline 5.4L catalytic converters will work if they are the same Federal (EPA) vs. CA-emissions type between the two vehicles.

If you go to rockauto.com - you can buy new after market, Federal version (EPA) cats for about $250 each side ($500 before shipping, another $40 with shipping.)

Rockauto also sells a "send-in-and-refurb" service for about $200 a side on some vehicles. (Lookup the Econoline 5.4L at rockauto, and you can see that link. You could probably also use that service with your existing cored-out cats. Send them in, get them back rebuilt with new cores for about $200 each side, but the shipping for these heavy items is probably pretty steep as an add-on cost.

If you are trying to use one of the donor vehicle parts, I'd measure up the Econoline 5.4L. More of a chance it will fit. The 4.6L and 5.4L engine cats all have different part numbers. Different numbers means that they either have different dimensions (probably) or else different loads of platinum in the honeycomb (the 4.6L would have less if that is the case, and would then be unsuitable for the 5.4L)

 

[tack87]

I missed the 4.6 detail, that changes things.