Had my catalytic converter stolen - Smog check isn't until next year so I'm gonna buy a long flex pipe until then.
If the pipe diameter is 2.5" but the flex pipe is 3" do you think it will crack when I clamp it down? Or should I buy the same size flex pipe and couple together with a band (probably noisier)?
Also frick California for making me buy the most expensive Catalytic Converter to pass inspection.
do americans really need their cars inspected annually?
Depends on state and county. America isn't a monolith
>Depends on state and county. America isn't a monolith
here's a hilarious one. in NC once a vehicle is 40 years old (and I think it's even lower now), no matter how much you drive it, IT NEVER EVER HAS TO BE INSPECTED AGAIN.
Actually that's a thing here in PA too but it's a different registration. 25 years I think you can get classic tags.
in ontario you only need an inspection if it'the vehicle is changing ownership
Commercial vehicles have to be inspected yearly. And it's not just big trucks, it also applies to company-owned sedans and self-employed workers.
We have zero inspections of any kind in Florida.
I’ve never heard of any inspections in canadian texas (alberta) either.
Why do we go through all this fuss of stealing and replacing catalytic converters when there are millions of unneeded converters sitting in states like Florida? I reckon you could make a lot of money running a service to replace cats in Florida with a tube like OP and resell them a few states over.
It is actually illegal to drive a car without a catalytic converter in FL
the lack of inspections does not make it legal.
No one cares, thats it.
Don't know how it is in Florida, but most states and provinces that do not have mandatory periodic inspections will still have some type of mandatory inspection that could end up biting you in the ass. Store it for more than a year? Get in a major accident and still want to repair your car? Registered under a company name? Must inspect before renewing registration.
>most states and provinces that do not have mandatory periodic inspections will still have some type of mandatory inspection that could end up biting you in the ass. Store it for more than a year?
What the frick are you talking about. These threads are always so stupid with some moron thinking their gay ass state applies to everyone
>Thinks it applies to everyone
I'm literally saying in my post that things vary from one state to another. Cop pulls your over, sees you have a broken windshield and a burnt tail light? Have to get your car inspected in the next 48h.
What state are you in? I'm sure I can find code that can force you to get your car inspected.
Based Florida.
Illinois has them every 2 years, but they just plug into the OBD2 and make sure no codes. It’s moronic though, the last few years I was in that shithole, they closed down more and more testing facilities so you pretty much have to take a whole day off to go sit in line there.
People who want to get around fixing their shitbox just transfer the title to their brother every 2 years.
In pa that's all we do in practice. I'm supposed to visually inspect for shenanigans but nobody does. Just obd, the we test the gas cap which is stupid the car checks for that too. Older than 96 all I'm supposed to do is visual inspection and only on things I don't have to take apart to see. Like if you're plastic cover covers up the pcv, idk government couldn't see it was there.
Go watch an episode of Just Rolled In and then tell me how you feel about annual inspections
Go watch South Main Auto and the shit he works on that's rotted away and cracked in half and tell me how you feel NY's mandatory safety inspections "work".
Other countries have mandatory inspections. I hear that Germany and the state of California are among the most stringent.
In fact there's EU wide regulations for vehicle inspections which is no later than 4 years after a new vehicle is bought and up to 24 months between checks after that.
California inspection is only for emissions.
As I understand some Eu and Japan actually check for safety and other shit. And sometimes they just say no you have to trash the car and buy a new one like in japan
my understanding of cali emissions is only obd2 inspection, no actual measurement of exhaust gas is taken directly?
Yes and it's dead easy to spoof.
depends on state but its part of getting your license plate renewed where im at becomes a requirement to get new plates or up to date stickers
Depends on the county in my state. No inspection in mine.
When I was I'm yuropooria, it was a yearly inspection and I had to pay ~350 EUR tax because my car was euro 4 not euro 5, whatever the frick that meant.
You yanks dont do yearly mandatory car inspections? Thats pretty unsafe. Every time I learn more about the USA I am amazed how backwards it is.
Also the inspection itself costs 25 euros, mandated repairs can run you more.
>making me buy the most expensive Catalytic Converter
No one is making you do anything. Part the car out.
Why would you waste money on a duct when you could just get a new cat with theft protection?
Muffler shops have flex pipe designed for exhaust systems. They will have sizes not commonly found in hardware stores like 1-7/8 and 2-1/2. Just ask to buy one, they'll sell it.
Vent flex pipe will just burst at FOT or during engine braking.
OP here thanks, if the pipe is 2.5" should I get 2.5" and couple it, or slightly bigger so it slides over and clamp it?
For flex pipe they are actual sizes. For solid pipe, you have to be wary of sizes like 2.5" ID going over 2.5" OD because the pipe won't deform that much. Also get muffler paste. That shit hardens with heat. Just don't go wide open throttle before it's cured.
I forgot to contribute b4 after saying America isn't a monolith my bad. Also pick up and exhaust expander. Google will show you what I'm talking about. Er, this assumes you have an impact gun, anyway it'll help if the exhaust sizes are off a bit.
Oh only use it on the piece you buy. Pop told me old exhaust can tear instead of stretch. Don't know why, and never tested it myself so idk. I follow what he told me cause he told me.
>old exhaust can tear instead of stretch
Makes sense. Rust and work hardening causes stress risers.
Have you secured an alternate supply of dogs until your cat converter gets fixed?
Did you bribe the orderlies to turn off parental controls again, Dad? You know you are supposed to be on the Internet anymore.
>You know you are supposed to be on the Internet
Which is why I'm here. Your get, post, and self are all fails.
Dammit. Foiled by poor proofreading.
>still missing cat converter
Doggone it!
Learn to weld man.
If you live in Los Angeles, Morse Muffler in Burbank will help you out. Guy owns the building and will do a cat weld job for super cheap.
Not sure if your car is one of those cars that needs to back pressure to perform.
Only 12 states still have mandatory car safety inspections if you count that Texas just abolished theirs starting in 2025. We have this thread so often. So few states still have them its strange to me so many anons, from America even, are surprised by this. Is everyone posting here from New England/PA/VA/NC which is pretty much where all the states are that still require them?
Fricking west virginia has them.
Montana doesn't. Get a montana llc and register your vehicle there.
Yeah, same as that region like I fricking said. Dumb fricking moron.
Where in California?
If you are anywhere near LA just go to any Mexican muffler shop with cash and they'll weld in a pipe for you. Shouldn't be more than $40
>go to any Mexican muffler shop
Not anymore. Word is out that illegals have been deported for violating Federal Law.
Car won't run right with the modified gas being picked up by the down stream 02 sensor. You'll run rich as frick. Buy a cheap 48 state no carb car. Weld it in. Also if applicable forge the OE numbers on the car.
What kind of a car do you think he drives? Not all cars have downstream O2 sensor. Besides I doubt its an O2 sensor downstream, its for emission control right? Shouldnt it be CO sensor or hydrocarbon sensor, which would drop the mix to lean? And honestly I dont even know if the downstream sensor affects lambda, or if it just blinks engine light in case of high emissions.
The lambda control feedback loop uses the pre cat sensor in pretty much all modern cars. The pre cat sensor is usually the fancy high dynamic range, high slew rate $$$ sensor fit for this purpose. Post cat in 99% of cases is a simple cheapo lambda sensor just there to monitor converter health.
So OP is going to get some cat efficiency or post cat lambda sensor “signal improbable” code and check engine light, that’s it.
This. I'm not even sure it's possible to use the downstream for fuel trim. It's been altered by the cat anyway.
Also, spark plug defoulers can be used on most cars to turn off that check engine light so it'll still come on if an actual unknown issue arises.
I ran flex pipe in place of a cat for a few years on my '98 4runner. It was only marginally quieter.
Good luck OP.