Catalytic converter/exhaust question

I’ve been struggling to get mine buttoned up/squared away aka, happy.

I had replaced everything from front cat to muffler. I have a 3.4, so two cats, front & rear. Well, according to the Toyota parts sites they are both cats. I’ve heard some don’t consider the rear one a cat.

Anyway, short story long kristi will try to keep it short. After 3 Wagner mufflers, all having leaks at welds or seams, NAPA agreed to refund my $$. I purchased an AP. Nice, because the intermediate pipe is welded to the muffler….

Two things, the front cat I noticed is pretty darned dark. In fact I thought it was black when I crawled under a couple of days ago. I know they don’t stay all nice & pretty, but is this normal after say, a year? I checked it with an infrared temp gun & it checks out. About 30 degrees higher at the rear than front. (415 front, 445, rear).

Brings me to my second question. The rear “cat” does not register the same way. Its front temp is about 60 degrees higher at the front than the rear. Is this how it’s supposed to be? Keep in mind my muffler is leaking, so I’m not sure if that would affect it. (Struggling to recall if it was 290 or 190 at the front. I wanna say 290).

I just don’t wanna dismantle & then reassemble again, only to find out that Wagner part is also a piece of junk.

 

... put the temperature laser down. Where is the exhaust leak- solve that. Then worry about whether the cats are working (they almost certainly are).

 

ok. Sounds good….

 

Make sure you get Cali cats. you most likely have a California emissions truck.

 

Funny you should mention that. I had painted my hood along with, yes, the identifying sticker. Via the VIN, I did find out my truck was manufactured in California. So after two calls to corporate Toyota (no help) & then one to a Toyota dealer parts dept (help), it was determined I do not have cal emissions. Course he could have been wrong, although he sounded pretty darned sure of himself.

What makes you say I most likely do? I’m open to him being incorrect….

 

Not saying it's impossible, but I am pretty sure all 01-04 are cali emissions. Also pretty sure that all 1st gen (95-04) trucks were made in Freemont CA (NUMMI).

 

Like Andy said, all 1st gens were made in California and around some time in the late 90s, Toyota started making all of them 50 state compliant so your 01 should definitely be.

I'm fairly certain the non-50 state emissions ones only got 1 catalytic converter anyhow, not 2. But regardless an 01 should be 50 state compliant.

 

Even if it is a CA emissions vehicle, you don't *have* to get 50 state legal cats unless your state/region adheres to CA smog restrictions. But, if you put cheaper/non 50 state legal ones in, you might have problems with tripping a code (p0420) sooner than later.

 

At 1st when I thought I must be cali, I got a magnaflow. Oddnesses is it would not line up at the manifold. I compared it to my original & determined the holes were like 2mm off. Figured it was a defect & exchanged it. Same thing. Then my conversations with both magnaflow & Toyota took place. I went to a OEM direct fit magnaflow. Didn’t fit.

Got an AP direct fit, federal & it slid right on.

Not saying that doesn’t mean I’m not cali. Just not sure what options are out there. & I’m really not happy with Wagner. Just this muffler deal is pissin me off….

 

Plus the magnaflow had about 1/2in of the pipe protruding at the manifold flange, which left a gap. Actually, maybe I did get a Wagner somewhere in the mix. It leaked at a weld & had this extra 1/2in.
My original does not have the 1/2in. It sat flush to the manifold, like the AP.

 

It wouldn't be a good Kristi thread without a parts fiasco

 

Right?!?! Bad parts magnet….
& I’m sure in some? (more than that?) instances, user error….

 

LOL.

So, are you getting codes? Or what are we trying to correct here?

 

Rock auto has walker Cali emissions cats. I just replaced my front cat an attempt to fix my p0420 code. Check for exhaust leaks too and your o2 sensors.

 

No codes. However I have my suspicions as to whether my code detector works correctly. I’ve had things that were not ok & no code.

Anyway, I was asking about whether my infrared temp readings were ok. Muffler is not. I know that. Then the conversation went to cali or not. Took off from there.

 

Tired of crappy walker parts. I did get one & it was leaking at the weld, so back it went. Thank you though. Plus that one had that 1/2in pipe protrusion I alluded to earlier. I’m not sure what’s up with that. Am I the only one who has had an issue with this? It leaves 1/4in gap between the cat & the manifold. My original was not like that. Met right up to the manifold.

 

Most people are chasing codes when dealing with exhaust. The codes are built into the engine management system - it uses the data from the sensors to adjust fuel/air ratios to get things within a range. Any bad sensor or bad values or inability to adjust things to get them in range will throw a code - it's not a separate system for detecting codes. No codes is good!

So what is the issue you are chasing? Are you hearing an exhaust leak? Sounds can telegraph and seem like they are coming from one spot when they are actually coming from another.

Oh, and how are the shocks working now? That was quite the journey.

 

Has your truck ever not passed emissions in Massachusetts? I just stuck the cheap Magnaflow cat on there @ $240, and it worked fine from an Ex Holyoke'r

 

I don’t think so? My original was pretty patched up. I have recollections of tubes of permatex & JB weld. That was before I knew the importance of the exhaust to engine relationship & would probably help explain, in part anyway, all the carbon I cleaned up when I ventured into the intake manifold….
All that to say, that even if I did not fail emissions, I most likely would have had I gone in between patch jobs….
I don’t have to pass anymore though….

 

Soooo…. I am hearing a faint rattle or something when I give the number two cat a shake. Twas not there when I 1st installed….
I had this happen with the 1st front cat I purchased. Prior to install I gave it a shake….
When I called AP about it, I was told it was weld slag (the guy was from NC with a heavy southern drawl, so it sounds like weeeellld slaaaag in my head). He told me to exchange it for a new one.

Opinions?