Catalytic Converter Stolen- DIY or take to shop?

When I started my truck this morning, it sounded like a monster truck. I thought great, something blew up in the engine. I popped the hood and nothing was wrong. Then when I went to the passenger side I noticed some AA batteries and some cheap, torn up saw-zaw looking blades on the ground and pieces of metal everywhere. I was really worried someone was stealing parts or trying to cut apart my truck, but they only cut the exhaust pipe and took the catalytic converter. I'm not sure why they would want it, and I'm pretty sure the scrap yards cant take them either. I checked out all of the other cars in the area, and mine was the only one that was hit. Guess there are some advantages of having a car with no ground clearance.

You think this would be a DIY project, or should I just take it to a shop? I called around a couple different places, and they all were in the $400-500 range for parts and labor.

 

Time to call insurance and the cops make a report. This isn't uncommon but it is not cheap to replace. Sorry to hear you lost a cat and i hope the thief dies a slow horrible death.

 

That sucks man. Replacement cats aren't cheap anywhere you go. You would have to buy a new cat then take it to a shop to be welded on. Another option is just to buy a new performance y pipe for less than the price of one new cat. Or you could take it to a shop and have them replace the missing pipe and just run your truck without the rear two cats.

Are both rear catalytic converters missing?

 

Cats are extremely valuable for what's in them, namely gold.

 

I think you mean platinum

 

When I need to replace my cats...I bought direct fit MagnaFlows, they were pretty reasonable, not terribly expensive to install.

Have had them on there for 3yrs now with ZERO CEL's.

Shop around on the net for the cheapest price, couple of vendors here offer discounts too.

 

Thars gold in them there cats! Maybe not a lot but there is some

 

And palladium and rhodium. Platinum trades around $1600/oz, palladium around $700/oz and rhodium around $1400/oz.

 

Why even bother getting it welded? They didn't use a wrench...they sawed it off. I had a plate fabbed up to keep the cats from being stolen...another alternative is the cat clamp.

 

What would you rather him him do, duck tape it on? I'm not saying weld it to prevent theft, You weld it because that's how you attach exhaust piping, not with shitty pipe clamps.

 

I'm with OffroadToy, get a plate fab'd up and if you've got any razor wire handy, apply it around you cat. Try and make it as slow and as difficult as possible for them to steal the cat. If they can't get it out quickly, hopefully, they'll look elsewhere.
There's been a rash of cat thefts up here recently.
Mark

 

It's pretty messed up and beyond what I can easily repair on my own, so I'm going to take it to a shop tomorrow. I have to do a smog test too (I know, perfect timing to have this cut out), so I don't want to wait.

It makes me furious, but it's not the end of the world, and it could have been worse. Just makes me mad knowing the thief will get maybe $30 for the scrap, I would have given him $100 to leave me alone.

 

I have seen some lock devices and alarm systems to stop catalytic converter theft, but maybe it could be as simple as a shock sensor hooked up to your existing alarm. the parts would cost less than $10. I think the old spring type mechanical shock sensors would work best. It would probably have to be insulated from the heat and somehow weatherproofed. It could be placed most anywhere along the exhaust system.

This would detect movement from sawing or unbolting and trigger the alarm.

These come with a long metal tab, and they're just $5.99.

Ebay item link