1997 Tacoma 2.7l Smog Questions

So I have recently been having some issues with getting my smog done.

My smog guy is saying that I need two catalytic converters, and with him knowing I only have one, he can't test it.

One of the codes under the hood has "twc+twc" which would mean 2x three way converter.

I just had a new universal one swapped out with old one.

Looking online at OEM exhaust parts, it seems like it only has one.
https://parts.olathetoyota.com/auto...gine/exhaust-system-cat/exhaust-manifold-scat

Is the front pipe considered a converter?

 

97 Tacoma's only had 1. I believe in 2001 is when they changed it to 2.

California models may have been different. If your truck was a cali model it may have had 2

 

Oh yeah, forgot to say that I am in California. That's kind of important

Would it be two of the same converters in-line? or would the second converter be a different style?

In searching for 2.7l Toyota converters, I saw one for a 4runner that looked like it came out closer to the manifold inside the engine bay, vs being under the cab. Almost like a turbo'd cars downpipe.

 

Yeah there was a smaller one farther up I believe, like a 4runner. It was cali model trucks only in 97

 

smmarine, thank you for your help.

I found the correct part. And jeeze it's expensive.

https://parts.olathetoyota.com/oem-...0YWNvbWEmeT0yMDAxJnQ9YmFzZSZlPTItN2wtbDQtZ2Fz

I am unsure of the history of my car. Looking underneath, it seems like someone replaced the California version of the front pipe with a standard one. Maybe it got smashed or broke somehow in the past and was replaced with something cheaper.

Does anyone know if the low emissions and w/o low emissions version would look the same? I would assume that it looks different. But all I have seen so far are the crude drawings.

Would it be common to run an extra standard cat versus paying the $1,000 for a replacement?

I would be worried about the O2 sensors not being in the correct places.

 

My sticker also says 2 converters but what I have is just a pipe between the exhaust manifold and cc next to transmission. Unless this piece of pipe is called "converter " I have only one cc. I'm sure the truck came like that from the factory when I bought it. I never had an issue with smog because of that. But California is changing rules every year making it more and more difficult to pass the burocracy so now it might be different. After I had cc stolen and my insurance (f***ing Liberty Mutual) refused to pay for OEM I had it replaced with aftermarket one. It was good for smog inspector for next 4 years and on the 5th year Smog inspector refused to pass it because "not approved model for the truck year, model, engine". Muffler shop which originally put it on replaced this cc free of charge for the "approved one". The old cc was approved 4 years before, and 5th year California changed rules so perfectly good working cc was not "good for EPA" anymore.

Stupid California Emission - this is the one thing I don't miss after my move out of there.