Hi everyone,
This is my first post on the forums so apologies if I am in the wrong place for this.

I have a 2003 XLT with the 3.0 motor and a standard transmission. A few months ago, the truck started making a rubbing grinding sound when I would coast with the truck in gear, if I would press the accelerator in or push the clutch in the sound would go away. I took the truck to my shop that always works on it and the mechanic diagnosed it with needing a new catalytic converter. That shop sent me to a recommend exhaust shop that confirmed the catalytic converter is bad, the exhaust shop wanted $1,800 to replace both the Y pipe and main converters. I took the truck to another exhaust shop and they quoted the same pricing saying that most of the cost of this repair is the parts (they use the same vendor I think), labor for the job was about $150. I do not really want to spend $1,800 to fix this and if I could find a way to do it for less I would like to go down that path. Part of the reason the parts are so expensive the exhaust shop also said was due to the truck needing CARB (California) compliant catalytic converters this is due to the truck being sold new in California. I live in Oregon which does not follow CARB regulations. I have found a few catalytic converter assemblies online that are significantly less but they are 48 state compliant not CARB. Now we get to my question, if I were to purchase and install the 48 state compliant converters, will the truck get damaged or damage the new converters? I have read that by running a different converter, the truck could burn it out pretty quickly if the ecu is not re-flashed to run a leaner mixture. Is this true or is the truck old enough that this doesn't matter?

Thanks in advance!

 

Bugger it i would do it myself, if the cats are bad then the header ones you should just need, unbolt it yourself and fit a new one ..link below... california regs suck in my opinion, you should be ok fitting this cat.... even junkyards will have them used.... that sound pushing clutch in dont seem like cats to me, when cats melt they will rattle, and even stop engine running you should be able to get under truck and bang on the cats, find the one that has the rattle...

https://www.exhaustking.com/ford-ran...erter/wal50203

 

Thanks for the suggestion! I think I am going to keep looking until I come across a set I like.

 

Not sure where you read that non-CARB compliant Cat could be damaged by Calif computer controlled engine?

Not true

CARB compliant means Cat was made a specific way with specific metals so it will last longer, usually longer than non-CARB compliant Cat, but they don't "clean" the exhaust better, if they did then all vehicles would have to use them
They cost more because of the specific metals used and any company that makes them has to PAY for each "CARB Compliant" sticker

Savage yards usually can't sell used Cats, but free to ask, lol.
Watch craigslist or similar online sites for private parties parting out similar vehicle to yours, you can usually pick up exhaust system pretty cheap that way

So you will be fine with 48 or 49 state Cats, absolutely no way engine or Cat damage would occur, assuming engine is running OK, lol, a Rich running engine can damage itself and the Cats
I assume any stories to the contrary would be from people that had an engine problem that cause 1st Cat to fail and then got cheap Cats that only lasted a year or two because of the same engine problem
And since your Cat is damaged then there may be a reason???

Change O2 sensors every 150k miles to prevent "false lean" and rich running, you will also get back better MPG


Cats and O2 sensors use a chemical reaction to do their jobs, same as car battery does
Eventually the these chemicals get used up so they have to be changed
Car batteries usually last 6 years, but if you drain then too often or over charge them then their life may be 3 years

Same for Cats or O2s if the exhaust is overly rich or lean then either will have a shorter life, chemicals get used up faster, or they overheat which also causes problems, like overcharging a battery