I'm trying to install my 4" drop, and my local shop said no way, because it's a $10,000 fine to remove a cat. I told him that a 2000 doesn't have a cat, and he told me I was wrong.
Am I?

 

nope, you have a muffler and a resionator. cut it off yourself then drive it in and have them fix ya up an exhaust. They cant say nothin to that!

 

Find a different muffler shop

 

Installing should be easier than removing the old system. You should do the install.

 

Actually, I just priced 2 connectors (4" to 4" slip) at $9.65 each, and a five foot length of 4" straight pipe for $23. I'm wondering if there is a "donut" I can reuse, or do I need a new one for my 4" drop pipe?

 

Ask him if he noticed the word DIESEL on the door.

 

After attempting to disassemble my old exhaust for about 2 hours, I finally took the sawzall to it and had it gone in 15. My strong suggestion is that whenever you reassemble a kit or even if you are just splicing a pipe in there, use SS band clamps. They don't crimp the pipe and they make later changes possible. The u-bolts crush the pipes and make it almost impossible to remove. Good luck...a free exhaust sounds awesome!

-Geoff

 

in those situations where you KNOW you're right, I just offer to bet them 10-20:1... why not, free money

 

There is really no reason to guess or speculate on if your truck came with a cat or not.....we all know the 2nd gen 24v's are not equipped with them but the exhaust shops are typically far from being experts. Federal law mandates an emission sticker be in place under the hood of each vehicle (typically on or around the rad support) stating it's compliance with the emission regulation for the year of manufacture......this same sticker states weather it is a catalyst or non-catalyst emissions system. I like Forrest Nearing's idea of a wager....go to the shop, put down a little coin and pop the hood and show them the non-catalyst emissions compliance sticker!

 

even after i proved it to them, i still wouldnt let those idiots touch my truck.

 

Get a cordless sawzall and cut it off in their parking lot for them. Then drag it inside their showroom and drop it on the floor and ask them to point out where the Cat is located on your exhaust.

Now that Id get a kick out of!

 

That would be great !
Anyway, Sluggo, before I got my 4" exhaust, I straight piped my factory 3" by just cutting off the RESONATOR and muffler then getting a piece of 3" flared on each end to fit in between. Picked that pipe up at a muffler shop for ~ $25.

 

Seems silly, but these days I really can't blame a shop for erring on the side of safety.

 

My local Muffler shop cut my cat and my muffler off for like 60$.

 

You could just do it yourself and save money, or you could just show them the tag on your engine that says it doesn't need or come with a catalytic converter. When you go to emissions they look at that tag to see if you are supposed to have one or not. It happened to me and I didn't have one - I have a 96 and those come with one. The tag should be on the driver side under the hood on the engine maybe - I don't know for your truck. Mine says OC on it (along with other stuff), which stands for oxygenated converter I guess.