I live in Denver, and we have tight emissions rules. My 98 12v had a cat, I took it off and punched it out, then welded it over a 4" exhaust. It passed the test with no problems.

 

Yea, they are tight up here too, BUT its all about how much the guy doing your e test knows and whether or not he got lucky the night or two before. I've never had a problem, well except for when they didn't have a cone that would fit over my tip

 

yup, my 96 had a cat.
i saved it just in case I need it.

 

Both my 96's 2500's and my moms 98 3500 had cats. My dads 94 which was built prior to 94 did not, and none were California trucks.

 

yes they can change regulations. british columbia just passed a law requiring all semi's now have to be reequiped to meet the new emmision laws there. any truck pre 1994 has to have paticulate traps etc. etc.
bc sucks
pardon spelling

 

I have 2 98's 3500 12v and both only had resonators. They both have 5" now.

 

They can still test the trucks,if the cat was removed they can fail you the same as the gassers with no converter. Where they will probably get alot of us is with an opacity test,clouds of black smoke will be a no-no,they are starting to test the big trucks for this now at the scales or on a DOT check. Colorado has sniffers/cameras on ramps around Denver. Blow a cloud accelerating onto the highway,you get a notice in the mail to have the vehicle tested if it is Denver area registered. California has also started opacity tests,and usually once it starts there, the East coast states like Maryland,Va,New York and Conneticut will jump on the band wagon.

 

my 96 "had" a cat, that i cut out to install a stack kit, would be glad to produce pictures for those who doubt it.

 

How did you "punch it out"?? That catalyst stuff is pretty tough (says the lady with the drill bar).

Did keep it though, when we put on the 4" turbo back pipe. "just in case"....

The straight-thru muffler doesn't look like much, but the truck is not any more noisy than before - just sounds COOLER and really breathes better.

 

People I know who have done it used a large, like 1-1/2" flat wood boring bit with extension and drilled into it repeatedly from both ends.
Wear a mask, the stuff in a cat can kill you.