Exhaust Issues

Hey guys, hope your summer is going well!

Note that my 4Runner has an aftermarket cat-back exhaust designed for rock crawling, it dumps halfway and is tucked up against the body.
I had a transmission service done and the mechanic warned me that he noticed the flanges for the cats are rotting and opening up, so he suggested a guy at another shop who can do fabrication since he doesn't have a welder.
I went over there, the guy looked at my cats/flanges and said he cannot fabricate them. They'll just continue to rot.... can't say I'm surprised. My truck came from Nova Scotia and I live in the snowbelt. It WILL just continue to rust!
With research, I'm noticing it is awfully hard to find replacement cats/manifold to begin with, not to mention without costing me an arm and a leg! It's easily $1k just for OEM parts
Is there a cheap plug & play aftermarket/Frankenstein solution to this? Can I delete the converters somehow without making it too much louder or killing power??

 

Get some pictures if you can.

 

Drive to California, leave your truck in the middle of a parking lot for a few days. Claim insurance when your cats get stolen.

 

^^^^ this is good advice! ^^^^
LOL!!!!!

 

LOL Detroit is way closer

 

LOL I was just about to make a post saying "just come to the PNW, Park near the ice rinks in Everett or Kent. Guaranteed your cats will be expertly removed within a day or two.

 

I am confused. You have 4runner
And you do rock crawling and your 4runner modified for that. Most likely it is lifted. Special exhaust for rock crawling. You paying money for transmission fluid change. And you don't have money for cats. Something missing here.

 

The OP didn't say they do rock crawling or that its modified to do that. just that its got an aftermarket catback, probably like the magnaflow one https://www.magnaflow.com/products/...nd-series-cat-back-performance-exhaust-system that dumps the exhaust under the truck and is not exposed to get pinched between the body and rocks. And finding a stock cat and manifold in canada is going to be expensive, hence the OP's comment about not wanting to spend an arm and a leg.

I just noticed the last part of your post, you can absolutely delete the cat, however it will make the exhaust considerably louder and potentially introduce a lot of drone that you'll need to address. On top of that, you'll get that sweet catless stank from the exhaust and I don't know if you have emissions to worry about so removing the cat may not be an option. Unfortunately I don't know of any aftermarket option for you.

 

I'm able to maintain my vehicle....It would be very different if I had to spend the same amount of money for the cats, towards a mechanical issue instead

 

Yes that's right, and boy that sucks... i guess I could probably pull one off a salvaged 4Runner

 

that might be your best route to save a bit of money, assuming the salvage yard hasn't already pulled the cats to sell at a recycler for scrap. Best of luck!

 

Park it at El Paso border. They always need rides there. Magnaflow made one for my 3rd gen for $200.

You could install a resonator in its place to reduce noise like a Ram has. I found these. Do they charge stupid money for crossing border or is currency exchange the killer? Drive south to hotel and have it delivered there. I would probably spend money the instead

 

They look about same but I didn't catch your year. Buy cheap one and have someone install. I'm not believing this