OK Utah guys, Is it Legal to remove the CAT?

[WAckerman]

If anyone out there is familier with Salt Lake County or even Utah County emission requirements, I need some help.



Is it legal (in the above mentioned counties) to remove the CAT on my 05 3500?? I don't really want to have to mess around with the inspection guys every year by removing the the CAT, but if it's worth it (in MPG gains and more power) then I'll do it.



Also, can someone recommend a good shop in south Salt Lake Co?



Thanks in advance.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

I thought smog equipment was regulated by federal law, not state law?

 

[Grizzly]

If anyone out there is familier with Salt Lake County or even Utah County emission requirements, I need some help.



Is it legal (in the above mentioned counties) to remove the CAT on my 05 3500?? I don't really want to have to mess around with the inspection guys every year by removing the the CAT, but if it's worth it (in MPG gains and more power) then I'll do it.



Also, can someone recommend a good shop in south Salt Lake Co?



Thanks in advance.

In a word, NO!

 

[radcam]

I thought smog equipment was regulated by federal law, not state law?

It is with the exception of states that have a more stringent regulations ie. Cal that surpasses the fed regs. It is illegal to remove or modify any smog control device that was original equipment. The fines for doing so are pretty hefty.



Cam

 

[jwilliams3]

Its a illegal to remove it.



It could always fall off though!! :-laf :-laf

 

[WAckerman]

It could always fall off though!! :-laf :-laf

Exactly! So how do you get through emission inspections????

 

[Bob4x4]

Exactly! So how do you get through emission inspections????

So it's ok to break the law just not get caught... ... ... ..... and we wonder why ... ... ...



Bob

 

[brianv31]

Exactly! So how do you get through emission inspections????

What emissions inspections? :-laf

 

[DPKetchum]

Legally can not be traded in or sold eaither!

 

[HeberRam]

It's illegal in Utah!!

Wackerman, everyone is correct, it is illegal to remove the cat in any state. As far as emissions go, I live in Wasatch county and they don't have emmisions testing. I don't know how strict SLC, Davis & Utah County are as I have not had to do it... . No shop will take it off, as if caught there are BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIg fines. AS far as performance loss or gains with it off or on, I don't think it is even an issue, since 05's come with a 4" exhaust. Mine happen to fall off last winter so I currenty don't have one. :{ As far as re-selling, trading it in, without one I wouldn't worry about it, because 3-4 years from now most people won't remmember when they were first put on...

 

[DBoggs]

For what its worth this is what I've been told. "The cat has to be in place to pass the safety inspection if the truck was originally equipped with it. There is no emission testing for diesels in the state of Utah. " I was told all of this by a safety inspector. I make no guarantee that he is right or wrong.



Now what a lot of guys do in my area (Uintah Basin) is take the cat off, hollow it out and put it back on. Looks good for inspection but flows with no restriction.



I haven't done anything with mine yet since I'm still stock on the new truck, but who knows what the future may hold.



Duane

 

[DPKetchum]

Unless they test. I do know and have seen dealer personal LOOK for the cat,fuel necks etc. before closing a trade in/new car deal. I've also seen THAT issue put a halt to the deal until said vehicle was put into compliance. Have also seen a USED SOLD vehicle cost a dealershop $1000 bucks plus AFTER the fact because NEW owner moved etc. to a area with testing and vehicle (due to previous owner)had items removed. It will become a even bigger issue as the years roll on.

 

[HeberRam]

Well said DPK, like everyone one has been saying "you are your own warranty station". Now there will be "you are your'e own inspection station". :{ :{



Do you think there will be any aftermarket potential for 04' manufacture door stickers???? :-laf :-laf :-laf :-laf

 

[CLAYTON]

I had to have emissions and inspection done on mine. I'm registered in Salt Lake.

 

[Hercules130]

magnaflow has a new 5" high flow cat with there exhaust system. i was thinking about putting an aero turbine in it's place. that might look enough like a cat.

 

[Cummins Cowboy]

For what its worth this is what I've been told. "The cat has to be in place to pass the safety inspection if the truck was originally equipped with it. There is no emission testing for diesels in the state of Utah. " I was told all of this by a safety inspector. I make no guarantee that he is right or wrong.



Now what a lot of guys do in my area (Uintah Basin) is take the cat off, hollow it out and put it back on. Looks good for inspection but flows with no restriction.



I haven't done anything with mine yet since I'm still stock on the new truck, but who knows what the future may hold.



Duane

There is diesel emissions testing in utah!!! salt lake county has it, for what its worth the guy doing the test told me that in order to fail the truck would have to too be running so bad it essentially would not run. On my old first gen I strait piped it, It passed inspection and emissions, one year took it back to the same place and they failed me on the saftey inspection because the muffler fell off. I said that is not a saftey item, they told me the highway patrol was complaining about diesels with no muffler. So I just went down the road and went to another shop who doesn't test diesels and had them do the saftey inspection,

 

[tsi_2baad4u]

I just posted this in another thread.



A couple of notes. 1) I dynoed my '05 with and without the stock cat and it put down 345hp both with and without it. Each time we ran it at least 4 pulls just to make sure we had a good reading. We were surprised to see no increase in power w/o the cat but the truck didn't feel any different driving either so the numbers seem accurate.



2) I've bought several "high flow" cats for my cars and I have yet to see one that's any different than a stock cat converter. The only difference is in the brick/body size. There are some "true" high flow cat converters but they cost around $2000.



Save your money, the stock diesel cat is absolutely huge anyway and will flow plenty of air. The only time I'd worry about it being a restriction is if you're at 450whp or higher and then I'm only guessing that it's a restriction. It's not a restriction at 350whp anyway. Also, I only see a difference in egt of "maybe a maximum" of 50*F pre-turbo between cat/no cat. I expected to see bigger egt relief without it but it just didn't happen, even pulling rocky mountain passes.

 

[ECappleman]

For you 04. 5+ guys... ... .



Can you say whoops, a piece of rebarb accidently knocked out the center of my cat?

 

[amsoilman]

I can gaurantee you that Davis, Salt Lake and Utah Counties have emission testing on Diesel Pickups! The Exhaust sytem is also included in the emission testing, so I would not remove it or allow it to "FALL OFF"!



Wayne

amsoilman