Catalytic converter skid plates & theft deterrent

Ha...I'll let you know when I install mine. I have to notch it out still. I worked aircraft maintenance for 24 years so I'm not worried about getting in there to tighten them. I ordered the rear cat plate as well.

 

I worked on Apache helicopters when I was in the army, it is maddening how badly stuff was placed... especially higher fail rate parts...

 

Yep....I agree.

 

Its a tight squeeze I wont lie, I still have marks on my forearms from shoving them in there.. Just try to loosen the RCI ones only enough to slide the plate in so it will save you a little time tightening. One of those slow and steady wins the race things. I really do not know how you would do it without a ratcheting box end.

 

I got the nuts started. I didn’t cut slots in the DE plate. I measured and drilled holes. I didn’t want anyone being able to just slide it out if they get the two rear security bolts off. Probably made it a bit tougher on myself.

My young helper and I are going to break for lunch lunch. I’ll get back to torturing my forearms in a bit.

 

I have a DE plate on it's way shortly, and will adding it in conjunction with the P&P engineering skid plate. I'm sure I'll either notch it or just drill holes like @Terndrerrr did.

The rear cats I'm having removed on Friday and just some straight pipe put in their place. Front cats will remain obviously. I shouldn't have an issue passing inspection and emissions up here in PA unless somebody really is a stickler to the book.

 

Same here. Just got to take your time and squeeze your arm through the tiny opening. Be careful not to drop the washer or nut because if it falls into a place you cannot get to, you're looking at removing the plate again to retrieve it. I also put nylon washers between the frame and each plate just in case the plates make a creaking sound.

 

What role do the rear cats play? I guess they are not needed in PA

 

They don't do anything so far as the truck computer is aware, so I don't have to worry about a check engine light. However, technically, somebody could fail me for not having all OE emissions equipment. However since I'll still have the upstream cats before the O2 sensoe I doubt it'll be an actual issue. It's a visual inspection only so long as there is no check engine light.

And if somebody does fail me, I have friends who can inspect it, they just work a little far away from me.

 

Wouldn't removing the rear cats affect backpressure and performance?

 

I have a feeling the tech that installed mine is still cussing me lol

 

I will drill mine too once I figure out where it needs to be drilled.

 

I put it on, measured, and drilled. I sprayed some rustoleum where I drilled just for shits. It's been a day, that's for sure. Probably be better if I had jacked it up but I don't have a real driveway. My main tools have been a furniture moving blanket and a box of puppy pads (to prop the DE up a bit).
Back to it, I guess.

 

Maybe, but I don't think it will be anything dramatic one way or the other. That front cat is still a big bitch so I'm sure there is plenty of back pressure.

 

Did it increase the sound? Any drone from deleting the rears? Just wondering cause I'm getting my 10" BAMuffler Friday and I'm installing without the resonator.

 

I'll let you know when they come off on Friday. Also, I have a Carven TR muffler welded in place of my stock muffler, and I actually added a Helmholtz resonator from Dirty Deeds. I would highly recommend installing it, it's basically magic lol.

 

Things went south for me quick. My holes worked, everything lines up. I partially installed the back bolts and realized I need to take them off to get my arm up to the front (I hope). On of the bastards is completely frozen which makes no sense. Now I'm looking for my oscillating tool to cut it. I'm NOT happy.

 

I ended up trimming some of the sides of the DE plate to be able to access the bolts a little easier. With the frame and the side wall protection the DE plate provides, I couldn't get my arm in there. I also drilled some slots in the DE plate to line up with the RCI holes, and it mounted just fine.

When I grease the driveshaft in the future, I wanted to make sure I have the ability to remove the DE plate easy enough.

 

Are you saying that the bolt and the nut are seized?

 

Yep, that’s what I meant. I was able to cut it free with my oscillation tool. M jumping in the shower and I’ll give the details of my shitty day after I wash off the stink and bits of reformed corn.

 

I was able to reach bolt of my bolts from the driver's side.

 

Installed my DE skid with the RCI. I drilled holes instead of notches for the forward bolts. I may drill holes at some point for the front 2 security bolts. I'll probably do it when the rear cat plate arrives.

 

If you are using stainless fasteners you need to put a light coat of never seize on the threads to prevent galling. This is especially needed when using a stainless nylon lock nut on a stainless bolt as the drag from the nylon is almost certainly guaranteed to gall.

 

Here is my rci skid with my cat protectors.

 

I gave up after cutting off the seized bolt and put the DE plate back into my truck bed. My wife talked to Carlos at Don McGill Toyota and he said the $78 install charge includes putting it on the TRD Pro. We are waiting for confirmation from the service department on the price and I'll probably head down there to have them do it. I have a free oil change due anyway.

I couldn't wrap my head around getting the bolts back up through the two skid plates without dropping the pro plate. When I tried to loosen the hex socket to drop the pro plate, I almost broke my hex key. Then cutting the seized bolt and burning the shit out of my thumb on it (I was tired at the point and forgot about how hot they get when you cut them). Anyways, that was the final straw. Laying my back on a furniture blanket over my pebble and brick driveway is not the way to tackle this. All I could think about was finally getting it on there, having the bolts in the rear seize up, and then have a transmission problem or some other issue where Toyota needs to remove the plate to get to it.

I wanted to sell the DE plate for a loss but my wife decided to call Don McGill and that's where we are now. If they do it, I am going to ask them to put some never seize (thanks @crewmaxlmt ) on it to make sure they don't seize up or use a different type of bolt. If it's screwed into the TRD Pro plate, I don't see how somebody would be able to get the cats, even if they unscrew the rear bolts.

I honestly wish somebody would have designed one with an arm hatch or something like the little oil door on the pro plate. If the cat plate has holes in it and is integrated into the TRD plate, there is no way in hell that a crook is going to spend 20 minutes trying to get the plate free so they can cut the cats, even if there is arm access.

Anyways, shitty day, but I learned a lot. The nice thing is that I got the holes right, so there's that.

 

Has anyone received Tylers plates?

Seems a wee bit sketch to send money to someone without a storefront that appeared out of nowhere.

 

I have sold a few to local people that were on the forum. I will be shipping plates out to some people this week

 

Seems like a legit guy to me. I ordered from him. Veterans don't scam people...that's not what we do!

 

I would own that. Ask the people in houston, I have been working locally for the past few months and started shipping recently