Cat stolen off XJ Cherokee, not sure what to do

Cat was stolen Sunday night. Tried to patch it today, but due to where the berkeleying scumbags cut it, it's not easily patchable. Compounding the issue is that the pipe diameters on either end of the "void" are different sizes.

If they hadn't berkeleyed up the front pipe as well, i could get a universal cat and a performance cat back exhaust for less than my deductible. (Then pay for install.)

However, they did berkeley it up.

So now.... before i can even start to fix the truck, i have to replace that. At this point, i'm thinking about just taking it to the dealership and paying my $250 deductible and having them take care of it.

Advice? Ideas? Any fancy header-back exhaust systems that i'm not finding in my searches? Terrible idea to put this on insurance for fear of berkeleying up my premiums? (Of course, if my insurance gives me the shaft because someone stole an OEM piece off my car, i suppose i should just drop them.)

HALP!!!!!

There comes a time when you should use the insurance that you paid for all these years.

I think Dean has it this time- call the insurance man. OR- dump it out the bumper like the mx6.

meh, why put a cat back on....so it can get stolen too?

they should understand the cat theft (not your fault) and not ding you so bad, but I dunno, never went through it

good luck

irish44j wrote: meh, why put a cat back on....so it can get stolen too?

From what i understand, the aftermarket cats aren't worth near as much as the OEM cats, so a new cat would be less likely to be stolen. I'd have to have a cat in the new aftermarket performance exhaust if i went that route, but it'd be aftermarket.

The fact that it would be another OEM cat if i go through insurance to a dealer, gives me pause. Chances of that one getting stolen would be pretty high i think.

The rub here is that i can't weld, fab, or have time to learn either one of those.

Swank Force One wrote:

irish44j wrote: meh, why put a cat back on....so it can get stolen too?

From what i understand, the aftermarket cats aren't worth near as much as the OEM cats, so a new cat would be less likely to be stolen. I'd have to have a cat in the new aftermarket performance exhaust if i went that route, but it'd be aftermarket. The fact that it would be another OEM cat if i go through insurance to a dealer, gives me pause. Chances of that one getting stolen would be pretty high i think. The rub here is that i can't weld, fab, or have time to learn either one of those.

Get OEM cat, install, sell on CL, buy performance exhaust.... profit? Insurance already paid for the broke E36 M3... cat would probably cover most of the perf. exhaust, or to pay a muffler shop to bend up a straight pipe.

If you don't have to have the cat for emissions, bend a piece of stiff wire the shape you need (be sure to follow the MIDDLE of the pipe!) then measure the OD of the two pipes. Have the local muffler shop bend you a piece with the correct diameters (they can expand the pipe to work), then get the required clamps and jam it on there. At your earliest convenience, have the same shop weld the pipe in.

If you have to have the cat, it's gonna get a bit more complicated. It can still be done that way but it'll be easier if you just take the truck to the muffler shop.

Due to federal laws, any muffler shops here won't touch the truck unless they're putting a cat on it. That doesn't really bother me. It's a daily driver, don't care a whole lot about performance. But on the same vein, it's gotta be done in one shot and then no more berkeleying around. It's winter, the only cars we have to drive are the MX6 and this Jeep. I can't drive her to work due to differing schedules.

I really have to take the truck somewhere... can't mess around with the wire because the rear section of the exhaust isn't being held up correctly anymore. (Actually is rest on my driveshaft, yay!) I don't know how it's supposed to sit, so don't have a reference to bend a wire. I can (and have) wired that section up and out of the way of the driveshaft so it can be driven in an emergency. Had to wire it to the friggin' door handle. It's certainly not where it's supposed to sit though.

Basically everything between the muffler and header has been technically "damaged."

I'd buy the cheapest aftermarket cat you can find that matches the larger of the 2 diameters, then look in the good ol' phone book for someplace like "Red's Mufflers" and take all to them. My guess is you'll be out of there for a hundred bucks.

What year/engine is it? I haven't had a free minute to get with you on it.

EDIT: nevermind it's an XJ not a grand so it has a 4.0.

moparman76_69 wrote: What year/engine is it? I haven't had a free minute to get with you on it. EDIT: nevermind it's an XJ not a grand so it has a 4.0.

No worries man... this isn't fixable in any manner other than "Horribly rigged" in a normal garage. They berkeleyed me big time. The front pipe is cut at some horrible angle mid-bend and needs to be replaced, or at least cut way back and then we're messing around with bends.

There's not much left of the cat section either. There's about 2" of pipe attached to a flange. Most of that taken up by the o2 bung, so there's not E36 M3 in terms of space to weld to.

Just throw a header on there. They do make a couple of them.

Run it through insurance and let them fix it. Not worth the hassle trying to save a buck, and you won't get dinged for it (this is sadly becoming commonplace). However, depending on the insurance co they may take depreciation on the exhaust since it's a "wear item".

Make sure that it costs more than your deductible. A friend of mine had the cat replaced for 400. Insurance company's will jack your rate.

Might be able to buy the complete OEM exhaust at the PNP, if you have one nearby. Here, it would cost me less than $40 less cat. I paid $40 for the aftermarket cat for my '93 Cherokee. Then just bolt it all in. ~$80 bucks total ain't bad.

Header+band clamps (not the U-bolt muffler clamps)+straight exhaust pipe=profit?

Swank Force One wrote: Due to federal laws, any muffler shops here won't touch the truck unless they're putting a cat on it.

Find the smallest local muffler shop and hand the guy cash to weld it up without a cat. Worked for me.

carzan wrote: Might be able to buy the complete OEM exhaust at the PNP, if you have one nearby. Here, it would cost me less than $40 less cat. I paid $40 for the aftermarket cat for my '93 Cherokee. Then just bolt it all in. ~$80 bucks total ain't bad.

Here they pull the cats before they go out on the yard and it's apparently against federal law for them to sell used cats.

carzan wrote: Might be able to buy the complete OEM exhaust at the PNP, if you have one nearby. Here, it would cost me less than $40 less cat. I paid $40 for the aftermarket cat for my '93 Cherokee. Then just bolt it all in. ~$80 bucks total ain't bad.

It's an idea, but every XJ in the yard is going to have the same problem as mine. They cut out the cats with a plasma cutter upon arrival. Every car.

I think i should have taken pictures for your guys... There's no way i can fix this without replacing the front pipe, period. Paying a mom and pop exhaust shop to fix this is going to result in a hack job that i don't really want on my only "nice" daily driver that we own.

I either need a header back exhaust setup, the front pipe + a cat back of sorts, or just to take it to the dealership.

I'm inclined to take my chances and just take it to the dealership and go through insurance at this point. This is taking up way too much time and i can't fine a front pipe worth a damn anywhere but at the dealership anyways.

I could always ask my friend if he would part with the used parts on the xj in my barn......unknown as to what it has though.

Unless it's an 00-01, dont think it'll work. Ask for me if you dont mind though, I'd take a look.

Does the exhaust system look like this?

FWIW Rockauto has Walker replacement parts for cheap...

EDIT:

Found a schematic of the exhaust:

stan_d wrote: Make sure that it costs more than your deductible. A friend of mine had the cat replaced for 400. Insurance company's will jack your rate.

No they won't, not for a comprehensive claim. It's non-chargeable. But thank you for playing.