Catalytic Converter Issues

[Zelliaind]

Hey all!

I recently got my new Dynomax exhaust in (finally) and am planning on doing the install this coming weekend. However, when the straight pipe that came out in front of the rear tire (yeah I have no idea why someone did that) came off due to, what I assume is, excessive exhaust pressure, the cat began rattling around like mad.

Without knowledge of where the hangars are on the TJ, I assumed it was because from the headers to the cats, there were none and that was the reason for the rattling. However. I noticed after the first acceleration and stop, the noise went away. I threw it up on a lift at the Auto Hobby shop on the Air Force Base here and noticed this.

I've looked up various cat internals and this doesn't look quite right. My questions are:

A. Is this indeed the internal catalytic mesh on normal cats?
B. If I put the new exhaust on, can this cause issues which might potentially vapor lock the motor or reduce horsepower (I noted an improvement of horsepower after that ugly straight pipe fell off)?
C. If I manage to (somehow) cut this out of the cat, will I see any long term problems other than a check engine light? (Shockingly it hasn't been on since I bought it...unless the light was removed.)

Trying to figure out if I want to hold off on the exhaust and get a test pipe or new cat to replace this or just send it and put it all on.

Thanks in advance for any tips or suggestions!

 

[JKP]

Don't see a pic, but the brick can come loose in the cat and rattle.

There are no monitors on the cat on the skid, so it won't throw any codes, good, bad, or gone.

 

[Zelliaind]

Don't see a pic, but the brick can come loose in the cat and rattle.

There are no monitors on the cat on the skid, so it won't throw any codes, good, bad, or gone.

I've got it linked in the original post at the very end of the second paragraph.

That's good to know it won't throw any codes though. Like I said, it might already doing so and I just don't realize that the light is missing from the cluster lol

 

[JKP]

Yep, your brick is loose.

 

[Zelliaind]

Is there a way to get this out? I saw somewhere someone used a drill bit to do so but it was on one that wasn't loose like mine is. I tried using a pry bar to break it up to no avail.

Guessing it's probably easier to just replace the entire cat.

 

[JKP]

They will usually break up with a steel rod