No Cat?

Have a 87 Cherokee with a 2.5 - 4. It has a rattle under the body and I tracked it to the muffler (Insides are a shakin'), better replace it. So I figure I might as well replace the catalytic converter while I'm at it. But, there is NO CAT. Is that usual? If someone who owned it before me took it off, doesn't the motor have sensors that would scream about the Cat missing? If they didn't take it off, does that mean it didn't have one in the first place?

sj

i have a 86 2.5 you need it to pass emissions thats abot it i also took mine off but yes they did come with it

on an 86 there were no sensors for the cat. so it'll run fine w/o it but like axe said it wont pass emissions.

i have a 86 2.5 you need it to pass emissions thats abot it i also took mine off but yes they did come with it


I live in a small city in New Mexico (Rio Rancho), we don't have emissions tests here. Good Thing....

Thanks

Hmmm... I still have my cat on... but I'm here in the Philippines and we likewise don't have emissions tests. My question is, should I just take out the cat? Would it be better for the performance? Thanks! :)

Hmmm... I still have my cat on... but I'm here in the Philippines and we likewise don't have emissions tests. My question is, should I just take out the cat? Would it be better for the performance? Thanks! :)
Theoretically, yes, but it would only give you noticibly better performance if there is something wrong with it now, such as its blocked. I would suggest to leave it in place unless its actually blocked or leaking.

thanks MacigRat for the reply.

Actually, I'm not sure if my cat is blocked or leaking. Care to take a look at it? (the cat on the jeep :))

http://img64.exs.cx/img64/9953/cats1.jpg

a few observations:

1. I think this is the original stock cat (since 1987)
2. I don't know if it's blocked or not
3. I don't think it's leaking
4. The exhaust doesn't smell of rotten eggs yet

What do you recommend? Should i just have the cat taken out and replaced with a tube?

look fine, just like mine

i have a 4.0L and i took mine off, hollowed it out, then put it back under the jeep. but i live in a small city in NM on the other side of Albuquerque and there are no emissions.