oceanobob
Senior Member
Labor Day weekend, a midnite sawzall team got the catalyst off the 2014 F650 box truck: said truck has the V10 and an automatic, was a former leasing company rig. Box is nice with plenty of floor framing and the forklift can drive inside.
New cat was installed by diesel truck repair shop with a butt weld to existing muffler pipe and a new flange came with the cat to connect it right after the wye, just after the trans crossmember. Aside: truck is kept in fenced yard well lit the area under the truck was fece'd (as we back it up before we steer away), cameras noted a hooded human (or alien/robot?) but not able to discern any other details, yes they cut the chain link fence to crawl through. Saw fresh red paint at the cuts, was it a Diablo blade from HD?? Police report was filed.
Me decided to add a checker plate U shaped bent (like an inverted saddle) to preclude access to the catalyst. Item will go from (truck viewed lengthwise) trans crossmember to the muffler - about 42". Legs of bent are about 12". Will add Gr 60 rebar, a couple old lathe tools, and other sawzall slowing elements to the [hidden] inside of the bent, also thinking draping some short pieces of grade 100 chain to the ends of the cat where the factory has a 1/2" steel rod for the hangar isolator....the latter idea to preclude sliding the cat out of the bent as we have some photos of folks who made a 'cat cage' and then to their chagrin Team Sawzall cut off the muffler and subsequently slid the cat out of the cage....
Basically hoping this contrivance pauses em and they give up before they start stealing.
The Question is: before welding, disconnect the positive from the battery and make sure the welder ground is close by and good electrical contact, sand the paint etc? The welds planned are: tacking the draped chains by way of one link to the catalyst hangar rod mounts, a piece of flat bar to the cross member to act as a flange, and then once the cat guard 'bent' is bolted on, seal welding the bolts along one flat and tying the draped chain link through a planned rat hole to the bent itself. Certainly no welds to the frame etc.
PS as to the operational heat, will cut a rectangle out of the side of the bent and reinstall it by boxing it in on two of the four sides to allow air but no tool access nor any visual snooping. Indeed they could easily cut the header pipes at the engine location up to and just leave the wye and try to pull it out - this the reason for the gr 100 chains.
This battery disconnection idea - anything else? Not inclined to adversely affect electrical items.
New cat was installed by diesel truck repair shop with a butt weld to existing muffler pipe and a new flange came with the cat to connect it right after the wye, just after the trans crossmember. Aside: truck is kept in fenced yard well lit the area under the truck was fece'd (as we back it up before we steer away), cameras noted a hooded human (or alien/robot?) but not able to discern any other details, yes they cut the chain link fence to crawl through. Saw fresh red paint at the cuts, was it a Diablo blade from HD?? Police report was filed.
Me decided to add a checker plate U shaped bent (like an inverted saddle) to preclude access to the catalyst. Item will go from (truck viewed lengthwise) trans crossmember to the muffler - about 42". Legs of bent are about 12". Will add Gr 60 rebar, a couple old lathe tools, and other sawzall slowing elements to the [hidden] inside of the bent, also thinking draping some short pieces of grade 100 chain to the ends of the cat where the factory has a 1/2" steel rod for the hangar isolator....the latter idea to preclude sliding the cat out of the bent as we have some photos of folks who made a 'cat cage' and then to their chagrin Team Sawzall cut off the muffler and subsequently slid the cat out of the cage....
Basically hoping this contrivance pauses em and they give up before they start stealing.
The Question is: before welding, disconnect the positive from the battery and make sure the welder ground is close by and good electrical contact, sand the paint etc? The welds planned are: tacking the draped chains by way of one link to the catalyst hangar rod mounts, a piece of flat bar to the cross member to act as a flange, and then once the cat guard 'bent' is bolted on, seal welding the bolts along one flat and tying the draped chain link through a planned rat hole to the bent itself. Certainly no welds to the frame etc.
PS as to the operational heat, will cut a rectangle out of the side of the bent and reinstall it by boxing it in on two of the four sides to allow air but no tool access nor any visual snooping. Indeed they could easily cut the header pipes at the engine location up to and just leave the wye and try to pull it out - this the reason for the gr 100 chains.
This battery disconnection idea - anything else? Not inclined to adversely affect electrical items.
