I'll have a look around at a Harbor Freight today, Dylan. I'll pass by at least one at some point. No idea what inlet/outlet temps should be, but just being able to see a substantial increase from one side to the other can probably tell you a lot.

I built myself a sleeping platform in the back of my '95 as I'm tired of hauling a tent around. I used a sheet of 3/4" plywood, cut down to 72"L, then split into two lengthwise. I supported it with the folded rear seat and 4x4 posts cut to fit both ahead and behind the folded rear seat with a screw driven into them from the top. It's quite sturdy and a full air mattress fits just right. It'll be like sleeping in a bunk bed that's too close to the ceiling, though because by the time the air mattress is in there, the top of it is level with the bottom of the rear windows. We'll see how that works out.

John B.

Not sure what the temps should be but if the cat is functioning properly then the outlet temp should be higher than the inlet temp. If you end up needing a new converter try Greg at Mighty Muffler on Cave Creek Rd North of Dunlap.

Your cold start issue could be related but I doubt it. If the EGR valve were stuck open then it would idle rough and could stall on cold starts, but it would not be affecting your NOx when warmed up and doing anything other than idling (like while emission testing). If the EGR valve is not opening at all then it would contribute to high NOx readings but wouldn't have any affect on your idle or cold starting.

I forgot to update....

I checked through and cleaned the EGR again, all works fine. I found that the EGR pipe was still leaking (I thought that was likely) and wrapped the whole damned thing in muffler tape so it would hold some pressure at least. I cleaned the intake and TB because I discovered one of the valve cover breathing tubes was feeding some oil in to the engine because of a stuck PCV valve which I also replaced. Then I had a friend who's shop has seen constant drops in work thanks to the economy replace the cat...

About that, interesting work some people do. When I first crawled up under to check the temp, I thought it looked a little strange. I knew it was aftermarket because of the small size, but the ends in particular seems off. The previous owner had used a cat with 2 1/2 inch inlet/outlet openings, while the stock tubing on the truck is 2 1/4. Now it's all right, clean, and looks near stock again with a much better unit. What's the result you ask?

After failing in Dec. with a 6.01 NOx when 3.00 is the limit, the second test took 30 seconds (after a 30 minute wait! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shiner.gif" alt="" /> ) and I passed with a 1.12...