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Cable Saw

Lanso

Cast Iron
Joined
Mar 16, 2013
Location
Cerritos, CA
I was told that catalytic converter thieves use a "cable saw" to cut through the two exhaust pipes necessary to remove the catalytic converter and can do it in a minute. I know what a cable saw is and like so many on this forum have a lifetime of metal cutting experience so I have a hard time believing this claim.
What kind of manual cable saw could cut through a heat shield and two 2"+ x .063 exhaust pipe?
 
The 64 cuts thieves made on 32 catalytic converters under 16 Land Rover Dicovery’s at my dads car lot all look like sawzall cuts. The craziest bit is the thieves left alone the vehicles that had aftermarket cats.

I’m with you... I don’t see a cable lasting for that sort of work.

But I also never imagined thieves so brazen they’d take the sort of time, in one night, it took to do that damage. Obviously the land rovers were an ideal target. They sit high and the catalytic converter placement means they’re easily accessed by merely rolling under the vehicle.

I think we’re gonna start sealing rattlesnakes into the exhaust systems. Or maybe copperheads, as they have a reputation for postmortem biting... they’ll be the first land rovers where the rattle coming from the exhaust isn’t an exhaust leak.




Be safe




Jeremy
 
I am dubious that its really a cable saw, meaning what is more commonly called a wire saw- a long piece of wire embedded with diamonds, that is used to cut concrete, stone, and russian nuclear subs.
I think cordless sawzalls and cordless 4 1/2" grinders with a cut disc are the tools of choice.

We could end this whole thing if we had a federal law requiring in person showing of ID before scrap dealers could buy "used" cat converters, and requirement that they will mail you a check.
Currently, the laws are state by state- which means you can go online, and find a perfectly legal new jersey scrapyard that will prepay the postage for you to send them a cat convertor, no questions asked.
 
Milwaukee sells, or at least used to sell, a replacement foot for the Sawzall series that is a hook shape specifically designed for cutting exhaust tubing in place. Although meant for mechanics repairing cars, with one mounted on a cordless saw and the right blade, a thief could cut through exhaust tubing in seconds. I'm sure they don't cut through the cat heat shield but "harvest" the cat by cutting further back on the pipe.
 
I agree with not cutting through the heat shield but the truck we have here in the parking lot did have the small diameter part of the shield cut through with what looks like a Sawzall cut with a fine tooth blade - very nice and straight cut!
 
If they are not using cable saws, we should flag this as the first time in all of history the dopes on the news reported something that was flat wrong. If it's in the news, it MUST be true....after all, it's on TV.
 
I *know* that a battery powered angle grinder with a cut-off wheel will cut through a heavy "tool proof" lock chain in about 7 minutes, because I cut my own chain that way after the padlock jammed so badly the locksmith couldn't repair it. I can't imagine an exhaust pipe would take even that long.
 
I *know* that a battery powered angle grinder with a cut-off wheel will cut through a heavy "tool proof" lock chain in about 7 minutes, because I cut my own chain that way after the padlock jammed so badly the locksmith couldn't repair it. I can't imagine an exhaust pipe would take even that long.

Yes but the noise and corresponding light show from the angle grinder would be a sure giveaway of what was happening. Sawzall would be way more quiet than the slicing disk and without a plume of sparks. :eek:

To bad they did not use the grinder on a car with a small fuel leak
 
The MATCO Tools guy just showed me the Exhaust Tail Pipe Cutter MST80B and said that is what the thieves use.
My reason for knowing what tools are used will help me protect my truck.
 
What is a scrap catalytic converter worth in the US? Is this really an epidemic of theft? Seems crazy to me.

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk
 
The law here was changed after thieves disabled the whole suburban rail network(state owned) stealing wire.....Anyhoo,you must have a business registration and payment into a bank account to sell to a scrap recycling business........end of scrap thieveing......however ,now buyers have got around this law by facebook ads for the cats ,offering $200 cash....the cops cant /or wont catch them ,as they are individual immigrant fronts for organized ethnic crime gangs.
 
From a police perspective catalytic converter theft is pretty much a non-starter. The cops that came to investigate the theft at my dads lot pretty much confirmed it. There’s no place to start.

And in dads case, the detective work would’ve been easier than most. Somewhere in the area, immediately after the crime, there was a pile of 16, Land Rover stamped, left hand cats and 16, Land Rover stamped, right hand cats. Most likely at a scrapyard in a dumpster or sea-can.

The scrapyard keeps a record of who’s selling and what they’re selling... but I’m sure that doesn’t extend to the BRAND of converter. The employee might have taken note of a number of identical cats from a rather obscure mark... maybe. Maybe he even remembers the date... maybe even the customer.

All that guy has to say is : “Nah, it wasn’t me.” Or: “Oh, yeah. I got those [insert legitimate reason]”. Cops job is over.

There are licensed, insured, LEGITIMATE companies that buy catalytic converters and sell them in bulk to the scrapyards.

The only way they solved copper theft around here was for the scrapyards to require both a business license AND a drivers license to recycle any sort of copper wire or plumbing. Ostensibly at least.

I have no form of business license, yet I have recycled miles of wire for certain and at least yards of copper pipe. I bet I could get good money for any catalytic converter I showed up with, at my usual scrapyard.

At $500/cat, the money ain’t bad if you’re already inclined to be a piece of shit. In my dad’s case, probably $12-15k for two or so hours worth of work. A minute or so per cut, 64 cuts... possibly even faster with a better tool than a recip-type saw.



The best defense against catalytic converter theft is by driving a CAR!



Or by NOT having catalytic converter(s) to cut off.


After that, it’s like defense against any other theft. Make stealing from you a little less appealing than stealing from the next guy... if not stealing at all. Even then, some people are always just...

inclined to it.

As an anecdote, if you drive an F-series Ford... and plan on shooting the guy potentially stealing your catalytic converters...

Don’t leave it in the glovebox.


The thieves know it’s (likely to be) there. They’ll break the window to find the pistol first and ARM themselves while they’re taking YOUR exhaust. They’re liable to shoot you with your own gun whilst stealing from YOU.



Otherwise, actively prevent the theft, however you care to. Suck it up when it happens. Or keep your pet copperhead corked up in your truck exhaust. Word of something like THAT gets around and thieves start looking for the next best thing.


The best in both ACTIVE and PASSIVE security.




See y’all at the next rattlesnake roundup.
 
Those chain cutters work well enough but they're not super-fast. They are, however, probably the most quiet.

I find it appalling that all this leads to 'solutions' which involve more restrictions and more licenses. Nothing pisses me off more than trying to get something accomplished and being told 'you need a license' to do it. It's another case of the honest person suffering for the poor behavior of others.

Here's an idea .... once a week, the government takes 5 catalytic converter thieves the the public square and on live TV beats them to a bloody pulpy death. Their closest relatives are on hand to watch, and must clean up that shit-mess once it's all over. Any relative who weeps or makes a fuss becomes bloody pulp as well. After a few months, we'd have no more catalytic converter theft. A perfect solution - the honest person comes away clean and the thief is in a better place.
 








 
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