Lol I've gone years like this and done many exactly the same way without issue. They have to remain plugged in and be a functional sensor, but otherwise works. As long as they don't closely resemble front O2 readings it's fine. Yes Tuning them out is superior but not all who do exhaust have tuning done or ever have had.
Oh geez! I call BS ! You really should read the FSM before you make statements like that. My statement that the post cat O2's must transition and the 3 trips deal is straight from the FSM, confirmed by my experience over the past 16 years. You should also research the federal standards / requirements for monitoring systems, you'd find that the strategy for doing that can not be subverted in that manner. All JTEC's use the same strategy's for detecting bad O2, bad fuel injector, etc, regardless of the engine, 6,8,10 cyl.
The PCM must see transitions within a specific range or it will set a MIL, again per the FSM.
My statements are specific to the JTEC PCM but are generally true for any of the JTEC and newer MOPAR NGC PCM's.
A few more things,
(1) They don't transition when they're out of the pipe.
(2) They get really hot like 660'F that's what those 2 white wires are for. They would damage anything near them that's not metal including the tie wraps you have holding them.
(3) Better hope they don't get wet because after a few times of that they will cease to work at all. That's why O2 sensors are placed in an exhaust system at an angle to prevent condensate build up in the sensor.
The only way what you suggest would work with a JTEC style PCM which is what these trucks use is *IF* you had them disabled via a tune. Most of the tuners do that.
I've heard this one more times than I can count then a few weeks later they come back looking for SIMMs or some other solution.
If what you are saying is true there would NEVER have been a market for SIMMs. On newer cars and even some of the older ones, the spark plug fouler and steel wool trick may or may not have worked, but even that required the O2 sensors be in the pipes.
--CC
