Clogged Cat?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 427
Likes: 0
From: Albuquerque New Mexico
Clogged Cat?
I have a catalytic converter that is "ticking" once the engine is hot. Anyone know of a way to check for clogged cats? Just pull them off and take a peek? If it is clogged, I'm putting on LT's in about a month, so what do you suggest for a replacement?
-Dave
-Dave
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,516
Likes: 760
I was questioning whether my catalytic converter on my 1990 six-speed was clogged. I removed the rear exhaust pipes and aimed a bright flash light on mine. It's hard to tell by looking. Probably, an exhaust test is the best way.
Without a doubt, catalytic converters are the biggest screw that the federal government ever put on automakers and car owners. Like many catalytic converters, the holes in the ceramic honeycomb are no bigger than needles and yet all of a V-8 engine's exhaust is supposed to flow through there? Do we know how many catalytic converters have caught cars on fire? How much property damage has been done when catalytic converters set dry debris on fire?
Someday, our great grandchildren will look back and see how stupid it was to require this type of catalytic converter. When I bought my second woodstove, it came with a catalytic converter. All it ever did was release smoke into our house. There must be a better way to build a catalytic converter.
If I had the money, I'd rip the converters off all four of my vehicles and hire a team of lawyers and file lawsuits against the EPA as they dare to charge me with hefty fines. Otherwise, I'll have to live with my catalytic converters.
Without a doubt, catalytic converters are the biggest screw that the federal government ever put on automakers and car owners. Like many catalytic converters, the holes in the ceramic honeycomb are no bigger than needles and yet all of a V-8 engine's exhaust is supposed to flow through there? Do we know how many catalytic converters have caught cars on fire? How much property damage has been done when catalytic converters set dry debris on fire?
Someday, our great grandchildren will look back and see how stupid it was to require this type of catalytic converter. When I bought my second woodstove, it came with a catalytic converter. All it ever did was release smoke into our house. There must be a better way to build a catalytic converter.
If I had the money, I'd rip the converters off all four of my vehicles and hire a team of lawyers and file lawsuits against the EPA as they dare to charge me with hefty fines. Otherwise, I'll have to live with my catalytic converters.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,719
Likes: 60
From: Fremont Oh
drochau,
I have gone through 2 sets! on my 96... you will hear like a tapping at idle as you rev it will genreally go away, if you do not pull them out you will start to see like gold flakes coming out the tail pipes...
When we pulled my first set of it looked like gravel in the cat .
Beware it will cause the car to back fire...
Also any repituble muffler shop can check by putting a pressure guage on your exhasut to better determine...
Mine went a 92, 00 and the last set at 134,000 the supercharger doesnt help much... :P
Mo
I have gone through 2 sets! on my 96... you will hear like a tapping at idle as you rev it will genreally go away, if you do not pull them out you will start to see like gold flakes coming out the tail pipes...
When we pulled my first set of it looked like gravel in the cat .
Beware it will cause the car to back fire...
Also any repituble muffler shop can check by putting a pressure guage on your exhasut to better determine...
Mine went a 92, 00 and the last set at 134,000 the supercharger doesnt help much... :P
Mo
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 427
Likes: 0
From: Albuquerque New Mexico
Thanks Mo, I'll cruise by the muffler shop tommorow morning and have them check it out.
I know it's not really environmentally sound, but can I gut the cats to get me by until I put the LT's on in about a months time? What is the process for gutting them, as I under stand it, a big screwdriver right?
-Dave
I know it's not really environmentally sound, but can I gut the cats to get me by until I put the LT's on in about a months time? What is the process for gutting them, as I under stand it, a big screwdriver right?
-Dave
Pro
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 632
Likes: 0
From: Harrisburg, PA 86 Vert w/ 89 wheels
Originally Posted by Photomania
I was questioning whether my catalytic converter on my 1990 six-speed was clogged. I removed the rear exhaust pipes and aimed a bright flash light on mine. It's hard to tell by looking. Probably, an exhaust test is the best way.
Without a doubt, catalytic converters are the biggest screw that the federal government ever put on automakers and car owners. Like many catalytic converters, the holes in the ceramic honeycomb are no bigger than needles and yet all of a V-8 engine's exhaust is supposed to flow through there? Do we know how many catalytic converters have caught cars on fire? How much property damage has been done when catalytic converters set dry debris on fire?
Someday, our great grandchildren will look back and see how stupid it was to require this type of catalytic converter. When I bought my second woodstove, it came with a catalytic converter. All it ever did was release smoke into our house. There must be a better way to build a catalytic converter.
If I had the money, I'd rip the converters off all four of my vehicles and hire a team of lawyers and file lawsuits against the EPA as they dare to charge me with hefty fines. Otherwise, I'll have to live with my catalytic converters.
Without a doubt, catalytic converters are the biggest screw that the federal government ever put on automakers and car owners. Like many catalytic converters, the holes in the ceramic honeycomb are no bigger than needles and yet all of a V-8 engine's exhaust is supposed to flow through there? Do we know how many catalytic converters have caught cars on fire? How much property damage has been done when catalytic converters set dry debris on fire?
Someday, our great grandchildren will look back and see how stupid it was to require this type of catalytic converter. When I bought my second woodstove, it came with a catalytic converter. All it ever did was release smoke into our house. There must be a better way to build a catalytic converter.
If I had the money, I'd rip the converters off all four of my vehicles and hire a team of lawyers and file lawsuits against the EPA as they dare to charge me with hefty fines. Otherwise, I'll have to live with my catalytic converters.
lol, rant off!
Racer
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 284
Likes: 2
From: Burton Texas
To check for plugged cat on my '91, I unscrewed the A.I.R. check valve on the driver side header, then screwed on a reducing elbow fitting (street ell) to clear accessory brackets, then added a tubing fitting, several feet of poly tubing, and a pressure gauge.
Shop manual gives specs for allowable back pressure. Mine was WAY high, 25 PSIG at 1,400 RPM, beyond which the engine would not rev.
This test would not tell me if the blockage was in the left pre-cat or the main cat. I did not repeat the test using the passenger side A.I.R. check valve connection, I just threw the baby out with the bath water.
Shop manual gives specs for allowable back pressure. Mine was WAY high, 25 PSIG at 1,400 RPM, beyond which the engine would not rev.
This test would not tell me if the blockage was in the left pre-cat or the main cat. I did not repeat the test using the passenger side A.I.R. check valve connection, I just threw the baby out with the bath water.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,719
Likes: 60
From: Fremont Oh
Being a green froggie, I will not suggest using a screwdriver to gut a cat... you may find pulling it off that it may just empty out HEH...
For an OBD1 car they are pretty cheap... not like 480 dollars like mine are EACH...
Mo
For an OBD1 car they are pretty cheap... not like 480 dollars like mine are EACH...
Mo
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Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 427
Likes: 0
From: Albuquerque New Mexico
Well I guess I'll pull them off and check it out. I'm getting some symptoms of a seriously clogged cat and with the LT's coming I don't want to replace these cats with new ones since I'll be putting the high flows on anyway. Please forgive me mother earth.... 
Last edited by drochau; Jul 27, 2005 at 11:48 PM. Reason: wrong info
