Is this normal??

[surfer1158]

yea it is pretty hot and smells kinda rich. im goanna do it this weekend. How should i clean it out?

Oh and could the backing up cause some vibrations around 2800- 3000 rpm? seems like that could be whats causing it too

 

[mr.p]

i would remove all of the cats on the vehicle and sell them at a scrap yard around ehre you get like 100$ a cat! now people crawl under your car and sawzall them out when youre asleep!

 

[sstewart777]

I didn't do the clean out myself. I think the guy that did it took it off the exhaust and used a big screw driver to break up the stuff inside and then shook it out.

As for the vibrations, could very well be the clog. That air is going to try to get out somehow.

Good luck! You might want to take a look at some of the threads on the exhaust system before you start. It might offer some guidance on the cat removal.

 

[JDraper]

A better way to remove the cat from your exhaust is to leave a saucer of milk by the tailpipe. When he's hungry enough..he'll come out....

 

[sstewart777]

Roflmao!!!! :bsnicker:

 

[manaen]

If your going to replace the cat, don't use the OEM one they are very pricey, you can get a high flow on from summit


Something like this

 

[surfer1158]

yea i thought about buying a new one but i dont need emission test for a while and i dont really have the money. but i hope to god this solves my problem ill be so dam happy


Oh **** and do i have to worry about any O2 sensors or are those in front of the cat. i dont wanna jack those up

 

[91exploreron37]

You have one that is directly in front of the cat. Only newer vehicles have a cat monitoring O2 sensor. Also its probably a good idea to remove the sensor before pounding out the cat so you dont hit it and damage it.
Good luck

 

[91exploreron37]

Oh yea and also you said the exhaust smells like its running rich which is more than likely why the cat is clogged. So your gonna have to get that problem fixed before you install another cat later on.

 

[manaen]

if it seems rich do a fuel pressure test to make sure your FPR is working properly, chances are it is stacking too much pressure and the computer is dumping way too much fuel into the engine, in fact I would check that before you rip your exaust apart!! it may be the whole cause of teh problem....

Did you run a vacuum test on the engine yet?

that will tell the story...

Edit, diagnose first and then dive into the fix, you will save yourself many headaches

 

[surfer1158]

yea i havent done a pressure test yet. do u know where i can get a cheap pressure gauge cause i dont have too much stuff in the way of tools.

 

[manaen]

You can probably borrow one from autozone or advanced auto, etc... Actually the FP gauge is only about 29 bucks if I remember correctly, and it is a great tool when diagnosing engine problems, but see if you can borrow one first. Your too far away from me or I would loan you one to use. Maybe there is someone closer on here that could help you out.

So I would start with the Fuel pressure test and a vacuum test those two will probably tell the story.

Here is another quick test if you take your finger and rub the inside of your tailpipe does it come out black? is there any black sooty residue on your rear bumper around the tailpipe, and do you notice and black smoke when driving? The problem with this test is that your catalyic converter does a very good job of cleaning up the black smoke unless you are REALLY running rich, and in that case you would probably notice a performance issue.

 

[surfer1158]

ok so just tried to pull the bolts from the cat... not happening. But i just noticed something else that could lead me to believe its vacuum issues. when i turn of my car i hear like a whistling air noise coming from the engine, its coming from the back of the engine near the fire wall. Is this normal?

Sorry i wasnt able to test anything for u guys today, i worked from 7-5, so maybe i can run down to autozone tom.

 

[safn1949]

Just a side note fellas,the inside of the cat is deathly poison,the dust I mean,heavy metal poisoning,don't breath that crap if you clean out the cat. I get 18.5 mpg with my 94,4.0,auto

 

[sstewart777]

Good point! Thanks!!!

 

[manaen]

Just a side note fellas,the inside of the cat is deathly poison,the dust I mean,heavy metal poisoning,don't breath that crap if you clean out the cat.

Blah!! My parents tried to tell me the same thing growing up, but I just kept on listening to that heavy metal.

Rock On!!

 

[91exploreron37]

Rock on!!
Have you gotten a chance to stop by the zone?

 

[surfer1158]

hey guys havent had a chance to stop by auto zone. i gotta figure out where the brake booster line is to check it???

and got some more info. seems like after i floor it and then just drive normal it runs a little better for a little while after flooring it. :rolleyes

oh and i figured out the sputtering is coming from my muffler not the cat...

 

[surfer1158]

ok guys found out some more stuff researching. Sounds like it could be my booster. this website says that if i hear hissing when i depress my brake pedal then thats bad. Well never really picked up on this either and well when i depress my brakes i get that hissing sound. And my brakes dont really grab that well, but thats jsut probably because i need new brakes...

 

[91exploreron37]

A rusted hole in the muffler? Maybe you have a bunch of carbon build up?