My catalytic converter is getting clogged w/oil. Any inexpensive ways to clearing it?

[JEDI]

Here's my story. i have a '93 sentra w/200k miles. at the 170k mile point, i began seeing black soot from the tailpipe.

now at 200k, i'm hearing noise from my exhaust when i accelerate, near the front of the car. also power and gas milage has gone done in the past week. gas went from 30mpg to 27mpg

i took it in to a local garage. the mechanic said my valves were leaking. he pulled a couple of spark plugs and they had a white coating on them. he said that's symptoms of burnt oil. and he said the black soot from my tailpipe was also oil. oil is leaking directly into the exhaust, and clogging up the catalytic converter.

To fix oil leak problem, he has to overhall/rebuild the engine cause it looks like he has to fix both the upper and lower half of the engine. cost $2k-$3k. his recommendation is to drive it till just before it drops, then buy another car.

i will continue to lose gas milage and power. i will know when it's about to die cause the catalytic converter will be so clogged that it'll be VERY difficult to get the car to move. he said i have about 3-9months left.

he didnt have any solutions to cleaning the catalytic converter except to replace it for $500, which he wouldnt recommend it since it'll get clogged again unless i fix the engine.

my emmissions tests are every 2 years, and i just passed 8 months ago

so any inexpensive suggestions on how to make my car last for another 16 months???

THX

 

[Scootin159]

A long pipe cleaner? . Could you possibly pull one from a junkyard?

 

[beat mania]

Just rip it out and replace it with a straight pipe. Then you got 16 months to drive it around.

 

[fastz28]

*looks around for EPA...*

Long drill bit

 

[Marstaton4]

hacksaw!

 

[Ornery]

*looks around for EPA...*

Long drill bit...

Depends what type of converter it is, but that's usually doable. Might even pass emissions test afterward!

 

[Squisher]

Like beat mania said, put a straight pipe in, however I'm not sure where they sell straight pipes(they usually aren't really straight) anymore. I had the same problem with my '81 Camaro from when the car was new. They replaced the cat for me under warranty a couple of times, but after warranty I just put a straight pipe on. When that rusted I went to replace it and couldn't find another one so I made one out of three of those small exhaust pieces they have in the auto parts stores.

You can put on a straight pipe then find yourself a new cat at a junkyard or maybe yours can be rebuilt. Then when emmissions times come around swap the cat back on.

This is a lot of work and don't tell the EPA I told you so, *looks over sholder*

 

[notfred]

cut it off.

 

[Lvis]

It's my understanding that it's illegal to sell used converters. I know a couple people that just drove a piece of pipe though the thing. It works, and still looks good at inspection time.

 

[GooberPHX420]

<<
he didnt have any solutions to cleaning the catalytic converter except to replace it for $500, which he wouldnt recommend it since it'll get clogged again unless i fix the engine. >>



$500 my ass. Go to a local exhaust shop. See if you have any friends with hookups. You can buy an aftermarket Cat for Im guessing $200 as a high estimate. if youve got hookups, probably in the low hundred range...

 

[GooberPHX420]

<< It's my understanding that it's illegal to sell used converters. I know a couple people that just drove a piece of pipe though the thing. It works, and still looks good at inspection time. >>



ROFL...I dont think so son. Do you know what the cat does? it evaporates any left of gas that makes it thru the cylinders and into the exhaust. So if you just run a pipe thru it, You will allow all that gas to flow thru, in which case they will LAUGH AT YOU AS YOU FAIL YOUR TEST TREMENDOUSLY. You cant just let the left over gas blow right thru...

 

[The Stigenator]

<< he didnt have any solutions to cleaning the catalytic converter except to replace it for $500, which he wouldnt recommend it since it'll get clogged again unless i fix the engine. >>



Actually its more like 350 or so for my car's catalytic converter.. now the cat itself is coming from japan cause they couldnt find the standard peice.. it still hasnt arrived, so I think they are going to weld on a cat for about 250..

 

[Ornery]

"LAUGH AT YOU AS YOU FAIL YOUR TEST TREMENDOUSLY"

My cats (two of them) were punched through over a decade ago and I've always passed emmission tests every two years. Yes, that is hilarious... hah!

 

[Lvis]

<< and still looks good at inspection time. >> >>




The point I was trying to make...

GOOBER

Is that doing it this way LOOKS better than a staight pipe. Most places require a yearly safety inspection, most won't pass you with a straight pipe. This technique does the same thing, but LOOKS as if all is well. And as Ornery pointed out, somtimes you pass anyway. You won't with a straight pipe though.

 

[thedarkwolf]

http://www.summitracing.com/ sells cats for as low as $50 and you can get high flow cats for around $100.

If it were mine I'd just punch it though. Its really not worth putting money into it if its just going to blow up in a couple months.

 

[JEDI]

just drill a hole in the cat? or in the pipe just before the cat? And Where exactly to drill? and won't there be ALOT of noise when i drive?

oh, i also assume i gota drive w/the windows down cause of the fumes now?

 

[SuperSix]

<< just drill a hole in the cat? or in the pipe just before the cat? And Where exactly to drill? and won't there be ALOT of noise when i drive?
oh, i also assume i gota drive w/the windows down cause of the fumes now? >>



Don't make more out of this than it is.

First: Get a new mechanic. He's trying to screw you.

If you have yearly inspection, I would punch it out, you can use a crowbar, a tire iron, etc. It is a hard honeycomb material that kind of "shatters" when hit hard enough. You will notice no noticeable difference in the driveability, noice, fumes.

If you only have emissions tests every 2 years, I would cut the pipe before and after the cat, and fit a replacement piece using band clamps (Available @Summitracing). THen, right before emissions, swap the cat back in for the test.

Driving a pipe thru it is an option, and you may still pass emissions, but you will need to prepare for the emissions test more if you do that. You will need to use RXP emission reducer, and cross your fingers. The problem with the thru-pipe angle is that if you can't pass, you will need a new cat anyway.

I have a hollowed cat on my 86 Turbo Buick, and pass Florida emissions every year, using copious amounts of RXP and a few other tricks..

 

[yakko]

I would fix the engine problem first before worrying about the cat.

 

[JEDI]

CyberZenn, how's my mechanic trying to screw me? he suggested that i drive the car till it drops rather than spend the $ at his shop to get it fixxed

 

[ObiDon]

<< It is a hard honeycomb material that kind of "shatters" when hit hard enough. >>


I forgot about that...My friend was driving his Mom's Volvo and I don't remember exactly what he did but I think he said he revved the engine and popped it into drive and some glowing honeycomb looking stuff came out of the tailpipe! Ouch!

 

[Johnnie]

replace it with a straight pipe.

 

[LAUST]

heh, it's easy to pass emissions without a CAT, I did it every year with my 79.... Run Ethanol

 

[JEDI]

isn't running w/o a cat illegal?

 

[Scootin159]

<< isn't running w/o a cat illegal? >>



yes.

 

[Zenmervolt]

<<ROFL...I dont think so son. Do you know what the cat does? it evaporates any left of gas that makes it thru the cylinders and into the exhaust.>>

This is why you don't want to post car messages to a computer message board. You get people who have no idea what the componants actually do. The cat (catalytic converter) is a catalyst that converts harmful exaust GASSES into harmless GASSES (plus a little water sometimes). The main thing a cat does is convert CO into CO2. CO2 is non-reactive whereas CO is a contributer to things like acid rain. The temperature of exaust gasses alone (without a catalytic converter) is sufficient, at the heads, to vaporise exaust gasses. Think about this for a second, do pre-catalytic converter cars spew unburned liquid fuel out the tailpipe when in proper tune? No. I'm starting to get some idea of why Goober is so popular around here.

ZV