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Welcome to FordPinto.com, The home of the PCCA => General Help- Ask the Experts... => Topic started by: 78txpony on May 17, 2010, 09:28:07 PM

Title: Cat converter cleaning?
Post by: 78txpony on May 17, 2010, 09:28:07 PM
Is there a good way to clean out partially clogged ceramic honeycomb cat converters?  Mine is a bit clogged and it is restrictive when I blow the battery powered leaf blower into it.   :nocool:

I do not have it emission tested and I refuse to sink the $$ into a retrofitted new one. 
If there is no way to clean it, how about breaking all that ceramic stuff out of there and reinstalling the shell?  It should flow better but will this require richer carb jets? 
When the baffles were removed from the Harley's pipes, the jet had to be richened due to more flow....

Any thoughts are appreciated...
Title: Re: Cat converter cleaning?
Post by: dave1987 on May 17, 2010, 10:12:30 PM
My 78 has just that, a "hammered out" catalytic converter with just the shell mounted on the exhaust system. I was not the one to do it, and that person shall remain nameless for now.

I'm curious if the carb would need re-jetting as well. Mine still uses the original jets.

Note that doing this does make the car sound different, and added somewhat of a deeper sound. You can hear the combustion exhaust flow echo in the converter shell. I kind of like it!
Title: Re: Cat converter cleaning?
Post by: Bigtimmay on May 17, 2010, 10:16:29 PM
i usually just take a hammer and a big screw driver and hammer the crap outta the inside junk and as far as all the vehicles ive done it on ive never had to rejet th carb they arent as sensitive as a bike when it comes to back pressure and how they run.
Title: Re: Cat converter cleaning?
Post by: phils toys on May 17, 2010, 11:06:49 PM
mine is the same as dave  it does sound different  but got rid of the rotten egg smell
Title: Re: Cat converter cleaning?
Post by: 78txpony on May 18, 2010, 07:24:24 AM
I forgot to include the picture of the inside of mine - It looked somewhat clean - surprisingly since it was burning so much oil!
There are some melted spots on the outlet side, though...   :surprised:
Recon I would notice a difference on how it runs if the restrictive ceramic stuff was removed?? 
I realize i cannot put the stuff back in once it is removed...
Title: Re: Cat converter cleaning?
Post by: dave1987 on May 18, 2010, 01:49:56 PM
The one who hollowed out mine said that it didn't misfire/backfire as much as it did before.
Title: Re: Cat converter cleaning?
Post by: phils toys on May 18, 2010, 04:26:49 PM
mine was better after the clean out  no restricton on the flow.  mine was melted closed and the n blew apart  so it woud rattel as i drove and close the flow then open up again  it has been that way (cleaned out) for 3 yrs now and made 2 trips of over 300 miles each. no problems.  my brother and i cleaned mine out.
phil
Title: Re: Cat converter cleaning?
Post by: 78txpony on May 19, 2010, 07:45:06 AM
Cool - looks like I need to borrow my neighbor's San Angelo bar and get to work at it! 
Thanks!!
Title: Re: Cat converter cleaning?
Post by: Pinto5.0 on May 19, 2010, 07:12:35 PM
If for some reason you want to run a cat just get a high flow version. The pair for my Stang are 3" dia. & are good for 800 HP with less than a 3% flow drop.