so, my check engine light came on...I scanned it...and my rear bank CAT is shot. I'm pretty sure it's the cat b/c the car just rolled over 188k All the 02 sensors have been replaced over the last 2 years, also. I don't want to spend the $800 to get a new one, so I was wondering if anyone has had any luck removing a CAT and cleaning it with something special to get it back to proper emissions and performance. I am in CA, and I can't just remove the cat, and weld in a blank, UGH!

thanks

Good luck cleaning it:



Besides the materials inside are probably no good anymore anyway, cleaning wouldnt help. Try to find some aftermarket sources. Might find a cheaper one, just be aware you get what you pay for. And yes you're not suppose to use aftermarket parts on emissions but there are cool smog places that say as long as it passes the sniffer test.

for fun I want to try cleaning an old extra cat i've got by plugging all the holes, and filling it with CLR...then rinse and cut open to take a look!

Let us know how it turns out.

You can't clean them. The chemicals in them react with the exhaust, and after a while are completely used up. I'm assuming that you have a 420 or a 430 code? I did the spark plug anti-fouler trick on mine and it works fine.

Also, you can't just bolt one in. In the state of CA, they are not sold to the general public, only to those who are licensed repair shops. They also have to be welded in, they can't be bolt-ons.

I'm gonna try and run a pre-cat and post-cat pressure test....b/c it feels like the exhaust is choking b/c it cant exhale!

the converted wrote:You can't clean them. The chemicals in them react with the exhaust, and after a while are completely used up. I'm assuming that you have a 420 or a 430 code? I did the spark plug anti-fouler trick on mine and it works fine.

There are no chemicals inside of ANY cat...it's the precious metals that convert the exhaust into CO2...watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkRXhfgZ ... re=related

so in my mind...if i can remove the buildup of carbon inside of the cat, the platinum and other metals will be cleaner and more able to do their job!

A computer engineer and chemist friend of mine suggested stuffing the cat pipe with potato skins a little at a time, and blasting it with a torch...there is a chemical in the potato skin smoke that dissolve carbon build up!

if cleaning it doesn't work, i will weld in a universal short cat like the one below for $60!

some more good info!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5icTmYItwiE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZbAHTol ... re=related