Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) cat converter

[SRehberg]

I see a lot of the trucks are missing their cats, either fell off or ???

Do they rob the trucks of power or is it just a perceived notion that in fact doesn't hurt a thing if it is working properly? The reason for the cat is the particulate matter is cleans up, which susposedly is harmful for ones lungs due to the microscopic size of the particle. I want my truck to perform the best it can, but on the other hand, I don't want to jeopordize someones health. Any thoughts/experience?

 

[illflem]

My experience is that most cats begin plugging up around 75k. Up until it starts restricting it makes little difference to remove it. On trucks that I've removed cats that are still good the exhaust tone has changed slightly and it smells different but egts and boost have remained the same. If you have a smoky overfueled truck the cat is likely to plug sooner.

Some folks think it's cool to blow smoke when all they are really doing is wasting fuel, making pollution and fostering anti-diesel public sentiment. The public input phase regarding the EPA's new diesel rules starts in Feb '03. Sorry to say it but the folks who like to "smoke em" are going to ruin it for all of us.

 

[SRehberg]

cat converter

Thanks illflem, I appreciate your thoughts, and I too agree that smoke equals unburned fuel, which does not indear us to the average motorist. I know I for one hate being behind a bus or something else that is just pouring out black; I would hope the TDR members are more informed, therefore not into smoke.



Is there anyway to tell that the cat is clogging other than performance starts to drop off, or to install a pressure reading port before and after the cat? I imagine the performance loss is gradual, so it sneaks up on the driver.

 

[illflem]

As the cat clogs you will get an increase in egts, a drop in power and boost. It will happen slowly. Test pipes, the section of pipe that folks replace their cats with are really intended to verify the efficiency of a cat by a before and after test. Some of the early ones I've seen had this warning stamped right on the side: "NOT FOR PERMENENT INSTALLATION FOR TEST PURPOSES ONLY" What are you going to do if your cat clogs though, a new cat costs close to $1000.

 

[csevers]

It happened to me

I had a 95 that the cat pluged up before 32k for some reason? The power petered off slowly going in to winter so I didn't notice till I put gauges in and could only get 7 psi boost and got blown away from a stop light by another 95 dodge with trailer and I could not keep up with him at all I call the dealer from the next stop light and set up an appointment with a diesel shop to trouble shoot the problem it stumbt them for a while and finally took off exhasut at the turbo and instantly got 18 psi. It does happen and I have never been a fan for cat converts on anything to start with.

 

[Ncostello]

Speaking of being smoked out... I had to follow a 2500 4x4 on I-70 for about 20 miles. I couldn't pass because it was one lane due to construction. About every 1/2 to 3/4 mile, the driver would apparently (and for no reason I could see) stomp the pedal to the floor thus belching out huge quantities of black smoke until the truck (and road) disappeared. I thought "neat" until about the 10th or so time. Later I passed and saw TDR stickers in the back window. All I could see it did was reinforce other peoples ideas of how diesels are "dirty". Maybe the rules will get stricter cause of stuff like this.



Dont get me wrong, I dont like converters either, but just cause you can make black smoke doesn't mean you should go around and blow it all over all other motorists constantly. Hope it dont catch the attention of some picky State Trooper. He might call DOT units in for a close inspection.

 

[illflem]

My fear is that if enough people complain about diesel smoke from pickups that the EPA will require retrofitted exhaust scrubbers like Calif is trying to require on all diesels including generators, construction and ag equipment. Last I read they cost around $2000 a pop and require expendsive maintenance. If you remove your cat don't throw it away, the day isn't far away when there will be 50 state emission testing.

 

[Champane Flight]

Emission testing

Emission testing would be OK if it was based on actual emissions and not put in place for new car sales. Our state has emission testing in the big two citys of the state along the front range. It is purely a joke, put in place to sell new cars or back some local garage. If you spend $250. 00 on a car thats is older than 1978 and it still fails the emission levels, it will still get a sticker. But, if you have a car that passes emission levels, but is missing original smog equipment, it fails... ... The law also requires all autos over fives years old to test every year, yet if you buy a new car, it is good for five!!!!!God help me if they bring it to the rest of the state, I will probably go to the horse.



A cat on a diesel is not needed to clean particulates, it was stuck on as a afterthought. Probably made someone at the EPA a little happier..... I pull with my truck on a regular basis and still haven't clogged mine up. But very soon it is coming off and a four inch exhaust is going on. After the mods I do to my old truck I am sure it will smoke on command. But, I do not believe in smoke=power. Smoke equals unburned fuel and driver who does not know how to treat diesel engine, sooting, lugging, and abusing. I have a mirror that aims directly at exhaust to moniter such emissions.

 

[Blakers]

The average "city person" (speaking philosophically - not geographically) does not realize that their over-polltion controlled yuppie car or midge van emits more pollution than our diesels, and probably more than over the road truck diesels. It has always been a fact that diesel pollute less than gasoline engines.



Try being in an enclosed garage with a gasoline engine running - you'll probably be dead in ten minutes. With a diesel you could be in there all day until the smoke was so dense you could cut it with a knife, yet it would not hurt you. The diesel emits almost no CO.



Diesel manufacturers and other interested parties need to educate the public and show them that just because you can see more smoke (carbon) from a diesel exhaust, it has nowhere near the harmful invisible pollutants.



Blake