Cat Converters on diesels ???

[Cobra]

A friend of mine had a 99 Ford powerstroke which he traded for a new one. (too bad for him) In a discussion he mentioned the cat converter. I just laughed at him because I was or am sure that diesels don't have cat converters. We looked under his new truck and there was none. There isn't one on my 01 RAM ISB, but he still insists that his 99 Ford had one. We bet $20. Does anyone know about 99 powerstrokes. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[mdlowry]

Not sure about the PS, but I know that the 94 (?) to 98 12V Rams had them. When Cummins switched to the electronic engines, they ran cleaner and didn't need them (or something like that).







Michael

 

[danandamy]

Both my '95's had them. They dropped them when they came out with the 24v engines. I think one of the reasons they dropped them was also that they really never worked right anyway. The exhaust really never gets hot enough (in stock applications anyway ) for the catalyst to work right, or so I've been told. About all they're good for on a diesel is to get all clogged up.

 

[JGblkLand]

The first 99 PSDs had cats. Ford made some changes to the engine and the cats disappeared in Dec. of 98, lots of people referred to the trucks built then as 99. 5s. I think when Ford upped the PSD to 275 in 01 they put cats back on.

 

[Ram4Sam]

Pay up Cobra. I had a early 99 POSPSD and it had a catalytic converter



Sam

 

[jwgary]

cool exhaust

For a cat to work properly you have to maintain an EGT of about 500*. Diesels do run cooler than that sometimes. Also, the cat doesn't work very effeciently when the exhaust mixture is lean (as in a diesel). The gassers usually modulate very rapidly between rich and lean to allow for the best CO and NOx reduction. We can't really do that since we vary fuel mixture with the right foot. Just for comparison a gasser cat works at about 95-98% efficient where a diesel cat is about 50% efficient.



I don't have any idea if the PSD has one or not, but I don't really care. I don't have one

 

[HC]

Pay up Cobra. I had a early 99 POSPSD and it had a catalytic converter

But if Ford made some changes to the engine and the cats disappeared in Dec. of 98, then "true" 99's didn't have one, so maybe you should just both buy each other a beer because you're both right. But then again, your friend didn't bet that ALL '99's had cats, he just bet that HIS 99 had a cat. So now you have to track it down and find out when it was made. Might be easier to pay up. Oh well, you win some, you lose some, but everybody learns some.

 

[Cobra]

Cats on diesels

I really appreciate the help you guys gave me. Even tho it cost me. I paid up today. The $20 wasn't as bad as the egg on my smug little face. He'll rub that in for a while. Thanx again, this TDR is great.