remove catalytic converter

Post by **phils94850** » 01 Apr 2010, 14:08

Here in the great state of indiana we dont have emission testing anymore. soooo, im thinking about ditching my converter. I think its truly getting clogged ( 178k miles on it ).

Can i run the car without it and not hurt anything and just put in some pipe where the cat used to be ???

Post by **jblackburn** » 01 Apr 2010, 14:19

Yes, you can. BUT the (rear) O2 sensor will be confused and you'll forever have a check engine light.

You can find O2 emulators that trick the car into still thinking it has a converter and it's working fine...ask the folks over on VS about this one, they'll know what it's called right away.

Post by **phils94850** » 01 Apr 2010, 14:26

thanks black, im gonna get rid of it then. I notied when i was going up a steep hill i was getting a burning egg like smell only on the hard pull up the hill. Ive also noticed when im driving the car after awhile and its warmed up good it seems like its kinda sluggish at times. I shut the car off, let it sit for a bit, jump back in and drive for a bit and then it starts getting sluggish again. I also noticed my exhaust seems very hot out the tailpipe

retina · Post by **retina** » 18 Jun 2022, 18:54

I have an 1998 S70 with 180k. No problems with the catalytic converters, but lots of blow by.

I would check your pcv/oil trap system with a glove test to check for blow by and check for coolant leaks if the cat is plugged.

454cid · Post by **454cid** » 18 Jun 2022, 19:04

Lots of people do it, but it is still illegal federally. I think I'd stick in a universal cat.

rrres · Post by **rrres** » 19 Jun 2022, 00:47

The rotten egg smell could be a bad catalytic converter, but it could also be that the engine is running rich, which of course can destroy a cat converter, because of a fault in one of the sensors. It's all one big dizzying loop. To even get started diagnosing this problem, since one affects the other and vice versa, you'd have to decide which problem is more likely. For me, a clogged cat is rare. Not saying that it isn't the problem but I don't think it's a good starting point for diagnosis. I've seen broken honeycombs (matrices) but the cat still allowed exhaust flow. If you can feel exhaust pressure out of the tailpipe, then the cat is probably not clogged.

You mentioned that you were getting the rotten egg smell when the car is going uphill. That statement also kinda implies that you don't get the smell (or not as severe) when driving on a flat road..? Is that right? It seems like the computer is trying to dump a bunch of fuel in the engine, which will produce that smell and excessive heat, when under heavy load (ie. going uphill). What sensors does the computer use to determine how much fuel to dump in the engine? I would start looking at those. Especially the O2 sensor.

If you want a quick way to check the catalytic converter...warm up the car as if you've just driven to work. Leave the car running. Get an infrared thermometer and point it as close as possible to the inlet pipe of the cat. Do the same at the outlet. If the temps are close to being the same, then the cat is dead. If you get a big difference in the temps, then the cat is still good.

Post by **foggydogg** » 19 Jun 2022, 05:59

Ancient thread alert. Original post was over 12 years ago. I would imagine it's resolved.