LT1-LT4 Modifications 1993-97 Gen II Small Block V8

Confirm my clogged cat?

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Old Jan 22, 2009 | 01:25 PM
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Default Confirm my clogged cat?

So I threw a code and it was for my rear 02. The car has a loss of power and sounds choked up. It's misfiring and you can smell wasted fuel. I guess the clogged cat is setting off my 02 and causing misfires/power loss?
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Old Jan 22, 2009 | 01:33 PM
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Do you know what the code # was? I can be of more help with that.

Arthur
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Old Jan 22, 2009 | 01:44 PM
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I believe it was p053.
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Old Jan 22, 2009 | 02:42 PM
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Originally Posted by 96blackta
I believe it was p053.
Why not remove it temporarily and see if the problem goes away? I'll help.
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Old Jan 22, 2009 | 03:02 PM
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Every time my cat collapsed, very fine metal shavings would blow out of the exhaust. It happened to me two or three times, and my car was always undriveable.
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Old Jan 22, 2009 | 03:03 PM
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with a temperature gun the exhaust should be 100 degrees hotter after the cat...check that...if thats truen then the code is bc the sensor went bad
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Old Jan 22, 2009 | 03:16 PM
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Whenever my cats went bad, they just hollowed them selves out, never clogged, and I got a code "catalyst efficiency below threshold"
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Old Jan 22, 2009 | 04:10 PM
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look at your cat when its dark out, normally a clogged cat will glow. not always but you never know
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Old Jan 22, 2009 | 04:14 PM
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The cat on my 94 "slightly clogged" I guess you could say. It would idle fine but had no power below 2500 rpms and had trouble staying in overdrive. I just gutted it with a crow bar and it was fine afterwards.
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Old Jan 22, 2009 | 04:29 PM
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im not sure but it looks like he is in Cali so i dont think he can go the gutted rout
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Old Jan 22, 2009 | 04:32 PM
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Originally Posted by djjab57
im not sure but it looks like he is in Cali so i dont think he can go the gutted rout
"Legally" you can't.
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Old Jan 22, 2009 | 05:15 PM
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Legally, no. But I have two years to worry about getting a new one ;] Maybe I'll try gutting it...
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Old Jan 22, 2009 | 05:18 PM
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Originally Posted by 96blackta
Legally, no. But I have two years to worry about getting a new one ;] Maybe I'll try gutting it...
That's what I would do. I have some straight 3" pipe that you can have if you want to weld it in place of your cat.
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Old Jan 22, 2009 | 05:29 PM
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cats HAH i laugh at them! heres a pic of my cat



flows well
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Old Jan 22, 2009 | 05:31 PM
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DAMN LAW BREAKERS IN HERE lol
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Old Jan 22, 2009 | 08:54 PM
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Can anyone tell me if a clogged cat would cause breaking up or a real rough idle? What about a bad rear 02 sensor?
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Old Jan 22, 2009 | 10:28 PM
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What's a cat? People have those on their cars?
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Old Jan 23, 2009 | 12:06 AM
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Originally Posted by 96blackta
Can anyone tell me if a clogged cat would cause breaking up or a real rough idle? What about a bad rear 02 sensor?
A clogged cat could cause it to run like a$$. I guess it depends on the degree of clogging, but my car was not driveable. It had absolutely no power, or throttle response, whatsoever.
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Old Jan 23, 2009 | 05:53 AM
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cats and 02 sensors can both cause a car to run like ***, but considering the code is for the rear 02 and that has nothing to do whatsoever with how the car runs, I'd say its most likely one of the cats. You could try removing the exhaust then start it up on straight headers and see if its still a problem. (note: it'll run rich, but it should be very drivable.). That could be a major pain in the *** for you though since its a dual cat car like mine. That cat up in the engine bay doesn't look fun to unbolt.

EDIT: actually I'm not so sure that's safe with manifolds/shorties. They may not be long enough to keep the cold air out of the engine. Might **** your valves, so I guess somebody more knowledgeable would have to answer that.
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Old Jan 23, 2009 | 06:28 AM
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yeah my converter clogged about a year ago on me and it got to the point where i couldn't even drive it... it would just sputter and not move and idle really shitty and be really hard to start and basically just scared me to even try to start it because i didn't want to hurt it anymore than what i thought i had already.... i guess the shop i took it to said they didn't have any idea what it could have been until they took one of my o2 sensors out and put a backpressure tester in it and said i had an ungodly amount of backpressure....
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