Innards of Catalytic Converter - is it Suppose to Look Like This?

[lazabby]

I've taken off my catalytic converter while doing other things on the engine. I've never actually looked on the inside. I took pictures of what I could see. Does this look normal? The gray globs do not shake out. They are not loose. They are attached to the screen mesh you see in the picture.

[krs09]

I've taken off my catalytic converter while doing other things on the engine. I've never actually looked on the inside. I took pictures of what I could see. Does this look normal? The gray globs do not shake out. They are not loose. They are attached to the screen mesh you see in the picture.

Well the converter is almost like a filter for the exhaust, so any blockage on that screen will stop the exhaust fumes from leaving the engine properly - could hinder power for sure.

[sdg3205]

I've got a lightly - used cat at home I can double check, but i don't recall ever seeing that kind of debris!

[David T]

I've got a lightly - used cat at home I can double check, but i don't recall ever seeing that kind of debris!

That is carbon from unburnt fuel (unburnt by the motor that is, it DID burn inside the cat!). When you get enough it plugs up the cat. You can figure there is more in the catalytic bed restricting the flow. That cat is dead and should either be gutted or replaced.

[Jonathan]

Found this on YouTube University:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmtFp-SV0tY

Agreed on it blocking a flow path. It could be a byproduct of your catalytic converter getting overwhelmed at some point and not keeping up. The video mentions the chemistry of all of this happening in a tenth of a second. That's likely based on a certain volume of exhaust going through a particular design and size of converter. If it runs rich for prolonged periods it might produce these kinds of blockages and then it starts to happen more exponentially as the blockages further make it less efficient and more pathways get blocked. Also interesting mention of the temperatures involved, which we can all relate to if you see one red hot (and now know why).

[lazabby]

That is carbon from unburnt fuel (unburnt by the motor that is, it DID burn inside the cat!). When you get enough it plugs up the cat. You can figure there is more in the catalytic bed restricting the flow. That cat is dead and should either be gutted or replaced.

Tips for gutting? Crowbar inside?

[sdg3205]

Tips for gutting? Crowbar inside?

Hulk smash!

[Bitsyncmaster]

It should not have that blockage and the "brick" should not be cracked. That CAT has overheated and most likely is plugged where you cant see it. I used a cold chisel attached to a long pipe to bust it out. It breaks up pretty easy since that "brick" is brittle.

[eagle-co94]

That's VERY bad for performance and your cat. If you want to replace it with a good one PM me as I've got a good one from 10077 I'm selling.

[DMCMW Dave]

Actually you're kind of lucky. What's really annoying is when it breaks up and all the chunks go into the muffler. Then you have a rattle you can't cure, and it's very hard if not impossible to get all the pieces out of the muffler.

[mluder]

Actually you're kind of lucky. What's really annoying is when it breaks up and all the chunks go into the muffler. Then you have a rattle you can't cure, and it's very hard if not impossible to get all the pieces out of the muffler.

Ask me how I know about that. :sad30:

Cheers
Steven

[outatym2001]

Tips for gutting? Crowbar inside?

Please see my post number 6 in this thread below. It starts,
“I used a two foot long crow bar and with the straight pointed end I smashed the insides of the cat converter and turned it over to allow the little pieces to fall out. Then smashed some more…”

Catalytic converter
http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?2747-Catalytic-converter

[eagle-co94]

I used a piece of wire conduit piping once. It was hollow so it allowed some broken bits to go into the pipe rather than further upstream. I dropped the exhaust after the cats, leaving them on the car. Once I was satisfied I'd broken it up enough I fired the car up and give it a few WOT hits and cleared it all out. Worked like a charm.