mind of its own...

[wjxavier]

I've been having a couple problems with the old truck for a little while, so i'm gonna run them by you guys to see if anyone has any opinions. now i kinda type what my mind is thinking, so try to bare with me as it might get confusing. my truck was running fine for a long time. i changed my transmission oil/filter and changed my engine oil. everything was still running like a champ. well probably about 2 or 3 days ago, i was going down the highway and heard this click or pop noise and all of the sudden the truck started making this loud hissing noise(kinda like someone blowing compressed air). it was exhaust related. that continued up until today. i just figured it was a clogged muffler or cat. i hadn't lost any real power that i could notice. well today was horrible! as i was moving stuff from one house to another, i lost a LOT of power. i could barely get up to highway speeds and it would take me forever to do so. i couldn't get a good start off a line or anything. things were running through my head. i know a clogged cat will deprive an engine of power, but just how much? another thing to note, the hissing only occured obviously when i accelerated. however, my truck barely made ANY noise when idle...thats not normal(usually rumbles a nice sound like is should). also when i would accelerate harder(more) than normal, a low whining noise could be heard. THEN, one time today i heard random clicking noises from under the truck while slowly driving around a corner, and everytime i shift, it clunks like its the cool thing to do(its always clunked a little, but not this bad). could this mean that maybe my torque converter is going bad? hence the loss of power to the wheels? could i need a rebuild? although i dont understand why, my tranny has been working fine. could i just need a new cat? now here's the kicker...i'm driving up our road to the house, and just cruising along again, my ear drums about to burst from this compressed air noise, and again i hear this "click" or "pop" and i regain all my lost power. it stops hissing and i'm able to drive normally. BUT, my tranny is still clunking. sometimes when i hit the gas, it will clunk, and then when i let off the gas, it will clunk...its so bizarre. if anyone has any opinions or suggestions please let me know. i'm gonna be taking a 3 hour trip here soon, and once i get back, i would like to start working on it to get this problem/s fixed.

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[VWandDodge]

Sounds like transmission issues. Take it to a trans shop. A clogged cat will cause a loss of power, but not under the circumstances you're describing.

[wjxavier]

how would that explain the correlation between the hissing(exhaust malfunction of somesort) to the loss of power. and then the sudden regain in power with the loss of the hissing noise. maybe i have two seperate problems? lol

[zman17]

Maybe 2 probs, but that pop sound may have been the cat moving the guts around. I'd check the cat if I was you.

[wjxavier]

well i know i need a new one anyway...its been sounding and rattling like crap anyway. i know my whole exhaust system wont pass inspection, thats why i'm kinda glad we moved already so i have a garage and space to work on it in...anyway, i was looking at the magnaflow high flow cat...and i came across something that in my mind doesnt make sense...from what i learned in physics anyway. here it is:

Features

• Unleash your hidden horsepower—Magnaflow Direct-Fit Catalytic Converters for 49-State Emissions deliver smooth exhaust flow that’s clean as a whistle
• Magnaflow Catalytic Converters are custom-made for a direct factory-replacement fit
• Honeycomb-patterned internal catalyst MAXimizes the surface area your exhaust flows over for greatly reduced restrictions
• Your Magnaflow Direct-Fit Catalytic Converter bolts into place with no welding or pipe bending required
• Constructed from long-lasting 16-gauge steel with welded seams
• Pre-bunged to work with your stock sensors and probes
• Meets all EPA standards for states other than California
• 5-year, 50,000-mile external warranty; 25,000-mile internal warranty\

now, i do believe the statement about surface area and reduced restrictions is wrong. it says that the honeycomb MAXimizes surface area to REDUCE restriction. i think that is completely bass ackwards...MORE surface area means you have a given amount of air moving across MORE of a given space...therefore creating MORE restriction. am i wrong?

[zman17]

Originally Posted by wjxavier

well i know i need a new one anyway...its been sounding and rattling like crap anyway. i know my whole exhaust system wont pass inspection, thats why i'm kinda glad we moved already so i have a garage and space to work on it in...anyway, i was looking at the magnaflow high flow cat...and i came across something that in my mind doesnt make sense...from what i learned in physics anyway. here it is:

Features

• Unleash your hidden horsepower—Magnaflow Direct-Fit Catalytic Converters for 49-State Emissions deliver smooth exhaust flow that’s clean as a whistle
• Magnaflow Catalytic Converters are custom-made for a direct factory-replacement fit
• Honeycomb-patterned internal catalyst MAXimizes the surface area your exhaust flows over for greatly reduced restrictions
• Your Magnaflow Direct-Fit Catalytic Converter bolts into place with no welding or pipe bending required
• Constructed from long-lasting 16-gauge steel with welded seams
• Pre-bunged to work with your stock sensors and probes
• Meets all EPA standards for states other than California
• 5-year, 50,000-mile external warranty; 25,000-mile internal warranty\

now, i do believe the statement about surface area and reduced restrictions is wrong. it says that the honeycomb MAXimizes surface area to REDUCE restriction. i think that is completely bass ackwards...MORE surface area means you have a given amount of air moving across MORE of a given space...therefore creating MORE restriction. am i wrong?

I don't know about all that crap and don't care actually, LOL But since you know the CAT is bad and have not gutted or replaced it. Why do we need to have any discussion about why it runs like crap until you replace the F'n thing??????????? Come on dude.

And btw , it's not the first time I read a post that you have stated it, in the past.

[wjxavier]

thats all i wanted to hear...i was just asking for opinions and suggestions. the truck was acting really weird today and it kinda scared me. lol. i'm thinking i have both tranny AND exhaust issues...who knows. thanks for the blatant suggestion though lol

[zman17]

No prob! Take care of the s--t you know is wrong first.

[wjxavier]

this it true...but like i said, all this happened at once...so obviously that would dictate that the problem would be what you already know is wrong, but with the other stuff that was happening, it was too weird to be just that lol. but hey, you're right...so now the plan is to gut until i get money to replace...woot.

[VWandDodge]

If your cat is bad, then you need to look at servicing the emission system. That means replacing the O2 sensors air filter, and perhaps cleaning the IAC. The O2 sensors should be replaced every 50K miles.