How about ramming a broom handle or long pipe from the back end into the converter.

 

Okay I cut the pipe before the second O2 sensor. Beat the stuff out of the cat. Hooked it up and ran the stuff out the pipe. Took cat back off, beat more stuff out and then fished the rest out. It looks clean on the inside. So that is done. Now I have to re-atach the O2 sensor pipe with a clamp for now and later a weld.


Funny thing The truck won't start anymore, no clicks or anything, I guess a wire got knocked loose at the starter. Plan to troubleshoot that tommorow.

I really thought this would be easy, usually you just remove the muffler and bang the stuff out, but this cat is a PITA, it has bends in both inlet and exhaust pipes.

So know I may or may not have fixed my milage issue. If this dosen't do it, I am going to change the timing to stock.

I thought after tons of work I would get better milage.

My trip computer is saying 8.8 MPG, that like my 67 stang was, not a newer smaller fuel injected engine. I am so fed up.

I couldn't belive how hard this was, I took a F'n motor out of the 5.0 quicker than it took me to get this cat done. Now I have to put the muffler back on, and then find out why the starter isn't working.

I really have about $3000 in problems yet to fix, and I have a sporttrac now too, so I think I may just store the truck for a few months. Until i have time to dedicate to it.

 

yeah i see people on here all the time talking bout gutting their cats and how they just banged the stuff out, makes me think they are full of ****, lol when i pulled mine down i noticed right away i had to cut the cat open and then re-weld it.

lol look at the outlet pipe the nice bend it has in it, its clear you cant just ram a pipe in there.

 

There must be slight differences between years. Both the factory and aftermarket cats on mine (97)had straight pipe out of the converter.

 

Did you stick weld or mig weld it?

Just wondering as I saw a nice stick welding kit for $100 at wal-mart. Would like to pick up a new hobby.

So I think I got all the junk out. Some one told me that stuff is worth money, but I think they were yanking my chain regardless I kept it all

So, it was harder than I though and I swear waaay back in the day I helped a friend of mine do this to his 94 5.2 and it was really easy.

I just cut the pipe after the outlet. I put the exhaust back on, and I will just drive it to a friend of mines shop, I nearly forgeot I knew a welder. I was going to clamp it.

At least its done. I found it easier once I took off the spare and the oil filter. Those two things got in the way. I also took off the bracktes at the bolts rather than mess with the rubber.

Truck sounded mean, but I have no idea why starter just died. Ihooked jumper cables to it and got nothing, so I will take it out tommorrow and clean it.


In hind sight I think I would have been better off just having my friend run a y pipe to the muffler. Our inspections are a joke. Either that or a magnaflow.

I do want to pick up welding, and I have a junk car to practice on now. A 99 3.5 RL I got for $150.

 

Holy Crap!! So that's what is inside the cat. Might as well stuff some concrete in the pipe, huh? Does anyone know what a "high-flow" cat looks like inside? Would our engines run better without a cat (where legal)? Or do they need a certain amount of backpressure from the cat?

 

yeah the stock cat is wicked restrictive, i was thinking about pulling it back down, opening it up again, and welding a pipe in there so its basically a straight pipe, seems it would flow better then just gutting the cat and letting all the air swirl around in there.

 

im in the process of gutting mine as we speak and im not going to take it all the way off if i dont need to, i cut it off about 4 inches behind the cat, and it seems absolutley impossible to get all that crap out, i ram a rod in there for awile, pullit out of the shop, rev it a few times, pull it back in and look at it and theres still big chunks in there resricting the airflow. is there any other way? weve got a torch so could you cut it open while still attatched and weld it back together or do i need to cut it asll the way off??? or any other suggestions. its taken me way too long and im starting to think its a lost cause. and, no i dont have the money for a new system as im laid off at the present time. ANY HELP WOULD BE AWSOME!!!

 

sooo nobody has any opinions eh? youd think someone would...

 

i may just being stupid but it the cat is hollowed out will it throw a code on a 98 5.9?