anyone try lacquer thinner to clean a catalytic converter?
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DCMC
Active Member
The main ingredient in Cata clean is lacquer thinner.
Don't be stoopid.
Too late. If this was my first mistake I'd worry. Paul
73Coupe
Senior Member
I'd think that would ruin the rubber parts in your carb.
Easier to arm yourself with a hacksaw and ski mask and obtain a replacement cat....
Easier to arm yourself with a hacksaw and ski mask and obtain a replacement cat....
73; thought about that but I don't think the lacquer thinner will be in the system long enough. How long does it take to ruin rubber? Paul
volksworld
Well-Known Member
I believe the idiots on u tube that recommend that procedure do so to try to clean off the surface of the cat in cases where it is no longer efficient and is triggering a check engine light...and an inefficient cat won't cause any driveability issues at all, just more emissions out the pipe
mrfury68
Senior Member
Just eliminate it with a section of pipe. Engine will breathe much better.
73Coupe
Senior Member
Immediately.
The rubber-like components in the carb (such as accelerator pump piston cup) are designed to work with gasoline only. Sure, other solvents may or may not harm them, but I wouldn't want to take any chances. There's also the float which may be nitrophyl depending on what carb you have (I'm guessing a T-quad, so yes) - not sure how that would react with various solvents.
Personally, I like Scotty and some of his "hacks that work", as using R52 in place of R-1234yf. Yet many of the vehicles he does these things to are older vehicles which might be buying some life for them. So if anything works and saves some money, it's good for them and others. I do suspect that anything he does has been thought about first. I don't know that I'd follow his methods unless I could figure out why they worked as they did.
The OP has a Holley 4175 spreadbore on the car as a TQuad replacement. ONE area I'd be concerned with is the location of the accel pump diaphram . . . on the BOTTOM of the primary float bowl. Sometimes, those diaphrams will leak anyway, onto the top of the intake manifold. SO watch that area for several weeks after the paint thinner flush! Might not affect the power valve diaphram, but it is possible, all things considered.
Enjoy!
CBODY67
The OP has a Holley 4175 spreadbore on the car as a TQuad replacement. ONE area I'd be concerned with is the location of the accel pump diaphram . . . on the BOTTOM of the primary float bowl. Sometimes, those diaphrams will leak anyway, onto the top of the intake manifold. SO watch that area for several weeks after the paint thinner flush! Might not affect the power valve diaphram, but it is possible, all things considered.
Enjoy!
CBODY67
CB; car ran fine today; smooth idle and no stalling so I'll keep m fingers crossed and an eye on the accelerator pump area.
Separately I don't understand NYS law . My mechanic is willing to defeat the converter (i.e drill it out ) but he won't replace it with a straight pipe. He says I can do the replacement and it will pass NYSI but he won't. Any NYS inspectors on this board? Paul
There is a federal requirement against "tampering" that has no model year limits. Most states will do a visual check of things being where they need to be, but older vehicles do not get "sniffed" as newer ones might. As newer vehicles have 2 O2 sensors to gauge catalyst efficiency. Low efficiency will tun on the Check Engine Light, if equipped.
So, breaking up and disposing of any broken ceramic material in the converter will still pass the visual check where as a straight pipe will not. IF somebody might hear a suspiciously louder exhaust sound from an idling car, that might be reported to the DMV by "someone". Then the DMV can track the inspection sticker back to the shop mechanic (via the vehicle license number), which could THEN result in a fine or other sanctions against his license to do inspections. THEN, it would be up to the vehicle owner to prove the modification was done after the inspection was performed and the sticker was affixed to the vehicle . . . IF that was true.
It can be much better, all around, for you to get a "muffler shop" universal cat converter for your engine size installed at a muffler shop of your choice. That can let us all breathe a bit easier. Cleaner air and no anxiety on your part. Plus taking the converter out of your diagnostic activities.
As I recall from a friend who hollowed-out the cat converter on a '78 Town Coupe, it can take a good 30 minutes to get the ceramic substrate cracked into small enough pieces to get them out of the converter shell. There can also be a wire mesh between the shell and the ceramic, which will need to be removed to. Wear a mask as it can be dusty, too!
CBODY67
So, breaking up and disposing of any broken ceramic material in the converter will still pass the visual check where as a straight pipe will not. IF somebody might hear a suspiciously louder exhaust sound from an idling car, that might be reported to the DMV by "someone". Then the DMV can track the inspection sticker back to the shop mechanic (via the vehicle license number), which could THEN result in a fine or other sanctions against his license to do inspections. THEN, it would be up to the vehicle owner to prove the modification was done after the inspection was performed and the sticker was affixed to the vehicle . . . IF that was true.
It can be much better, all around, for you to get a "muffler shop" universal cat converter for your engine size installed at a muffler shop of your choice. That can let us all breathe a bit easier. Cleaner air and no anxiety on your part. Plus taking the converter out of your diagnostic activities.
As I recall from a friend who hollowed-out the cat converter on a '78 Town Coupe, it can take a good 30 minutes to get the ceramic substrate cracked into small enough pieces to get them out of the converter shell. There can also be a wire mesh between the shell and the ceramic, which will need to be removed to. Wear a mask as it can be dusty, too!
CBODY67
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For NYS inspections, they are done at private shops and no sniffers. They plug directly into OBD2 for emissions and that connects to Albany. Cars over 25 years (rolling 25 years) are exempt from any emissions testing or inspection.
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There are cars with carbs - and cats?
In TX, only 1996 and later get put on the scanner. No chassis dyno run. No sniff. Yet there are the two O2 sensors to gauge cat efficiency and other sensors which must "be reporting". Two of them. AND the Check Engine Light must not be triggered. All discovered with the scan tool or DIY scanner.
The two "reporting" sensors can be a bit tricky. If the battery was dead, replaced, or unhooked before the check, one will report and the other one will not. The 2nd one will report "after driving", which can include a specified driving schedule of moderate acceleration to various speeds. Full decel/coast from 60mph (no brakes), idle, etc. In some cases, normal driving will do it. In other cases, not. But "time"/continued use usually takes care of it. Only way to see if it becomes to "report" is with the scanner. BTDT
Enjoy!
CBODY67
The two "reporting" sensors can be a bit tricky. If the battery was dead, replaced, or unhooked before the check, one will report and the other one will not. The 2nd one will report "after driving", which can include a specified driving schedule of moderate acceleration to various speeds. Full decel/coast from 60mph (no brakes), idle, etc. In some cases, normal driving will do it. In other cases, not. But "time"/continued use usually takes care of it. Only way to see if it becomes to "report" is with the scanner. BTDT
Enjoy!
CBODY67
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