Hey all. I recently blew a nice sized hole in my catalytic converter, about the size of my index finger.(Guess how I got that precise measurement) Anyways, I tried patching it, and I tried that putty crap that you put on it, but nothing helps. It all just blows out or cracks. I was wondering what the effects of taking the Cat out and replacing it with a piece of straight pipe would be? The truck is a 1982 Ford F150 with a 300 I-6. It has a Thrush Super Turbo muffler on it.

 

The only effect would be whether or not you could get an inspection sticker, or pass a smog test. Don't know if you have either one where you are. Other than that, you won't notice any other problems. LeClarion, just posted a reply to you on another thread about your fuel mileage. If you blew a cat, you are running rich! The only thing that will melt out a cat. You really need to check that accelerator pump and your base timing. Also the 4.9 will jump timing, however they usually don't run after that. It has a gear-to-gear timing set. The factory gears have plastic teeth on the cam gear for noise which tend to break off after some miles. Replace with steel gears. They will give you the gear-drive whine however, but you won't have to worry about them breaking.

Robbie

 

You will need a cat on there to pass emissions. As for it blowing out because your running rich, usually if the engine is running rich the cat just melts and plugs up internally. When they blow a hole in the side it's usually just rust and corrosion.

-Jon

 

Yeah. I don't have to pass smog tests or emmissions tests, or I'd be screwed because I drive a 1982 Ford Truck. The cat blew apart totally today, as in I was driving down the road, I heard a monstrous THUMP aand looked in the rearview as I heard the exhaust get a whole hell of a lot louder. Thankfully there was no one else on the roads yet, So I went back and picked up the pieces. It looked like a messes up sandwich, with all the layers all over. And the guts were DEFINITELY melted. Yeah, the timing's not off... at least I think not... I just timed it, and it's running fine at 9 degrees before top dead center. (it's suppposed to be 10, but I have a hi-flo exhaust setup, whic made it start backfiring, so I knocked it forward a degree and it sounded great.) Anyways... I had the distributor off of the truck, and I got the chance to inspect all of the parts... And, oddly enough, I think that my gears are metal... I know the one on the distributor is, but it was kinda chewed up just a little... Would a plastic gear do that? Also, if it is plastic, where can I find a metal one? And, I rebuilt the stock carb with a GP Sorensen kit... All of the parts that come with that are new, including the accellerator pump. The rubber on the old one was cracked and broken. Thanks Guys!