Cleaning Catalytic Converters with Soap and Water

[EricTheCarGuy]

Given that my last attempt at cleaning a catalytic converter was unsuccessful, I wanted to try an alternative method. I actually consulted with Scotty Kilmer on this earlier this year about this and did some research on my own. This video shows what I came up with.

What are your thoughts?

Topic

[EricTheCarGuy]

[quote=”jrvinnh” post=147844]I’m thinking of trying a different approach to cleaning a catalytic converter that is working at low efficiency due to carbonization caused by a rich-running engine. The rich-running condition has been fixed but the vehicle is now throwing a P0420 code.

I’m going to remove the upstream O2 sensor and use a shop vacuum cleaner to suck air through the converter by putting the hose from the vacuum cleaner into the tailpipe and sealing the connection with duct tape. Then when the vacuum is turned on it should establish continuous airflow through the entire exhaust system including the converter.

Once I have airflow through the converter I will introduce a cleaning solvent into the sensor hole. The cleaner should atomize and pass through the converter. Hopefully the liquid solvent will saturate the converter and break down the carbon inside the converter’s honeycomb structure.

I’m not sure what type of chemical to use to try to dissolve the carbon. I’ve thought of Sea Foam, or lacquer thinner or pure acetone. You want something to dissolve the carbon while remaining liquid that can be blown out of the converter by starting the engine after giving the solvent enough time to break down the carbon.

Any ideas??[/quote]

You could try that but know that if the coating has flaked off the ceramic, or if the ceramic has been damaged, no amount of cleaning is going to have any effect. That’s the reason why both my Vigor and my Subaru never came clean. They were just too far gone.

[Robert Jackson]

jrvinnh, hopefully your still alive to read this. Your idea while valient in thought is probably the single dumbest idea I’ve heard in the automotive repair trade. That vacuum cleaner your attavhing to the exhaust isn’t chemistry lab grade equipment and has sparks that your going to be passing highly volatile chemicals past thus creating a blast. In chemistry labs the motorized part of their vacuums is isolated from the impeller so no solvents are exposed to the sparks. I hope no ones attempted your idea but would love to hear how it went or didn’t.

No pun just hoping to prevent a catastrophic situation from blowing up in someone’s garage.

Bobster

[Author]

Replies