[david]

Check plugs. Clean MAF. That’ll get you started.
Is idle rough?

[david]

timing belt snapped?
when was last timing belt service?
if timing belt snapped, could sound like it’s gonna start but never does.
2 cents.

[david]

left hand drill bit.
best solution to a broken bolt.
bolt remover “kits” have these bits that only kinda sorta remove stuck bolts.
have to pre-drill and such but if you just go ahead and use a left-hand bit ….
would suggest a punch or something to get a dip to start the bit.
you’ve already got a hole, a left hand drill bit should take it out pronto.

yes, have to be careful as all mentioned above.
but it turns in the direction you want that left over bolt to turn.
and might just loosen up and spin out.
if not, you still get same effect as the above and have your hole.
can only win with a left hand drill bit – not lose.
again, same precautions as above.

2 cents.

[david]

hi there.
did not want to leave a thread un-finished, though a bit old.
finally gotten around to this project.
cont’d from previous
reconnected the cat to the exhaust manifold.
disconnected the exhaust between the mid-pipe/resonator with the cat.
then did the vacuum gauge check – yes, purchased vacuum gauge from harbor freight to add to my tools.
thanks etcg … and i used this link and found it super helpful and would like to share here (maybe already shared)

How to Use and Interpret a Vacuum Gauge

the Escort even has a service port a a T junction for manifold vacuum near the fire wall.
turns out, the cat alone does not exhibit blockage.

replaced the mid-pipe/resonator, and just ordered the muffler today.
my old muffler may still be good, just too much of a pain if i install it and then find out it is causing blockage.
i did not test the mid-pipe/resonator because there is already a gaping hole right behind the flex joint.
so, the mid-pipe is at least due to be changed, basically, this only leaves the muffler questionable.

the muffler does not rattle when shaken, and there is 1 piece of very small debris in there which can be heard.
the debris seems to move all around and does not seem near big enough to cause blockage – maybe some small piece that fell off during my removal of the muffler. (went the recip saw near the muffler connection, would suggest others to use a multi-tool instead)
due to the PITA nature of removal and re-install of muffler, just went ahead and bit the bullet and bought a new one.

Conclusion: the cat may not look healthy, but was not causing exhaust blockage.
And no emissions to worry about in Tennessee right now. Blockage should be caused aft of the cat.

Misfires and lack of power under load is usually ignition related. More info here.

http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solving-automotive-performance-issues

A vacuum gauge will set you back about $20. It’s a good tool to have in the box as it can tell you a great deal about how an engine is performing.

http://www.jbtoolsales.com/electronic-specialti…um-gauge/#oid=1002_1

[david]

Wow. like magic.
maybe i missed this tidbit in the video… how long did that take?
the result is amazing regardless of length of time (assuming not like weeks or more).

[david]

well, i just did my first oil change on my 2000 infiniti G20.
im a synthetic nut, mainly Mobil1 but i found a deal on the Castrol Edge, which my buddy believes in is great for his NSX, so i got me some to try.
AND … after oil change, about 2 days later, the car started to leak oil.
At first, glance, i thought it was coming from the filter – thought maybe i had put on the filter to loose.
put back the old filter and was going to swap out my oil filter. then i noticed, i was still leaking oil.
the old filter did not leak before the change …. so i started to look really hard.
then i saw a small drop coming from the little rubber boot covering the connector to the oil pressure switch/sender. then i removed the boot … quite a bit of oil in there … which should not be.

this event does not in any way deter me from wanting to use synthetic.
as a matter of fact, now, i would say to anyone not using synthetic already, to hurry yo azz up and start using it! (before the synthetic would perform too well and spring a leak).

i believe in synthetic. use oil weight as directed.
in older engines, it is possible for oil alone to quiet down the engine.
1983 Nissan 280zx turbo.
conventional oil – chatty.
synthetic oil – smooth …. would say close to “new” but aint really had a chance to hear the engine when new.
my jaw just about hit the floor when i tried this back in 1995/96.
since then… Mobil1 primarily and only bought other synthetic if my specific weight was not available.

Anyhow, this event has forced me to agree with Eric’s hypothesis and even Valvoline’s admittance of possibility, that the synthetic could clean away build-up and debris which could be hiding/blocking a leak. I would not have agreed until this oil change.
However, maybe it’s just Castrol Edge vs. Mobil1 – haha. just kidding – but don’t you want to go hmmmm?

maybe my leak was … coincidence?
hmmm?

PS- this video is so informative.

[david]

well, i just did my first oil change on my 2000 infiniti G20.
im a synthetic nut, mainly Mobil1 but i found a deal on the Castrol Edge, which my buddy believes in is great for his NSX, so i got me some to try.
AND … after oil change, about 2 days later, the car started to leak oil.
At first, glance, i thought it was coming from the filter – thought maybe i had put on the filter to loose.
put back the old filter and was going to swap out my oil filter. then i noticed, i was still leaking oil.
the old filter did not leak before the change …. so i started to look really hard.
then i saw a small drop coming from the little rubber boot covering the connector to the oil pressure switch/sender. then i removed the boot … quite a bit of oil in there … which should not be.

this event does not in any way deter me from wanting to use synthetic.
as a matter of fact, now, i would say to anyone not using synthetic already, to hurry yo azz up and start using it! (before the synthetic would perform too well and spring a leak).

i believe in synthetic. use oil weight as directed.
in older engines, it is possible for oil alone to quiet down the engine.
1983 Nissan 280zx turbo.
conventional oil – chatty.
synthetic oil – smooth …. would say close to “new” but aint really had a chance to hear the engine when new.
my jaw just about hit the floor when i tried this back in 1995/96.
since then… Mobil1 primarily and only bought other synthetic if my specific weight was not available.

Anyhow, this event has forced me to agree with Eric’s hypothesis and even Valvoline’s admittance of possibility, that the synthetic could clean away build-up and debris which could be hiding/blocking a leak. I would not have agreed until this oil change.
However, maybe it’s just Castrol Edge vs. Mobil1 – haha. just kidding – but don’t you want to go hmmmm?

maybe my leak was … coincidence?
hmmm?

PS- this video is so informative.

[david]

im a DIY-er.
And im usually on a budget.
Only on a few occassions, was time truly of the essence. (notice, i did not say quality of tool)
So, i mainly buy the most economical – i can face the music – CHEAPEST tools i can for planned projects.
Very seldom, have i found a real need for anything better.

I have only 1 broken socket ever in my time of doing necessary fixes. Was a found 12mm chrome socket off the street and it split while undoing a distributor bolt on a 280zx.
(had some broken multi head screwdrivers in those really thin plastic housing, but those were like
2 for $1 in some discount bin and i had left in car unused for like 3 years – this kinda don’t really count)

i still have my Benchtop kit from Kmart from mid 2000’s.
I still have a no name socket set from Kmart – SAE set from back in mid 90’s
my favorite screwdriver? a Duralast 16 incher purchased back in early 2000’s that i’ve pried and pried (rear heater hose in ’93 Legend) and leveraged on many cars since and never snapped and still straight as an arrow (not that i’ve needed straight).

The only time i do buy a name brand is probably because i had to have it then and there and there was nothing else to pick from. Oh wait, there is ALWAYS something generic to pick from.

Have i stripped my $5 10mm ratcheting spanner (great neck)? not yet. Have i stripped a bolt/nut with it? Not yet.

i dunno where all these broken tools come from, maybe i’ve just lucked out since i’ve lived more or less in the south my whole life and so don’t have so much rust to contend with.
I can see the advantage of thinner profile ratchets and spanners and anything “nice” for tight spots.
(but just disassemble more)
I can see the advantage of nicer grade of metal/steel when you have to fasten/unfasten rusted together fasteners.
(but just have standby replacement fastener ready)

Have i been in a position to have absolutely needed that 1 or 2 mm more clearance to make a difference whether i can fix or not fix something?
NOT that i recall. There was one occassion, on a bolt holding alternator in an isuzu rodeo, where i think i could have removed the bolt if i had slightly smaller profile ratchet, but i ended up bending the battery plate out of the way to get clearance and just bent it back when finished. But even like 2 mm may or may not have been enough. (never will know as i did not have tools to compare).

As for wanting nice brand name … well, don’t we all?
But is the brand name worth that much – especially to a DIY-er? probably not.
And can the DIY-er afford the name brand tool?
c’mon, you obviously aren’t “affording” to pay for the work done. If you could pay that price, you most likely would (only reason is for self-learning but if your time really worth THAT much, then you probably could not really afford to do the work yourself anyhow … im sure this could be whole ‘nother thread)
Well, anyhow, the goals are different from person-to-person.

I would even go so far as to say, i would super admire a pro that’s using Craftsman and not Matco or SnapOn and does the job and hope that i also got a slight savings as a customer cuz he doesn’t have to have the name brand tool to get a job done.

And heck, if somebody thinks their tool kit is hot sh!t, there is someone out there that prolly owns a whole automated manufacturing line. Why fix if you can make new?
TAKE THAT! YOU TOOL SNOB~! :sick:

And if anyone would like to loan my tools AND comment about what crappy brand they are, i would encourage them to borrow somewhere else.
I would argue that TIME is the biggest all encompassing tool, and that brand is what you want it to be.

Anyhow, hoping that putting my 2 cents in here doesn’t mean all my tools start breaking in the coming months~~~!

PS- just thought about this while closing my reply, i believe that i would be more prone to buying better brand name for the smaller tools (physical dimension) than the big tools. Or tools that in their use requires more refinement in use/more specialized. 2 foot breaker bar? Pittsburg by Harbor Freight. 1/4 inch ratchet, at least something made in Taiwan! (some of the older pittsburg tools were made in Taiwan)
banana:

[david]

im a DIY-er.
And im usually on a budget.
Only on a few occassions, was time truly of the essence. (notice, i did not say quality of tool)
So, i mainly buy the most economical – i can face the music – CHEAPEST tools i can for planned projects.
Very seldom, have i found a real need for anything better.

I have only 1 broken socket ever in my time of doing necessary fixes. Was a found 12mm chrome socket off the street and it split while undoing a distributor bolt on a 280zx.
(had some broken multi head screwdrivers in those really thin plastic housing, but those were like
2 for $1 in some discount bin and i had left in car unused for like 3 years – this kinda don’t really count)

i still have my Benchtop kit from Kmart from mid 2000’s.
I still have a no name socket set from Kmart – SAE set from back in mid 90’s
my favorite screwdriver? a Duralast 16 incher purchased back in early 2000’s that i’ve pried and pried (rear heater hose in ’93 Legend) and leveraged on many cars since and never snapped and still straight as an arrow (not that i’ve needed straight).

The only time i do buy a name brand is probably because i had to have it then and there and there was nothing else to pick from. Oh wait, there is ALWAYS something generic to pick from.

Have i stripped my $5 10mm ratcheting spanner (great neck)? not yet. Have i stripped a bolt/nut with it? Not yet.

i dunno where all these broken tools come from, maybe i’ve just lucked out since i’ve lived more or less in the south my whole life and so don’t have so much rust to contend with.
I can see the advantage of thinner profile ratchets and spanners and anything “nice” for tight spots.
(but just disassemble more)
I can see the advantage of nicer grade of metal/steel when you have to fasten/unfasten rusted together fasteners.
(but just have standby replacement fastener ready)

Have i been in a position to have absolutely needed that 1 or 2 mm more clearance to make a difference whether i can fix or not fix something?
NOT that i recall. There was one occassion, on a bolt holding alternator in an isuzu rodeo, where i think i could have removed the bolt if i had slightly smaller profile ratchet, but i ended up bending the battery plate out of the way to get clearance and just bent it back when finished. But even like 2 mm may or may not have been enough. (never will know as i did not have tools to compare).

As for wanting nice brand name … well, don’t we all?
But is the brand name worth that much – especially to a DIY-er? probably not.
And can the DIY-er afford the name brand tool?
c’mon, you obviously aren’t “affording” to pay for the work done. If you could pay that price, you most likely would (only reason is for self-learning but if your time really worth THAT much, then you probably could not really afford to do the work yourself anyhow … im sure this could be whole ‘nother thread)
Well, anyhow, the goals are different from person-to-person.

I would even go so far as to say, i would super admire a pro that’s using Craftsman and not Matco or SnapOn and does the job and hope that i also got a slight savings as a customer cuz he doesn’t have to have the name brand tool to get a job done.

And heck, if somebody thinks their tool kit is hot sh!t, there is someone out there that prolly owns a whole automated manufacturing line. Why fix if you can make new?
TAKE THAT! YOU TOOL SNOB~! :sick:

And if anyone would like to loan my tools AND comment about what crappy brand they are, i would encourage them to borrow somewhere else.
I would argue that TIME is the biggest all encompassing tool, and that brand is what you want it to be.

Anyhow, hoping that putting my 2 cents in here doesn’t mean all my tools start breaking in the coming months~~~!

PS- just thought about this while closing my reply, i believe that i would be more prone to buying better brand name for the smaller tools (physical dimension) than the big tools. Or tools that in their use requires more refinement in use/more specialized. 2 foot breaker bar? Pittsburg by Harbor Freight. 1/4 inch ratchet, at least something made in Taiwan! (some of the older pittsburg tools were made in Taiwan)
banana:

[david]

Hi ETCG,

this will be like the 5th time i’ve watched this video, maybe more – no lie.
i do not have gauge at the moment. have been contemplating getting one for some time.

Believe Wysetech is right in above and telling me to do a light test on the cat.
prolly sneak a small flashlight up the back end.

This was just an inquiry for a visual of the catalytic converter.
If someone is really experienced at looking, was hoping they could tell me what they see.
i.e. them holes are too small, got too much buildup on the right side, wrong color, ….

up til now, no direct answer on how the cat looks. i guess, maybe looks are really deceiving when it comes to cats (both mechanical cats and fleshy cats). hah.

symptom: intermittent no power/low power acceleration, only while car is under load.

test 1
drove car around with the cat unbolted from the exhaust manifold.
no occurrences of my symptom.

test 2
bolted all back together and removed just the back O2 sensor and drove around.
i get my symptom very seldomly and with much less severity and very briefly (like a hiccup)
if it happens at all.

Anyhow, this thread was a visual check on the cat and without one direct answer yet, i’ll probably have to unbolt and remove and sneak in a flashlight.

Thank you all for your time/replies.

[david]

Hi ETCG,

this will be like the 5th time i’ve watched this video, maybe more – no lie.
i do not have gauge at the moment. have been contemplating getting one for some time.

Believe Wysetech is right in above and telling me to do a light test on the cat.
prolly sneak a small flashlight up the back end.

This was just an inquiry for a visual of the catalytic converter.
If someone is really experienced at looking, was hoping they could tell me what they see.
i.e. them holes are too small, got too much buildup on the right side, wrong color, ….

up til now, no direct answer on how the cat looks. i guess, maybe looks are really deceiving when it comes to cats (both mechanical cats and fleshy cats). hah.

symptom: intermittent no power/low power acceleration, only while car is under load.

test 1
drove car around with the cat unbolted from the exhaust manifold.
no occurrences of my symptom.

test 2
bolted all back together and removed just the back O2 sensor and drove around.
i get my symptom very seldomly and with much less severity and very briefly (like a hiccup)
if it happens at all.

Anyhow, this thread was a visual check on the cat and without one direct answer yet, i’ll probably have to unbolt and remove and sneak in a flashlight.

Thank you all for your time/replies.

[david]

[quote=”wysetech” post=100987]Ninety Nine percent of the time when the cat is plugged it stays plugged so to be intermittent is very unlikely. That said I have seen the opposite when chunks of substrate move around and plug the inlet or outlet but they usually rattle like hell.[/quote]

i never was able to completely remove the catalytic and the attached piping. i did turn it around as much as i could and tried for quite some time to see if i can somehow sneak it past the crossmember. during this time, did not hear any errant rattle coming from the cat.

thanks for your input.

[david]

[quote=”wysetech” post=100987]Ninety Nine percent of the time when the cat is plugged it stays plugged so to be intermittent is very unlikely. That said I have seen the opposite when chunks of substrate move around and plug the inlet or outlet but they usually rattle like hell.[/quote]

i never was able to completely remove the catalytic and the attached piping. i did turn it around as much as i could and tried for quite some time to see if i can somehow sneak it past the crossmember. during this time, did not hear any errant rattle coming from the cat.

thanks for your input.

[david]

[quote=”wysetech” post=100976]It’s real hard to tell from your pics only that the inlet part of the converter is not melted or plugged. You should be able to see light on the outlet side while peering into the inlet side at several slight angles. It should not rattle inside when you shake it.

If you can see through it, it’s likely not plugged. If you can’t see through it or has areas that you can’t see light through then it should be suspect.[/quote]

Hello wysetech,
Well . ..
1. cannot remove the cat and length of exhaust piping to the resonator without removing a cross member and i was not sure if the cross member was under tension on the ground/in the air/need light tension/ what-not, so i did not remove the cat completely. i just unbolted manifold junction and resonator junction to have enough room to get my cell phone camera in there to take some pics
2. even if i could remove it, seriously doubt i can get light through to the cat from the exhaust side, there is bend in the piping.
here is pic from back end.

i guess it is possible that some illumination would get through for me to do the light test. maybe flashlight and get some reflection or something.

3. the ware looks really uniform to me except for that small area on the right side toward the edge and that one line at the bottom. And hoping that was enough to verify it should be ok.

my car barely does its low power/no power symptom since i had unbolted cat from the exhaust manifold and driven it a few times.
then i did this to see if i have a blocked cat and now, looks like it may be further down the exhaust if there is blockage.

i have now re-bolted back the cat and just did removal of the downstream O2 sensor. i feel that the symptom has come back more – but still much more driveable than with the O2 sensor in.
Im very sure this is exhaust-related.

My symptoms being:
– intermittent
– only under load
– step on gas, sometimes accelerates fine, sometimes not
– rarely if ever would drop dead at idle, would only possibly drop dead during strong deceleration (so i think it’s not idle, cuz i can idle all day and would not really show up)
– if/once i get to WOT (high rpm’s), would stay there and symptoms would not suddenly show up during WOT

basically, the banana in the tail pipe syndrome -ish.
however, has begun to show up more frequently, meaning that in the beginning of all of this, would not really have problems during idle. now, sometimes, rougher? but car does not die out.
But the diagnosis/subsequent actions already taken should be for another thread.
This is just merely trying to verify that the cat is or is not “broken”.
Seen other pics of bad catalytic converters and this one doesn’t appear in the pics to be bad but wanted some opinions.

hmmm, i just thought of something kinda new while writing this.

Thank you for your time/reply.

Attachments:

• IMAG0533.jpg

[david]

[quote=”wysetech” post=100976]It’s real hard to tell from your pics only that the inlet part of the converter is not melted or plugged. You should be able to see light on the outlet side while peering into the inlet side at several slight angles. It should not rattle inside when you shake it.

If you can see through it, it’s likely not plugged. If you can’t see through it or has areas that you can’t see light through then it should be suspect.[/quote]

Hello wysetech,
Well . ..
1. cannot remove the cat and length of exhaust piping to the resonator without removing a cross member and i was not sure if the cross member was under tension on the ground/in the air/need light tension/ what-not, so i did not remove the cat completely. i just unbolted manifold junction and resonator junction to have enough room to get my cell phone camera in there to take some pics
2. even if i could remove it, seriously doubt i can get light through to the cat from the exhaust side, there is bend in the piping.
here is pic from back end.

i guess it is possible that some illumination would get through for me to do the light test. maybe flashlight and get some reflection or something.

3. the ware looks really uniform to me except for that small area on the right side toward the edge and that one line at the bottom. And hoping that was enough to verify it should be ok.

my car barely does its low power/no power symptom since i had unbolted cat from the exhaust manifold and driven it a few times.
then i did this to see if i have a blocked cat and now, looks like it may be further down the exhaust if there is blockage.

i have now re-bolted back the cat and just did removal of the downstream O2 sensor. i feel that the symptom has come back more – but still much more driveable than with the O2 sensor in.
Im very sure this is exhaust-related.

My symptoms being:
– intermittent
– only under load
– step on gas, sometimes accelerates fine, sometimes not
– rarely if ever would drop dead at idle, would only possibly drop dead during strong deceleration (so i think it’s not idle, cuz i can idle all day and would not really show up)
– if/once i get to WOT (high rpm’s), would stay there and symptoms would not suddenly show up during WOT

basically, the banana in the tail pipe syndrome -ish.
however, has begun to show up more frequently, meaning that in the beginning of all of this, would not really have problems during idle. now, sometimes, rougher? but car does not die out.
But the diagnosis/subsequent actions already taken should be for another thread.
This is just merely trying to verify that the cat is or is not “broken”.
Seen other pics of bad catalytic converters and this one doesn’t appear in the pics to be bad but wanted some opinions.

hmmm, i just thought of something kinda new while writing this.

Thank you for your time/reply.

Attachments:

• IMAG0533.jpg

[Author]

Replies