My Jeep is Constipated!

So awhile back (you may remember the pictures) I whacked my cat good with rocks. Anyway, I think I've got a chunk rattling around in there blocking airflow intermittant like. Yesterday on teh drive home from work I had a noticable loss of power for awhile and the trademark sound of blocked airflow.

Here's the route I'm going. I'm going to remove it and hollow it out. Now I know all the things you're going to say against doing it, but I'm broke at the moment and have to drive it on a 200 mile trip soon, I need that power.

So. Anybody got any tips and tricks? Or just the good old BFH and BFP?

Sequoia

Grab a chunk of pipe and put it in place of the cat, then when you get some buck, you can replace it. That said, you will not see a power increase, sorry. If anything it may loose low-end tourqe.

Good luck,
Rev

But it'll have more push than a plugged cat! You know, how come, just when you need it, you don't have money?

I had a buddy who picked up a univerals cat at a big box parts store for less than $50 then paid the local muffler shop $50 to install it.

On my 88 XJ I took it to the shop and they installed the new "universal" cat, installed a piece of pipe since the new cat was shorter, handled the disposal of the old cat and mailed in the paperwork showing my VIN had it's cat changed. I walked out paying $160.

I don't know how broke you are but $160 is not bad to have it done and over with. If you are good with your credit cards you can charge it a day or two after your account closes which gives you nearly 2 months of "free" money. Just trying to help you make it work.

I don't know what your MPG is doing but a good rule is if you change the cat also change the Oxygen sensor incase it was bad and was accelerating the failure of the old one.

Martin

Actually the O2 sensor is alright, it was changed recently (February, I always do it at smog check time as PM), the cat is only about three years old now, the reason for the failure was a large rock (oops).

I can get the new cat relitively cheap, that's not the problem, I'm just that broke right now! I only expect to run with a "fake" cat for a few months max, utnil I can scrape together the money. THe install of a new one isn't an issue, I put this one on. Why, oh why do cat's have to be so fragile?

If you hollow it out, be sure to use a shop vac to suck out all the loose stuff. Otherwise it'll just get blown out of the cat and clog up the muffler.

The better (albeit more obvious) approach is to cut off the cat and install a "test pipe" until you can afford the replacement.

I was thinking about that as well, it just might be tough to get one with California's smog laws (I don' tpersonally know any muffler guys...) I like that idea better, I prefer to do things the "clean" way!

I broke up the guts with a piece of re-bar and dumped out the remains until I could get a new one the following week. In order to get the cat off, I used a dremel with a cutoff wheel to slit the cat's outlet tube where it slips over the muffler's inlet tube.

You can buy an "inspection pipe" in any Pep Boys, Auto Zone, Kragens, or Advance Auto. Just cut the dead cat off as close to the body as possible. Measure the gap, and buy a matching length of straight exhaust pipe with one expanded end. They all carry them.