Spray Cleaner Directly Into Cylinder?

hit the converter with a large bunt object: SEE HAMMER !:laugh:

PLUMMEN wrote:

hit the converter with a large bunt object:SEE HAMMER !:laugh:

Interesting... I just might try that.

using seafoam thru the booster hose on a six or eight cylinder will only do one side of the engine...i do this stuff for a living been in auto repair business this will be 20 years..you need to put it in your gas tank...and btw they do make a tool to fog chemical into the cylinders..any bg fuel system cleaner like 44k will work just fine..and also i have had good luck with lucas oil stabilizer to help soften valve seal..to reduce oil burning...saturns are notorious for burning oil,with high mileage..just my 2 cents

o and another thing i have never seen a converter get plugged up unless it is running so bad that the cat melts together...other than that engine gunk will not plug them up just neglect of regular maint is usually what does converters in..a bad converter is the end result of another problem

ps we are a business that used to speacilize in exhaust and we have replaced thousands of converters i have never seen engine gunk inside a bad converter..not trying to say it wont happen but i have yet to see it...cheers,john..

i'm not trying to start a fight here but i also work as a tech for a living.
i used to run a muffler shop and also changed a TON of cats in my day.
i do agree that poor running condition is the #1 cause of convertor failure but there are many different things that can cause failure.

( don't hit it with a hammer! you will break the insides apart for sure )

a saturn is a very dependable car like any other one as long as you maintain it.
there biggest downfall was the s- series don't have liners for the cylinders so if you neglect oil changes, rapid wear of the cylinder walls is the result.
( i also was a tech @ saturn of rochester for a year, great job but to many politics working for saturn. )

i have changer a few cats on mostly gm's that were plugged with excessive oil. a dodge just rattles.
mostly the 3.1L or 3.8L motors.
i also do a ton of intakes on them.
another cause of failure if they are bad enough to get in the intake ports.

bottom line is there is more than one cause of a convertor failure.

i know as much as i know there is always someone else with more experiance out there. i'm always open to new ideas and solutions from other techs.
i am a member of IATN just because i don't know everything.

this is just my .02
i don't want a fight, i just want to give advice.

btw, why is your saturn not passing emisions?
do you have a copy of the emissions report?
i would love to see exactlly why it failed and see if i can help you.

most certainly...i agree 100% its hard to sit down and type out the many causes of cat failure....yes chevrolet cars have been very good to the repair business..we love repairing rear brakes on the w bodys..lol..lower intake leaks on the 3.1 , craked intake manifolds on the 3.8

kawsakiman wrote:

btw, why is your saturn not passing emisions?
do you have a copy of the emissions report?
i would love to see exactlly why it failed and see if i can help you.

I remember two years ago it passed by about 2 ppm... seriously... like the limit on one test was 200 ppm and the reading was 198. The guy just laughed and said: "well... it passed. You've got another two years.":laugh:

I don't know if it will fail this time, just trying to clean it up as best I can before I run it.