1997 F150 DOWN Please help
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Senior User
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1997 F150 DOWN Please help
Hey everyone,
Truck has slowly started getting worse and worse performance.
about 3 weeks ago the truck started rattling from the exhaust,
Towing my trailer the other day, the truck had NO power,
I thought it was the plugs, so I replaced them.
Now the rattle is worse (no lose heat shields)
I am blowing the little tubes off the drivers side exhaust manifold, the ones that go to the DPFE sensor.
Did I mention, that the truck has no power, sluggish, now I am dumping hot exhaust fumes into the engine compartment.
Still got the rattle underneath.
I think the cat is plugged up on the drivers side. (which probably explains all my symptoms)
I talked to my local exhaust shop, well.. I don't have $600.00 plus labor to invest in my old truck. So the mechanic at the local shop wants to cut the old cats off (both sides) and install universal cats like the magna flow 99005HM.
has anyone done this? I can't be without my truck for very long.
Any other reason for the rattle literally coming from the drivers side cat and the little tubes being blown off?
Thanks for all your help!
Jeremiah
Truck has slowly started getting worse and worse performance.
about 3 weeks ago the truck started rattling from the exhaust,
Towing my trailer the other day, the truck had NO power,
I thought it was the plugs, so I replaced them.
Now the rattle is worse (no lose heat shields)
I am blowing the little tubes off the drivers side exhaust manifold, the ones that go to the DPFE sensor.
Did I mention, that the truck has no power, sluggish, now I am dumping hot exhaust fumes into the engine compartment.
Still got the rattle underneath.
I think the cat is plugged up on the drivers side. (which probably explains all my symptoms)
I talked to my local exhaust shop, well.. I don't have $600.00 plus labor to invest in my old truck. So the mechanic at the local shop wants to cut the old cats off (both sides) and install universal cats like the magna flow 99005HM.
has anyone done this? I can't be without my truck for very long.
Any other reason for the rattle literally coming from the drivers side cat and the little tubes being blown off?
Thanks for all your help!
Jeremiah
Fleet Owner
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 26,139
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From: Near Cal. Avenue
It could be the motor shake is dislodging the vacuum hoses. Try installing them with clamps to hold them in place. The exhaust fumes don't sound so good. Welding in new catz is a possibility along with fixing the exhaust leak.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,716
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Plugged cat on the drivers side = high backpressure at driver's side exhaust manifold = high pressure popping off the DPFE hoses.
That poor engine. Gas engines were not designed to have an exhaust brake, much less one that is on all the time.
A vacuum gauge is a simple instrument, that among other uses, can be used to diagnose a plugged or severely restricted exhaust system. In your case, you don't need a diagnoses any more, you need the cure to be implemented before severe damage occurs, which will make $600 look like chicken feed.
That poor engine. Gas engines were not designed to have an exhaust brake, much less one that is on all the time.
A vacuum gauge is a simple instrument, that among other uses, can be used to diagnose a plugged or severely restricted exhaust system. In your case, you don't need a diagnoses any more, you need the cure to be implemented before severe damage occurs, which will make $600 look like chicken feed.
Thread Starter
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Senior User
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Thanks everyone. The truck is parked until I can get this fixed. Poor truck indeed.
If I buy a direct fit replacement cat is it ok to only replace the bad cat? Or should I replace both?
Sorry for the crazy questions but I have never done exhaust work before.
It looks fairly easy to remove and a fairly simple DIY project. Rust looks like my biggest issue
Anyone here replace their own cats?
If I buy a direct fit replacement cat is it ok to only replace the bad cat? Or should I replace both?
Sorry for the crazy questions but I have never done exhaust work before.
It looks fairly easy to remove and a fairly simple DIY project. Rust looks like my biggest issue
Anyone here replace their own cats?
Thread Starter
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Senior User
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Oh yeah
So guys, I can change my own plugs.
Cat direct replacement as simple as I think it is?
Thanks!
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On a high-mileage GM V6, the OBD-II codes were intermittent and all over the place. A confusing waste of time. A few minutes with a vacuum gauge diagnosed it. Unbolting a connection ahead of the cats and starting it up momentarily, with vac gauge attached, verified plugged cat, as the restriction was gone.
Dropped and pulled out from under it the whole exhaust system as it was easier that way on it. Separated at joints, and used a big shop vac as a blower to blow air through components to look for blockages. Cat about completely blocked. Mufflers seemed okay, but were concerned about possible cat core chunks inside, so tipped mufflers this way and that, blew air through both ends, a little something came out, but airflow was very good. With a new cat installed, was great from then on.
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2006
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How crazy is all this?
You have to have a code 420!
It tells you the cats are shot, given they way the truck acts..
No power = melted or plugged. Engine cannot breathe.
You have no choice but to replace at least the driver's side if not both sides and the OX sensors, if they are also damaged.
Walker has them for about 300 a side but be sure the Walkers have the rear OX sensor holes at an angle like the original or the rear sensors cannot be installed because they will hit the cab floor if the holes are straignt up.
I notified them about this but don't know if they corrected the build angle by now, so look at this closely..
Good luck.
You have to have a code 420!
It tells you the cats are shot, given they way the truck acts..
No power = melted or plugged. Engine cannot breathe.
You have no choice but to replace at least the driver's side if not both sides and the OX sensors, if they are also damaged.
Walker has them for about 300 a side but be sure the Walkers have the rear OX sensor holes at an angle like the original or the rear sensors cannot be installed because they will hit the cab floor if the holes are straignt up.
I notified them about this but don't know if they corrected the build angle by now, so look at this closely..
Good luck.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 19,762
Likes: 1,079
From: St Louis
Cat efficiency codes may not be present on a vehicle where the cat is plugged. If the engine can't breath, the cat monitors won't ever run since the O2 sensor tests won't pass (a prerequisite to the cat monitors).
Cats usually fail due to other problems, notably an unrepaired misfire or other problem that dumps too much fuel into the exhaust.
Cats usually fail due to other problems, notably an unrepaired misfire or other problem that dumps too much fuel into the exhaust.
Thread Starter
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Senior User
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Cat efficiency codes may not be present on a vehicle where the cat is plugged. If the engine can't breath, the cat monitors won't ever run since the O2 sensor tests won't pass (a prerequisite to the cat monitors).
Cats usually fail due to other problems, notably an unrepaired misfire or other problem that dumps too much fuel into the exhaust.
Cats usually fail due to other problems, notably an unrepaired misfire or other problem that dumps too much fuel into the exhaust.
I am getting it repaired tomorrow at my local NAPA. So the F150 will not be down for much longer.
I anticipate that it will probably run better than ever.
(hopefully)
Cheers all
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2006
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I can say from first hand experience, cats melted one side, the OX sensors tip shells were eaten away and code 420 appeared.
If the engine is run too long in this condition, the PCM suspends the monitor function.
This can be seen with a Scanner looking at the sensor responses as a 'zero'.
If a clear is done, the PCM will look at them again and do a suspend again after some time goes by as the response being 'zero' has no ongoing value and the CEL light will be on again.
If the engine is run too long in this condition, the PCM suspends the monitor function.
This can be seen with a Scanner looking at the sensor responses as a 'zero'.
If a clear is done, the PCM will look at them again and do a suspend again after some time goes by as the response being 'zero' has no ongoing value and the CEL light will be on again.