I have a 2006 F-150 about 70 K milage. the dealer says the converter on the driver side needs changing or it will break inside and pieces will be pulled into the combustion. So is this a real possiblity or just salesman crap.

 

I don't know of any way the pieces of the cat could be "pulled into the combustion". Most likely problem that would occur is a blockage of the exhaust which would cause excessive back-pressure. A blocked exhaust will cause other more serious problems if not corrected.

 

That was my thinking, just wanted to hear someone say the same thing.

 

wow...if you have a svc dept telling you THAT then I would steer FAR away from that group of individuals...

and you should know...there are TWO cats per side on our trucks. this is on the V-8 engines at least...not sure about the V-6 engines but I am sure they are probably the same.

 

Well, the problem is, my wife picked up the truck. When they see a woman the auto responce is to feed them full of crap and SELL, SELL, SELL. My opion will be reflected in the survey that will follow up in a few weeks from the dealer.

 

I don't know if it's possible on the F150, but it IS possible on some other vehicles. The Nissan 2.5 found in Sentras and some other Nissan vehicles are notorious for this. There's a cat right on the exhaust manifold. The material breaks apart, gets sucked back into the engine, it scores the cylinder walls. The engine starts consuming oil, and if the scoring gets bad enough, it loses compression.

Does the F150 have cats right on or near the manifolds?

 

@ exranger06


I don't care "WHERE" the cat converters are physically located - they have to be in the "EXHAUST". For crap from them to be "SUCKED" back into the engine - you've got a lot more problems than just cat converters!!!!!! I supposed if the "EXHAUST" valves were acting as "INTAKE" valves, then perhaps you need a new "INTAKE" filter installed!!!!!


I just "NOTICED" the spelling ----. That's what you need. A Cadillac converter!!!!

 

No, an engine can suck material into the engine through the EXHAUST valve. I know it's counterintuitive and doesn't seem to make sense, but it can and DOES happen. Valve timing and overlap has a lot to do with it. I forget the specifics of how it happens.

 

On an F150 the cats are below the exhaust manifold. For parts of the cat to travel into the engine they would have to overcome gravity and the flow of exhaust gases away from the engine. Not very likely.

 

The cats are below the manifold on pretty much EVERY engine. Show me one engine where the exhaust pipe turns UP after the manifold. That doesn't mean material can't get sucked back into the engine. The Nissan 2.5s had the cat below the manifold, that didn't stop the cat material from getting sucked into the engine.

I did some searching to find out the specifics on the Nissan 2.5. These cars apparently don't have an EGR valve. Instead of using a valve, Nissan purposely engineered the car to have some valve overlap so that some exhaust gases would get sucked back in (through the exhaust valve) on the intake stroke, which basically emulates an EGR system. Which explains how it overcomes gravity and the flow of exhaust out the tailpipe. Nissan actually issued a recall for this catalytic problem.

Official pre-cat recall 02-04 qr25 equipped cars - Nissan Sentra Forum - B15, B16 and B17 Sentra Forums

All you have to do is Google "Nissan 2.5 pre cat" and you'll find tons of info on this problem. Toyota MR2s also had this same problem, and I think some Mazdas did too. So it's not impossible for an F150 to have it either. Or you can just put your head in the sand and say that it could never happen. Whatever, I'm done with this thread. I thought you guys would want to learn something new, but all you seem to want to do is dismiss a common issue as a myth.

 

Thanks for the informative post Ranger, I have an Altima my self and that is concerning me too, granted its a pre 2002 model but still any thing can happen, makes me want to get rid of it now!! time to go check if it has any open recalls on it that need to be performed!!

 

I was trying to get information that might help me, not a spelling lesson (catalytic converter) from some SMART ***.

 

Thanks exranger06 i think the 5.4 uses the same arangement to get fresh air for emissions which could lead to getting parts sucked back into the cylinder.

 

Exranger06 don't feel bad. I've went round and round with people on forums only to have them later pass on the advice they told me was wrong. I just nod and smile.

The 5.4 3 valve also uses valve overlap instead of an EGR system. I don't think it is something that would be very likely to happen but not completely impossible. I would be more concerned about the broken pieces blocking exhaust flow. That will cause serious driveability issues.

 

glrbird


I was just 'funnin' you with my spelling comment. I apologize if unintended offense was taken. I'm not that good a speller myself and the joke wasn't even my original. When the dealership told my wife her Buick needed a catylitic converter she actually said to him she "didn't even know it had a cadillac converter - what did she have to do?


It took forever to find this old email that I received back in 2007 that I remembered as perfect in this situation. I received an reply poking fun at a misspelled word in my email, and thinking I was clever when I spotted a misspelled word in HIS REPLY - I gave him a quick jab back. His response was "priceless" and I never forgot it.

You can use it on the next A*#@&hole that takes issue with your spelling.

HE SENT BACK ONLY THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE:
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"On a positive note about my spelling, I found that if I would just learn how to correctly spell all words of three letters or less, AND if I learned the first and last letter of all bigger words (more than three), then I would be able to get thorugh lfie just fnie. I culod eevn ecxel at smoe tnhigs. Tihs is bcuseae of the phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid. I leraned bcak at Cmabridge Uinervtisy taht the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? And I aw lyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! Not so, unlses you are a splelnig tecaehr or soemtihng lkie taht. Srmat poelpe can raed this and aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht tehy are rdanieg. You see, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and all jmubled up and you can sitll raed it wouthit any porbelm. So, I try to use olny 3 or less if I can, and ohteriswe I awlyas try to get the 1st and lsat letetr in the rghit sopt. Then its not eevr a porbelm. But I aslo hvae to be caerful aoubt my dsylxiea, or poeple mghit tihnk I'm a fumduck."
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Best Wishes, F150Torqued