7,000lb Trailer
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 216
Likes: 0
Is there anything you can do to clogged CATS besides replace them?
I tow a 6000lb trailer ALL THE TIME and I never get more than 8MPG.
I just got a tune up and fuel filter change this summer and drive to Florida from Ohio and back right after, and no increase. I want to get closer to 10MPG if I can, I was looking a getting a tuner, but if CATS are a problem, I may start there.
2001 XLT 5.4 4R100 3.55 rears. ALL STOCK!
help!
I tow a 6000lb trailer ALL THE TIME and I never get more than 8MPG.
I just got a tune up and fuel filter change this summer and drive to Florida from Ohio and back right after, and no increase. I want to get closer to 10MPG if I can, I was looking a getting a tuner, but if CATS are a problem, I may start there.
2001 XLT 5.4 4R100 3.55 rears. ALL STOCK!
help!
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 590
Likes: 0
From: shelocta, pa
there is a towing forum on the page but what kind of trailer is evereryone pulling? I pull either a 20ft flat deck tandem axle, or i just pulled a uhaul 6X12 tandem axle. The uhaul wasn't any taller than my truck. I average 14-15 mpg mostly highway, in western PA which is hilly. I have a stock 5.4, 4r70w trans, 3.73. I don't to in over drive. I don't pull out like it's a race, and i maintain 60-65mph.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 164
Likes: 1
From: Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
How many miles MisterCMK on your truck before replacing the cats? Did you have an engine problem leading up to it or is this an expected service item after so many miles?
My Expy is starting to have sluggish acceleration and maybe this is the problem...any way to test for it?
My Expy is starting to have sluggish acceleration and maybe this is the problem...any way to test for it?
Freshman User
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
Replacing the cats is always a good idea in a truck, or removing them altogether helps even more so long as you dont have emission check. And the worst part is all the new cats you buy are china junk and dont last more than 10k miles before they are burnt up and clogged. I'd never recommend using a converter on a Ford pickup. They are about as worthless as what I just dropped in the toilet! Ive seen new cars have clogged cats after 10k miles even. Its better to get high-flow catco's or gut them and use a bigger muffler to quiet the difference. Making sure you have good plugs/wires and a new fuel filter doesnt hurt either!
Former ******
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,901
Likes: 2
From: Salt Lake City, Utah
High flow catcos are a joke compared to the OEM cats. They don't even come close on flowbench tests. However, Fords factory cats do have a tendency to clog themselves because they insist on using cheap packing around the bricks. And where did you read the new cats are all china junk. I know the chinese are trying to get their cats here, but they aren't passing EPA requirements. All ours are made in either California or Canada and ours consistently last over 50,000 miles.
As to not recommending a converter on a Ford truck, I've found they run just fine with cats. Any new car with clogged cats at 10,000 miles has a serious problem, such as physical damage, or tampering. A defect is possible too. But this is not normal for a cat to fail that quickly.
To keep it quiet, yeah use large mufflers. For performance a 50 or 70 series FM works very well. And for good plugs and wires, this means Autolite plugs and Motorcraft or Autolite wires. The parts store junk just doesn't hold up.
As to not recommending a converter on a Ford truck, I've found they run just fine with cats. Any new car with clogged cats at 10,000 miles has a serious problem, such as physical damage, or tampering. A defect is possible too. But this is not normal for a cat to fail that quickly.
To keep it quiet, yeah use large mufflers. For performance a 50 or 70 series FM works very well. And for good plugs and wires, this means Autolite plugs and Motorcraft or Autolite wires. The parts store junk just doesn't hold up.
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Freshman User
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
Tell Mazda, Ford, and Volvo mechanics that their cats are good and they will get a good chuckle. They are made in china according to the tech's Ive talked with. I've seen them pressure tested and they have WAY too much back pressure. The problem is engines run hotter than they used to 10 years ago. Most aluminum engines nowadays are made to perform up to 215 degrees all the time and the cats arent. Extra heat from the gasses bakes them faster and eventually they become a bottle neck. Im not making this up, Ive seen several cars do it on new engines that ran perfectly fine.
And I also know catcos arent much good either, especially on performance cars that use turbos or nitrous. But in terms of trucks Im all for running w/out cats because it helps efficiency and torque, ESPECIALLY when towing a big load. But not everyone can legally do this. *shrug*
And I also know catcos arent much good either, especially on performance cars that use turbos or nitrous. But in terms of trucks Im all for running w/out cats because it helps efficiency and torque, ESPECIALLY when towing a big load. But not everyone can legally do this. *shrug*
Thread Starter
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 24,724
Likes: 74
From: Blue Hill Township
Originally Posted by SPRPRBGT
for your exhaust you took out the 4 cats and put in 2 high flow and 2 mufflers? how doese it sound? i was thinking of doing this but with kids in the back and family road trips i dont want it to be really loud
Originally Posted by afsigma21
Is there anything you can do to clogged CATS besides replace them?
I tow a 6000lb trailer ALL THE TIME and I never get more than 8MPG.
I just got a tune up and fuel filter change this summer and drive to Florida from Ohio and back right after, and no increase. I want to get closer to 10MPG if I can, I was looking a getting a tuner, but if CATS are a problem, I may start there.
2001 XLT 5.4 4R100 3.55 rears. ALL STOCK!
help!
I tow a 6000lb trailer ALL THE TIME and I never get more than 8MPG.
I just got a tune up and fuel filter change this summer and drive to Florida from Ohio and back right after, and no increase. I want to get closer to 10MPG if I can, I was looking a getting a tuner, but if CATS are a problem, I may start there.
2001 XLT 5.4 4R100 3.55 rears. ALL STOCK!
help!
Originally Posted by johnpvb
How many miles MisterCMK on your truck before replacing the cats? Did you have an engine problem leading up to it or is this an expected service item after so many miles?
My Expy is starting to have sluggish acceleration and maybe this is the problem...any way to test for it?
My Expy is starting to have sluggish acceleration and maybe this is the problem...any way to test for it?
Thread Starter
|
Fleet Owner
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 24,724
Likes: 74
From: Blue Hill Township
Also, I found that the truck rapped really bad (small block chevy anyone?) without any cats on there. It pullled nice and hard, but was MUCH louder. Never had that problem on my Mustang without cats, but the truck was loud.
As far as the trailer, I pull a small utility trailer occasionally, a 3,000lb pop up trailer and then a 24" enclosed car hauler occasionally.
As far as the trailer, I pull a small utility trailer occasionally, a 3,000lb pop up trailer and then a 24" enclosed car hauler occasionally.
Freshman User
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
Well a vaccum tester doesnt exactly diagnose a clogged cat because every motors pulls a different amount of vaccum depending on the amount of compression and ring condition. But in general most engines will have between 17 and 20 in of vaccum at idle. If you have a lot less you know something is wrong. Depending on how the engine's EGR valve is setup can cause less vaccum if the cat is clogged. The easiest way to tell is smell the exhaust. If you have a rotten egg smell or even a hint of something besides the normal exhaust smell, more than likely its clogged. Revving it up hard in nuetral will usually create the smell.
Former ******
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,901
Likes: 2
From: Salt Lake City, Utah
Well, you hook up the vacuum guage, and the general result will be that vacuum is not as strong as it should be. It may jump around a bit too as the throttle is opened. But if you are getting any rotten egg smeel, it means the cats are shot. It also means you have been using a fuel with high levels of sulpher. The OEM cats are definately much higher quiality than most aftermarkets. Heck, they are durability tested to 100,000 miles. But Fords overall manufacturing is much cheaper than other automakers. But I can tell you right now, they are not chinese made. The Chinese cats are so pathetic, only a handful have EPA approval, and none meet 100,000 test standards. The converters Ford, Volvo and Mazda use are made by DuPont, most likely in the Canadian or Mexican plants. I'm not sure who is making Ford's washcoat cans or packing. Those components may very well be chinese made, and those are the real problem areas Ford is having, especially that packing.