I have a '94 Ford Escort wagon, 110,000 miles, 1.9 liter, auto trans, A/C P/S. The car has been idleing rough and losing power (especially up hills). While checking for vacuum leaks I discovered that there is exhaust blowing out of the tube the PCV valve seats in when the valve is removed. The blowback is substantial and can be felt with your hand a good two feet from the tube. I also checked the output from the tailpipe, and the exhaust flow seams very weak. Could this be caused by a clogged catalytic converter?