Catalytic converter removal?

Tiny
BJIM0625
  • MEMBER
  • 2002 FORD TAURUS
  • 6 CYL
  • AWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 118,000 MILES
I need to replace the catalytic converter or do I have a new headache on my hands?
Do you
have the same problem?
Yes
No
Sunday, August 22nd, 2010 AT 11:49 AM

26 Replies

Tiny
BLUELIGHTNIN6
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,542 POSTS
You can replace the cat converter is it not to bad. Here is a guide to help you step by step with instructions in the diagrams below to show you how on your car.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/catalytic-converter-replacement

Check out the diagrams (Below). Please let us know if you need anything else to get the problem fixed.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
+1
Sunday, August 22nd, 2010 AT 12:00 PM
Tiny
RENEE1967
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
  • 2002 FORD TAURUS
  • V8
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 130,000 MILES
Hi, my cadillac converter is clog. I still drive the car but it is not doing so well. I was wondering how much damage I can do to the car if I contunie to drive. Im a single mother and spent all my money in shop that keep ripping me off. So now I can't afford to fix the car for a couple of weeks.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Monday, December 14th, 2020 AT 3:41 PM (Merged)
Tiny
BLUELIGHTNIN6
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,542 POSTS
Other than lack of power and poor fuel mileage, the vehicle will be okay to drive until you can afford to replace the catalytic converter.

Thanks for using 2CarPros. Com!
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Monday, December 14th, 2020 AT 3:41 PM (Merged)
Tiny
RENEE1967
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
I have another question. If I buy the parts need to fix my car will a good mechanic work on it. I'm so sick of getting ripped off.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Monday, December 14th, 2020 AT 3:41 PM (Merged)
Tiny
BLUELIGHTNIN6
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,542 POSTS
You should do some investigating on the repair shops in your area to see how the rest of the community rates their honesty and repairs. Check out the link below, it has a lot of good tips on how to avoid vehicle repair rip-offs.

https://www.2carpros.com/kpages/avoid_car_repair_rip_off.htm

Thanks for using 2CarPros.com!
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Monday, December 14th, 2020 AT 3:41 PM (Merged)
Tiny
MHJ
  • MEMBER
  • 10 POSTS
  • 2002 FORD TAURUS
  • 6 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 130,000 MILES
2002 Ford Taurus SES (V6, 3.0 12V)
Is there supposed to be a gasket or donut ring in the the left side exhaust manifold-to-converter Y-pipe flange? (9431-to-SF250, Ford parts list). The right side manifold-to-converter Y-pipe flange (9430-to-SF250) calls for a catalyst converter seal (SF263). I can't imagine this flange not needing a gasket. There wasn't one in there when I opened it up. Please tell me if I need a gasket, and what that part number might be.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Monday, December 14th, 2020 AT 3:41 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 107,922 POSTS
I believe you should have one. However, I looked it up and it doesn't show one.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Monday, December 14th, 2020 AT 3:41 PM (Merged)
Tiny
MHJ
  • MEMBER
  • 10 POSTS
I thought so too. I purchased the only gasket they sold at Autozone. They called it an exhaust flange gasket. It fit (diameter), but was about 1/4 thick. After bolting it up, the flange leaks BAD. Funny, it wasn't leaking before I replaced it. I don't know what to do. I can't drive it this way.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Monday, December 14th, 2020 AT 3:41 PM (Merged)
Tiny
NMUTT71
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
  • 2001 FORD TAURUS
  • 3.0L
  • 6 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 40,000 MILES
My daughter was given this car that belonged to her great-grandmother. It was rarely driven and only had 39,000 miles on it when we got it in July. We recently had to replace the original plugs and wires which led to replacing the gaskets on the intake as well as the coil pack. Car is still running really rough the catalytic converter was glowing orange after only a few minutes. How many catalytic converters are there and what can I expect (ball park figure) in repair costs in Florida?
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
+1
Monday, December 14th, 2020 AT 3:41 PM (Merged)
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
Good afternoon,

First, you need to have the reason the catalytic converter is glowing or you will ruin the new catalytic converter.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/catalytic-converter-replacement

Have them do a compression test on the cylinders to be the engine has no internal damage.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-test-engine-compression

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/engine-misfires-or-runs-rough

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/ford,2001,taurus,3.0l+v6+ohv,1372755,exhaust+&+emission,catalytic+converter,5808

The catalytic converter is about $185.00 from rock auto and the labor is 2 hours which should be around $225.00.

Roy
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Monday, December 14th, 2020 AT 3:41 PM (Merged)
Tiny
NMUTT71
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
Thank you for the response. How do I know which catalytic converter I need? We were told that the car has three of them?
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Monday, December 14th, 2020 AT 3:41 PM (Merged)
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
The primary catalytic converters or the front two are the ones you need. The rear is a warm up catalytic converter. I would not replace that one.

The front two come as part of the pipe as in the picture I sent you. It is all one unit.

Roy
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Monday, December 14th, 2020 AT 3:41 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JDKKMAC
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
  • 2001 FORD TAURUS
  • 85,000 MILES
On the the 2001 Ford Taurus SES Single overhead cam. Is the cat. Converter in front of vehicle by the fan shroud. Is it bolted onto the pipe. Can anyone e-mail me a diagram of bank 2 cat converter or tell me where I can find it?
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Monday, December 14th, 2020 AT 3:42 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DANIELLESICARD
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
  • 2001 FORD TAURUS
  • 3.0L
  • V6
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 178,000 MILES
Hi, so I discovered recently after my car broke down that someone has installed my spark plugs poorly and they were loose to the touch when we went to check them. We replaced those and are still in the process of fixing the water pump because of a leak. When the car broke down, it made a loud sputtering sort of clanky noise from the passenger side of the car. What I want to know is if lose spark plugs can cause excess fuel to get into he system, and if so could this have caused a failed catalytic converter which was the noise?
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Monday, December 14th, 2020 AT 3:42 PM (Merged)
Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,689 POSTS
Nope. If you bang on the catalytic converter and it rattles inside, the substrate has broken loose. That's a mechanical problem. When a converter fails from too much raw fuel, it becomes so overheated it will turn orange. That's a chemical failure. Neither will be caused by loose spark plugs. At most what could happen is excess air can get sucked in during the intake strokes, and that will cause a lean mixture. There would be insufficient fuel to go with that air so you'd have hesitation or stumbling problems and perhaps reduced power. At first the Engine Computer will see the lean mixture from the oxygen sensors and it will add fuel to the calculations in an attempt to correct the mixture. If that gets bad enough to where the needed correction is beyond the computer's capability, it will set a diagnostic fault code and turn on the Check Engine light.

You didn't say what the breakdown was or involved. The engine will still run with a rattling catalytic converter and loose spark plugs.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Monday, December 14th, 2020 AT 3:42 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DANIELLESICARD
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
Well, when the car broke down it was during a complete downpour, during which time I had a leak in one of the pipes of my cooling system, it was behind the engine right up against the dash area, so I was using water in the system to save money, (this was in August) I opened the hood at a gas station to make sure of enough water still and to add a little oil, I drove the car about 8 miles further and it misfired and then lost all power so I pulled over. The engine was steaming a rattling sort of fluttering noise was coming from the passenger side of the car right before it stopped. The car starts just fine but idles pretty bad, as I had said we discovers my plugs were extremely lose and my dad assumed that opening my hood got them wet in the downpour and caused the breakdown, the car is still not running well and the exhaust is thicker than most I would say, and the car seems like it is fighting to stay at a decent idle. I have gotten new plugs a new water pump and fixed the leak but I'm not sure what the noise was or what is still wrong with my car. I can only assume I did damage to something else when it broke down? I'm not really sure though. On a side note I forgot to mention that the water system got sluged up from using high iron water in the car which is why we replaced the pump and I now have antifreeze in the system
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Monday, December 14th, 2020 AT 3:42 PM (Merged)
Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,689 POSTS
You didn't cause a problem by opening the hood. Water sprays through the radiator when it's raining. If that were to cause a problem, it's the boots on the spark plug wires that aren't sealing properly.

Before you spend any more money. Have a chemical test performed at the radiator to test for a leaking cylinder head gasket. That involves drawing air from the radiator, while the engine is running, through a glass cylinder with two chambers partially-filled with a special dark blue fluid. If a head gasket is leaking, the fluid will turn bright yellow.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
+1
Monday, December 14th, 2020 AT 3:42 PM (Merged)
Tiny
LARRYDRV
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 2001 FORD TAURUS
  • 6 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 96,000 MILES
How many catalytic converter does my 01 taurus have. I had one converter replaced and now my mechanic is saying that I need to replace another one?
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Monday, December 14th, 2020 AT 3:42 PM (Merged)
Tiny
PEAR69
  • MECHANIC
  • 1,482 POSTS
Your car has two behind each of the exhaust manifolds here is a guide that can help.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-exhaust-systems-work

Please let us know if you need anything else to get the problem fixed.

Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
-1
Monday, December 14th, 2020 AT 3:42 PM (Merged)
Tiny
TWUB78
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 2000 FORD TAURUS
  • 3.0L
  • V6
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 195,000 MILES
How many catalytic converters are in my car listed above DOHC engine? I am getting a P0430 code and from what I have read this could be issue. Any help would be appreciated.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Monday, December 14th, 2020 AT 3:42 PM (Merged)

Please login or register to post a reply.

Sponsored links