Can A Catalytic Converter Be Cleaned?

Рет қаралды 1,911,607

8 жыл бұрын

NOTE: I need everyone to understand that I KNEW AHEAD OF TIME THAT THIS CATALYTIC CONVERTER COULD NOT BE CLEANED. This cat had a degraded catalyst. I could see that before I started. I was trying to go to the extreme with this little experiment trying to "clean" it to show you that it wouldn't work because the catalyst was already gone. I obviously should not have been so sarcastic in my tone because a lot of you didn't understand the entire point of this video. I get comments on alternative cleaning procedures and I get comments on how putting lacquer thinner in the gas tank did solve their problem. NONE OF THAT WOULD HAVE WORKED FOR THIS CAT. If you understand that, then I think you can enjoy this video for what it is. Not every cat will be like this--some cats may actually be dirty and perhaps other methods may be successful in cleaning them. Let us know in the comments if you've found success in cleaning your dirty cat. All that being said, hopefully you have learned something about degraded catalysts.
BE CAREFUL WHEN USING SODIUM HYDROXIDE!
I feel like I can't say that enough.
But that said, join me as I attempt to clean a nearly dead catalytic converter and see if that will get it to work again.
This video is for entertainment purposes only. 50sKid assumes no liability for any repairs or modifications performed by the viewer as a result of the information contained in this video.

Пікірлер: 1 700

@davidandlaurablevins68 2 жыл бұрын

I used one cup of liquid dishwashing soap and one quart of Harbor Freight heavy-duty cleaner as a cleaner and defoaming agent. "All the other cleaners were a waste of time and money". And a small pond pump and some rubber tubing to circulate the solution through the cats for about three hours each and used the garden hose to get out the residue. Host each cat down with one can of carburetor cleaner. It has worked great for three years now! Unless the internals of cats turn loose and renders them unusable all you have to do is wash them out they don't go bad they just get dirty on the inside.

@AlutiiqKid 2 жыл бұрын

I followed Scotty's recommendation with the lacquer thinner to a tee, and it worked beautifully. Many people are not running their engines for 150 miles at high speeds and running that tank completely out immediately and then refilling it with a fresh tank and running it some more. Not doing these will cause the problems.

@PatrickLarson 2 жыл бұрын

Many people say the same thing, so I don't understand the hate!

@STREETLIFE167 2 жыл бұрын

It worked for me on a crown Vic, but I tried it last week on a 13 taurus and went to Atlantic city from NYC doing an average of 80 mph and the check engine came right back on. Ugh..

@davidsimmons3844 Жыл бұрын

@@PatrickLarson haters hate!

@anthonyiocca5683 Жыл бұрын

@@STREETLIFE167 unfortunately that means your cat had failed catastrophically. Cleaning a old disintegrated cat won’t change it condition. I had the same problem on my duel exhaust. One cat cleaned up and passed within 5-10 miles of lacquer thinner in the gas. My other would not pass after many attempts of cleaning while attached to the car. After I removed it to gain that empirical knowledge, I discovered the internal material had disintegrated. So I replaced both of my cats 3 years ago. A few days ago I did a scan of my O2 censors and they was not preforming as they did when I first put them on. So 1 gallon of lacquer thinner in a quarter tank of gas cleaned both very well. My scan of the O2s shown great results. I didn’t wait until a 420 failure, I do the lacquer thinner in the gas cleaning every 15,000-20,000 miles now. With my scanner attached so I seen it produce results in about 10 miles at 65mph with overdrive off.

@gweedomurray9923 Жыл бұрын

@@STREETLIFE167 ~ My opinion: Either the treatment didn't work or the washcoat is depleted to where even after cleaning there is just not enough catalyst material left to do a thorough job.

@arxangelmixael 5 жыл бұрын

The cover is aluminized (aluminum coated steel), which is why the Sodium Hydroxide was dissolving it; you can see that the finish on the heat shield looks much more dull after being soaked in it.

@gweedomurray9923 Жыл бұрын

I am aware of mufflers being Aluminized steel but when looking at Cats online for possible future replacement I have seen that the "brick" is inside a Stainless steel case.

@redlineducks 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks Fifties Kid! Your thoroughness and patient effort is much appreciated.

@thesparksplug 4 жыл бұрын

The cleaning videos, like Scotty, said, "...try cleaning the catalytic converter first to clear the p420 code." It's easy and cheap. Then they mentioned, if those techniques don't work, do the bulk work (remove converter) and bulk spending (replacing coverter). What is wrong with trying? It worked in many cases because most converters don't get to that state before throwing a code and the light amount of carbon dust in the c.c. will burn and blow out.

@franksplace551 2 жыл бұрын

I heard you can burn them out blow it out with the acetylene and oxygen after taking it out of car of course. You?😎

@saxmaster45 Жыл бұрын

@@franksplace551 l assume you mean by lighting an oxy acetylene torch? I mean, the cat is designed for high temp.

@anthonyiocca5683 Жыл бұрын

Cleaning a old disintegrated cat won’t change it condition. I had the same problem on my duel exhaust. One cat cleaned up and passed within 5-10 miles of lacquer thinner in the gas. My other would not pass after many attempts of cleaning while attached to the car. After I removed it to gain that empirical knowledge, I discovered the internal material had disintegrated. So I replaced both of my cats 3 years ago. A few days ago I did a scan of my O2 censors and they was not preforming as they did when I first put them on. So 1 gallon of lacquer thinner in a quarter tank of gas cleaned both very well. My scan of the O2s shown great results. I didn’t wait until a 420 failure, I do the lacquer thinner in the gas cleaning every 15,000-20,000 miles now. With my scanner attached so I seen it produce results in about 10 miles at 65mph with overdrive off.

@vihreelinja4743 15 күн бұрын

@@anthonyiocca5683 Clearly you have engine problems if yo cat is starting to clog up in 3 years. Did it go bad already?

@anthonyiocca5683 15 күн бұрын

@@vihreelinja4743 no, they are still preforming. I use ethanol free gas. One problem many of us face is using overdrive in stop and go city driving. Cats preform better at higher rpm. There you go, that’s what I know…

@chuckylee8812 Жыл бұрын

Lacquer thinner worked great on my truck. I poured it in the gas tank. Cleared my P0420

@Captain_Zero_ 5 жыл бұрын

My 2005 jeep TJ was showing the same codes. I put the scanner on it and the o2 sensors were behaving the same way. Thanks for the help. That confirms my suspicions of a shot converter.

@user-so7dj3tw4d 2 жыл бұрын

I took off my o2 sensors before the catalytic converter and blew a can of that Seafoam Spray Top Engine Cleaner and Lube used about half each side. It cleared my codes and I haven't had them come back yet. It's been about 8 months since that treatment. I figured that spray is made for specifically for motors and it blows through the catalytic converter anyway so can't harm to much and if it does I'll just cut them out until I find an affordable one that is reliable. Luckily it seems to have worked enough to buy me another year to find one. I also soaked my o2 sensors in berryman b12 for like an hour which cleared 1 of the 2 codes related to that. This guy is experimenting with the CaT he plans on using when he should've used a dummy one just to test what effects it has on the metals. For all I know I could've just melted all the metals and blew them out my tail pipe but hey no codes right haha.

@fieldsofomagh 7 жыл бұрын

Very intensive practical tests and couldn't agree more on the drive cycles. The mil light governs the result, on, grand off,trouble. Increasing the engine speed shows the cat in its true colours.

@curbyourshi1056 3 жыл бұрын

The soap is definitely making a difference. Water only wouldn't get into the hydrophobic fine carbon. The soap breaks the surface tension and helps break up the fine carbon particles. Just my 2c.

@qcsupport2594 5 жыл бұрын

That oxygen storage test is gold! I learned something.

@tazman6483 5 жыл бұрын

I am pretty sure he just had a bad downstream O2 sensor, seen it before and he never really tested to see if replacing the downstream sensor would have fixed the issue. Never used laser temp reading on upstream and downstream, yes the propane test showed that both sensors reacted, but still say a bad downstream could account for that.

@TuRaTic 2 жыл бұрын

under rated comment, the cat looked fine even before he cleaned it like ted kazynski.

@paulcampbell8696 5 жыл бұрын

The "unbelievably stupid" lacquer thinner in the gas tank worked for me, and has lasted two years now on my 2008 Honda Element after it cleared the codes and allowed me to pass my smog inspection.

@jameznm Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing this buddy, it's nice to see that people still post real things like when something doesn't quite work out. You win some you lose some. But if you don't try these things you'll never know if it'll work.

@veronicawatson2525 Жыл бұрын

But if you lose some you can't afford to get something back because it's a heavy costly price which is why people don't do things better safe than sorry

@jameznm Жыл бұрын

Yeah but I guess you'd check out a video like this to assess the work and skill involved first to see if you can do it and if it's worth it.

@Johnathan_Waters 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for doing this! Much appreciated. I also live in socal (downey) I think i've seen you at pick your part!

@ravraid 2 жыл бұрын

I really appreciate this kind of video in an area where there is so much hype and misinformation. Here, there is a thoughtful methodology and an honest attempt to test. It's important to note that this was a single data point and it doesn't cover all cases but it certainly confirms the negative - i.e. not all failures can be fixed by cleaning.

@Berlingo1234 Жыл бұрын

I cleaned my catalysator it worked 🤗

@floridagal4life Жыл бұрын

@@Berlingo1234 I believe it works too, he has to let it sit for for a while 3 hours is not sufficient in my opinion. I saw someone soak theirs for 10 hours overnight in soap and water and it worked.

@morpar318 6 жыл бұрын

I did this trick one time I use blue Dawn dish soap and a 5 gallon bucket build with hot water. Then I got my air compressor with a extended blower nozzle. With a restrictor at the end of the nozzle. Then I introduced air bubbles to the bottom of the cat. Then all of the built up suit and debris bubbled up through the top. Then I repeated the process five or six times and the cats were cleaned out.

@cajememillan5800 2 жыл бұрын

I'm going to try boiling water with soap. At $1200 a pop and I've got 2.

@berniemac8413 2 жыл бұрын

@@cajememillan5800 did cleaning your cats this way work for you?

@cajememillan5800 2 жыл бұрын

@@berniemac8413 no

@pepsilove6306 Жыл бұрын

@@berniemac8413 best trick ive come up with because I absolutely refuse to drop 2k on a converter is, clear the codes, figure out how much driving you gotta do on your particular car to get the code to show up as 'ready' and just before it would normally come on. with the gas tank low, put a few gallons of naturalized alchohol in the tank, and it burns so clean it tricks the cat sensors into thinking its clean, shows up as ready, and you got about 30 minutes to an hour to get your butt to the emissions place to get scanned for your plates. It works on pre OB2 also for sniff tests also. Code obviously comes back later. but it buys you just enough time to get ya plates.

@user-nv1gm2zj7y 4 ай бұрын

@@pepsilove6306 i got a problem where..... it actually is affecting car performance

@tommymoch5683 5 жыл бұрын

I tried pouring lacquer thinner into one half a tank of fuel and driving the vehicle non stop for 130 miles on the highway. After forty miles the symptoms associated with cat codes for front 1 & 2 cleared and acceleration lag that had been happening disappeared too (bonus)! Say what you want but my 2005 Nissan Pathfinder has had a cat code since 70,000 miles. It now has 228,000 miles and all codes clear. I am writing this a tankful of fuel and a week later. Seems to have worked for me and I actually tried it...

@greebuh 5 ай бұрын

Toluene is in octane booster and Toluol (Toluene) is a very fast drying solvent used for thinning paints, enamels, varnishes, and alkyd resins. Often specified as a thinner for specialty paints and coatings. Good general purpose cleaner and degreaser.

@kizito8888 2 жыл бұрын

The lacquer thinner does fix the problem. Nothing wrong with Scott’s video.

@johnnymapalo966 Жыл бұрын

Not on my car. Tried it on 2015 Nissan Altima with 277,280 miles..171 miles later, engine started skipping and misfiring until I drove all the gas and lacquer thinner out of it.

@TheWilferch 10 ай бұрын

@@johnnymapalo966 ....did you use 1 gal thinner to 9 gallons gas?. For a small car like yours, that would be about 1/2 gal thinner applied to the suggested half-full tank of gas. Maybe you put in 1 gal to your half-full tank.

@tomstulc9143 9 ай бұрын

@@johnnymapalo966you put too much lacquer thinner in it. Try half as much

@johnnymapalo966 9 ай бұрын

@tomstulc9143 I'm not trying that crap again. I put the whole gallon into half a tank of gas

@mswerkmeister 8 ай бұрын

@johnnymapalo966 read as... "I did it wrong but the problem was totally the lacquer thinner and not me! I'm the smartest boy in the land and you all are doo doo heads!"

@Haider9292 3 жыл бұрын

I'm so happy to watch all the procedures done scientifically - you made an hypothesis, tested it and proved it and used reliable evidence tool and scientific method ... applauds

@wildthoughts6959 Жыл бұрын

No man, it does work very often . Worth trying at first , if you plan to take them out to replace them. The difference in money is huge.

@anthonyiocca5683 Жыл бұрын

@danashay 4 жыл бұрын

Bravo! Intelligent, timely piece. Thanks for saving all of us the effort! 😎

@anthonyiocca5683 Жыл бұрын

@vernonbosshard9317 11 ай бұрын

Lye is my fav for cleaning steel and iron engine parts, its fast and it cleans like no other. That shield has a coating that is getting etched off.

@danielrowan2854 4 жыл бұрын

I have a 2004 ford focus my catylitic converter is molded in with the header and it wasnt heating up so I took it off and I soaked it with engine degreaser for a few days and washed it out and what an amazing result and its heating up nicely and working good no problems

@louismartinez8962 5 жыл бұрын

I think it was a great video. Thanks for the info!

@audunjemtland8287 4 жыл бұрын

Amazing video. Thanks Could oxygen sensors be cleaned? Why/why not?

@jamiemciver2326 5 ай бұрын

Very informative video. I appreciate allthe details of how it works and how to test it properly not just looking and saying its plugged. I could see that this one didn't look pkugged but still explained a lot of why you may be getting a code and how to diagnose that without putting in a downstream spacer.

@georgemercado7160 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the time and the tests.

@luciorob9936 4 жыл бұрын

Crc emissions pass fuel additive worked for me from auto zone. My check engine light was on for about a year. Had already scanned so I knew it was a cat code but didn’t want to spend the money quite yet. Saw the product guarantee or double money back so I tried it on a full tank. Drove a quarter of it and parked my pathfinder. Next day I started it and the light was off. Awesome 👏

@bigsparky8888 2 жыл бұрын

INCREDIBLE INFO...THANK YOU!!!

@pedrogodoycruz 3 жыл бұрын

I had the "low efficiency" code. Soaked the converters for 2 days in water with dawn dishwashing soap. Changed the solution a couple of times. Rinsed well and the code went away. But, this may be a special case. The head gasket blew and several gallons of coolant went thru the exhaust. A few months after the gasket was replaced the code appeared. The converter on that side (V6 engine) was covered with a white layer. The other converter looked fine. 230k miles, original converters. 3k miles since the cleaning. Downstream O2 sensors are giving a flat (expected) output. So, I can confirm that if the cause of the problem is coolant in the exhaust, soaking with dishwashing soap works.

@Haider9292 3 жыл бұрын

I immediately subscribed just to give a little push for your channel to reach 100K mark.. well deserved..

@brigond1 9 ай бұрын

I didn't use lacquer thinner BUT I did use a store bought chemical specifically for this and it worked ! So, the lacquer thinner seems plausible.

@ryansewell5878 5 жыл бұрын

50sKid, I love your channel, tons of great information. My recommendation on how to clean a cat and what I call the best way, is to use steam. How I did mine was I took a pressure cooker and put a 1/2" NPT fitting on the top of it and then took a piece of plywood and threaded an identical fitting to it and then attached that plywood to my CAT, connect the two fittings with a piece of hose and put the pressure cooker on a hot plate outdoors some where and set the CAT leaning against something so that all the carbon water will drip out the bottom. Periodically remove the cat and splash around some clean water in there to break up large pieces of debris. Let this run for a good while. It works great and you don't have to use any solvents. Enjoy!

@hellohello8556 2 жыл бұрын

Cool idea. 🤔👍

@petepenn1 Жыл бұрын

Best Idea by FAR!

@renejacques8288 5 ай бұрын

Do you mean cut a little piece of plywood just to cover on end of the cat and a fitting in the plywood to inject steam in the cat, and the other end of the cat open?

@skonkfactory 6 жыл бұрын

The bubbling is the zinc electroplate on the heat shield getting eaten the same way aluminium or magnesium would.

@JuanLopez-hz6yg 4 жыл бұрын

Great job appreciate you doing this videos you saved me time from doing it in lacquer , I soaked it in soapy water THANKS keep sharing them videos

@wbwills2 4 жыл бұрын

Might need this knowledge one day but have used some other videos.very helpful.thx.like & subscribed

@mwilson70201 5 жыл бұрын

I'm surprised no one has tried an Ultrasonic cleaner on the dreaded clogged catalytic converter. I know they will remove every speck of powder residue which is baked on much like the deposits in a clogged CC. Just a thought from some one with ways but no means to try it myself.

@fixyourautomobile Жыл бұрын

My thoughts as well. However a catalytic converter sized ultrasonic cleaner can get expensive. Almost to the point of where if you're not doing it weekly, it'll cost you more than the replacement catalyst.

@altpraize6708 6 жыл бұрын

I've been an auto repair tech for 33 years. I specialize in drivibility issues. Be warned that lacquer thinner does bad things to fuel pump and pressure regulator. sodium hydroxide damages metal.

@ua7pyro591 2 жыл бұрын

🤣

@rdaleyj1 6 ай бұрын

Hey thanks for the video and the thorough cleaning with testing.

@josephp749 3 жыл бұрын

“It’s not the soap” and “water bubbles “ had me dying

@n54glo 4 жыл бұрын

Hello, @50sKid you should pump more e46 content that you havent went over, for ex Replacing fuel injectors and which ones to recommend, on the 330i , thanks

@JR-kk6ce 2 жыл бұрын

You might think it is stupid to pour a gallon of lacquer thinner into the gas tank, but I did it, went for a 7 hour round trip drive at highway speed, and the cat code went away and never came back (9 months ago), plus, my engine seems to run a lot smoother (2010 Nissan Sentra with over 247,000 miles on it. )

@claudiofigueiredo6357 3 жыл бұрын

Might’ve had a damaged comb instead of predicted gunk build up. It'd be nice to open it up once you've renewed it. Top video bro

@Haider9292 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent work dear.. you are extremely talented, hard working and intelligent ... you know your job ...

@anthonyiocca5683 Жыл бұрын

Troll

@xg5zm 2 жыл бұрын

That is exactly my theory as well I have a P0420 popping up every three times in the last 3 years or so, done 20k miles in that period. Every time it appears I delete it )without doing any repair) and it takes several months to come back. If I have done any cleaning I could have mistakenly understood it was successful.

@punker4Real 2 жыл бұрын

u can get a p0420 code from a faulty thermostat code or ECT sensor

@kucickula Жыл бұрын

@@punker4Real really how did you have that issue ?

@YogisGarage 3 жыл бұрын

You saved me a few hours and about 50 bucks in solvent. Thanks!

@luedog8385 3 жыл бұрын

lol he could have just soaked it in gasoline

@anthonyiocca5683 Жыл бұрын

@authorsauditions 5 ай бұрын

You tried everything that I wanted to. Thank you for saving me the trouble! Great video!

@Alberrttoo 2 жыл бұрын

Very informative. Thank you for sharing.

@jeffreystroman2811 Жыл бұрын

Newer wood stoves have a type of honeycomb catylaitic converter. There are cleaning procedure for them and I'd imagine would work for these just as well. You must be careful not to destroy the extremely thin rare earth coating if the honeycomb surfaces. Basically heating in a pot of white vinegar

@SamBould55 6 жыл бұрын

2 bottles of oven cleaner , washing up liquid, and a pressure washer worked for me ! Amazing the amount of crap gets blown out !

@wildthoughts6959 Жыл бұрын

Hi Paul, can you please describe details of your process , especially the use of pressure washer . Did you unmount the converters ?

@SamBould55 Жыл бұрын

@@wildthoughts6959 You need to remove the converter from the car , stand it upright and block the bottom hole up ! I used duct tape and it worked fine ! There are a couple of holes on the side that need to be blocked up as well . Support it so it stands up on its own then I used liquid oven cleaner , about two bottles just pour them in and fill up to the top with warm water and leave for about 2 to 3 hours ! Then remove the tape and let it drain then squirt about half a bottle of washing up liquid down there , lay it on its side and use the Jet wash and blast the shit out ! Make sure it's fully dry before re fitting !! I used a heat gun for about half hour then re fit . Worked for me .

@SamBould55 Жыл бұрын

Don't forget to clean the sensors as well as the code can sometimes just be because of a dirty sensor ! Joy can clear the codes with a scan tool or like me wait till the car runs a re gen cycle on its own and that should clear codes .

@thecrankster4162 4 жыл бұрын

Awesome video, and experiment.... congratssss..

@girohead Жыл бұрын

I'm back, this time with my dad's P0420 code. I looked at this for my Toyota, sure that it wasn't a faulty cat. I tried everything and finally bit the bullet and all was fine. I still think that one was poisoned from a rich condition that I let go too long. Now I'm on my dad's, which has no other issues or the graph output as you show. I'm convinced it's from his seldom driving and never on highway. This happened last inspection and I got it to go away with good cleaner, lots of driving, and luck. This time it's not resetting. I think these cats just wear out, even for Honda. I'll follow up if the G2P cleaner works again (I'm one and one).

@Mrtekem 3 жыл бұрын

What about using EZ off? I used that stuff to clean off my headers on my Sequoia, and my valve covers. Should easily remove the carbon build up on honeycomb

@goldenjeru 4 жыл бұрын

Pixie dust worked great for me. Tough to get though. Fairies only give you some at high noon on the summer solstice in the forest.

@ashleylipa2244 2 жыл бұрын

Was it blue?

@fernandomaldonado4153 2 жыл бұрын

Un poco complicado, lo importante es su efectividad.Muchas gracias.

@ColinMill1 10 ай бұрын

I think the best solution to a less than efficient cat. (unless it's been poisoned or cooked to death) is the Italian tune-up. I had a 5 Series BMW that failed the MoT emissions test on CO by some significant margin. On the recommendation of the MoT tester I took it to the motorway and gave it serious grief and brought it back to the test station where (once it had cooled down a bit!) it flew through the emissions with no issue at all. I suspect the success of some of the commercial cat. cleaners is the way an Italian tune-up is included in the instructions.

@BreadAndGatorade 6 жыл бұрын

Awesome video man. Can you test out the o2 sensor spacer/spark plug non fouler cheat? Does it work?

@bigsparky8888 2 жыл бұрын

YES...NON FOWLER TRICK DOES WORK ON O2 SENSORS...

@tommy35ss 6 жыл бұрын

The bubbling was the acid dissolving the galvenization on the galvanized steel. The galvenization is the reason that piece wasn't rusted either, it will rust now most likely

@christianbuczko1481 6 жыл бұрын

It's a base not an acid fyi.

@mommapickles7251 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks bill nye

@ChrisJones-kf1li 2 ай бұрын

I concur. For someone with all of the acid/base knowledge he did a bunch of things you should not do if you want to keep such an expensive part. (In my humble opinion, of course). 😢

@rustynail7866 3 жыл бұрын

A Subaru technical service bulletin suggests using lemon juice. It works great on soot and oil fouling.

@bwagenberg 11 ай бұрын

I subscribed because of this very objective video. Many more please!!!

@scrappydogfinance8434 2 жыл бұрын

Regarding the Zinc Coating you dissolved in the Sodium Hydroxide bath... zinc is know to damage catalytic converters if it gets into the exhaust (particularly from engine oil pcv blow by vapors etc).

@larryreno8293 6 ай бұрын

Yup, phosphorus and zinc are catalyst killers.

@macelius 6 жыл бұрын

I've tried on a few cars, and the only thing that really worked to clean the cat out and get the car going was a good ol' broom stick.

@xxxnonamexxx5615 6 жыл бұрын

Lol

@adamhonda98 5 жыл бұрын

More than just a broomstick I use a pry bar and a hammer

@danielcastro7104 4 жыл бұрын

I used digging bar

@timex8321 4 жыл бұрын

@@danielcastro7104 a diddo

@vipereavp 4 жыл бұрын

😂😂😂😂😂 straight through that bitch

@salvadornunez5829 6 жыл бұрын

it's so Cool of you thank you you saved me money and time God bless you senor!!!

@MultiCristian102 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent video, this guy trough everything at that cat, some powerful solvents. Still nothing... He worked on the cat directly and still didn't work. That solves the age old question.

@tinderboxcreations 6 жыл бұрын

Sodium Hydroxide would most likely strip some of the micro metal (Platinum, Poladium etc) from the ceramic. It eats most metals.

@ir8d8rads 6 жыл бұрын

Not noble metals like platinum, palladium, or gold,

@buscador2007 5 жыл бұрын

@@ir8d8rads Are those part of a new hero's Justice League I didn't know anything about?

@zash008 4 жыл бұрын

I agree, he may have dissolved the catalyst metals with the acid so he would be left with just a cylinder with ceramic honeycomb

@wernerswanepoel5898 6 жыл бұрын

We used a little degreaser and rince with alcohol

@foxdark5165 3 жыл бұрын

scientific and good analysis. I almost saw every channel related to. yours is one of the best in case of mechanical analysis not just some dump non approved IDEA,

@NathansHVAC Жыл бұрын

Good video. Thanks for doing it. It saved me a lot of time.

@blk95gsrt Жыл бұрын

I’ve successfully gotten them to function better, confirmed by watching the data stream (watching the switch rate of the catalyst monitor/downstream 02 sensor) by running sea foam really heavily into the intake through a vacuum hose. You have to be very careful to not hydrolock the engine and it will ping and the converters get really hot but it works. You’ll need to flare the throttle many times to keep the fluid from puddling in the intake but I’ve had it work countless times now in the last 20 years with no comebacks for catalyst efficiency codes.

@frankabarca209 Жыл бұрын

How much sea foam exactly? I have a car that needs both cats and they are 4k I ran some cataclean and it kept the light from coming on for like 2 weeks but it came back

@blk95gsrt Жыл бұрын

@@frankabarca209 What I do is just something I came up with in the shop. There is no exact amount necessarily. What I do is disconnect the vacuum hose from the vacuum booster (if it goes to the intake manifold, if yours go to a vacuum pump you have to find a hose that goes to the intake manifold). I get the motor up to temperature before I start any of this though. Once it’s fully warmed up I then get a friend to help or I put a throttle holder on the gas pedal or I wedge something against it to hold the rpm around 2500. I then star slowly pouring the sea foam into the vacuum hose for about 2 seconds then give it about 3 seconds of a break then do another 1-2 second pour and I repeat that for about 1/4 of the can. Then I go get in the car and hammer the throttle to blast air through the motor and help clear out any sea foam that may have puddled in the intake. Then I go back to the pour stop pour stop. If at any time the motor starts to misfire and chug I let up on the pouring because that was a sign the pour was too heavy, and I go flare the throttle to clear out the motor. Then go back to pouring. I usually use one whole can.

@blk95gsrt Жыл бұрын

@@frankabarca209 this only works on dirty converters that are coated in carbon. Some cars about their converters breaking apart and nothing can save a converter that’s in pieces. What kind of car do you have.

@user-cg3oe4nq4y Жыл бұрын

@@frankabarca209 l

@jvst20051 Жыл бұрын

Thats what I want to try but have them removed and cleaned them i always use seafood to clean car parts and it dissolves carbon like butter

@jackpot47174 6 жыл бұрын

Must be lit on them fumes my man lol

@themusiclab2621 5 жыл бұрын

Im not really worried about the emission test,in california you don't have to do it every year my car is using more gas than normal i want to know if that could be a bad cat? or the sensor ?

@sakerarab9894 4 жыл бұрын

So thanks, great video and lots of info

@scorpionkingggodson5507 4 жыл бұрын

Bro cap one end!, fill it up let it sit. Less waste on solvent

@toddlerprodigy2061 3 жыл бұрын

What u mean cap one end my Cat is BAD IM TRYING CLEAN IT HELP

@juanpena9386 3 жыл бұрын

@@toddlerprodigy2061 put a cap at one end so it can be filled, it would require a lot less of liquid. Is it the same? Idk but that's what he's saying

@georgedavey3755 7 жыл бұрын

Great video. I am more a believer that in most cases you cannot clean them. However if the wash process produced lots of soot/silt then there may be another issue in play that was not tested in this video. First glance of this Cat It looks like a bad one. Clean but signs of erosion.

@abelnavarro4324 4 жыл бұрын

Great chemistry lesson 👍🏾

@jerseystrong4366 3 жыл бұрын

Here's my question for you how about if you can get it out of your car to do that because I have a 2005 Chevy equinox that means I have to replace the whole pipe. So what do you think is the best product in the market that will clean it but in it in a gas tank to run it through and thank you for your ideas

@jpadilla0515 5 жыл бұрын

Should add a aquarium air bubbler to the bottom to mix things up a bit Your supposed to let it sit over night or longer the 30mins

@poiiihy 4 жыл бұрын

he did several hour

@mmontgomery7069 7 жыл бұрын

added laquer thinner to my gas tank and my 2003 jeep liberty runs great. cleared my codes too. may not work on every vehicle, but I will use it again if needed. weird idea for a cleaner, but definitely not stupid!

@brembojoe 7 жыл бұрын

lacquer thinner in tank works!!! Also it passed catalyst on drive cycle monitor. Sorry Charley myth not busted.

@kennethhedden1846 6 жыл бұрын

Laquer clears my sinuses everyday,why not my trucks.

@kennethhedden1846 6 жыл бұрын

He probably halfass melted his draun pipes as well as violated some epa laws and killed wildlife.And still bought a used cat.

@boogyman4108 4 жыл бұрын

Hi mmontgomery, from the time u added Lacquer Thinner to ur car's fuel tank, did any other components or codes get disturbed or busted?

@charlestilley2576 4 жыл бұрын

Assuming it works, don't want to do often, as this will cause damage to fuel lines & maybe the pump. Once cleaned, use a 20 ounce bottle of Red Line (60103) Complete SI-1 Fuel System Cleaner at last fill up before oil change. This will get rid of any lacquer thinner residue & clean the fuel system well, has a high amount of PEA. I run a bottle just before every oil change. About the Catalytic Converter, one can take steps to ensure a longer lifespan. Do not idle a long time to warm up engine, only when very cold a couple minutes is necessary, otherwise 45 seconds to a minute is fine. Lots of stop & go driving w/out any on the highway is bad for it, take a 100 mile round trip on the Interstate at least a couple times per year with overdrive off. Yes it uses more gas, yet heats everything to get rid of deposits. Lastly, it's best to use Top Tier gas, often this will be displayed at pump. Major brands such as Shell, Exxon/Mobil, BP, Chevron are Top Tier, as well as Costco, which has 5x the minimum amount of detergent in both grades. Not all gas is Top Tier, example, Sheetz, although popular, has just the minimum amount as required by the government. The reason why Top Tier is important, although a few cents higher (or maybe not) per gallon, has more cleaning power & therefore, less deposits on sensors which causes the Check Light to be displayed. Some of these components costs over $1,000 for repair at a dealership, yet usually less at a local mechanic with a good reputation. It's good to know a mechanic before needed (just as a doctor), like when getting brake pads changed & performing State inspections. I change my own oil, so know what am getting, yet when something major needs fixing, have a reliable mechanic to do the job. Fortunately, even though my Toyota is nearing it's 20th birthday, have had only two check engine light popups & repairs were minor, maybe because have always ran Top Tier gas before I knew of the term. Pinching pennies on gas weekly can cost thousands of dollars down the stretch.

@pjwoo276 Жыл бұрын

So informative. Thank you !

@randyfleet9968 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the chemistry lesson. Oh, and the live data test instruction.

@supermetaltastic 5 жыл бұрын

I'll save you half an hour. He tests the cat by comparing the reading from two oxygen sensors. Doing both an oxygen storage test and a reving the engine while watching the second oxygen sensor fluctuate wildly (bad cat). He cleans the cat with lacquer thinner/acetone/xylene solvent mix, dawn soap/water, Lye, and lacquer thinner solvent mix/xylene/acetone . He reruns the tests and it still tests bad. He concludes cleanings catalyst converters is a waste of time.

@zlord1199 5 жыл бұрын

Your an ass

@valentinogallego4091 5 жыл бұрын

👍

@ubergama30 4 жыл бұрын

@@zlord1199 *You're a dumbass

@ChrisJones-kf1li 2 ай бұрын

Right. May only be proving that the after Cat O2 sensor was bad. Scotty hasn't let me down yet. I'ma lean on Scotty's side on this one and give it a shot. Maybe the heat, exhaust pressure and chemical reaction is what does the trick and not just sitting it in a bucket giving it a half-ass go at it.

@Morenitto89 5 жыл бұрын

Chemistry 406: Sodium Hydroxate with Palladium(rare metal in Cat) will do more Damage than acetone based thinner

@DrSAM69 4 жыл бұрын

hydroxide* But yeah, NaOH will eat up some or most of the metals

@yogamon 3 жыл бұрын

Not true. These precious metals resist oxidation from base (naoh) or acid. That is why palladium is used in an exhaust that is subject to oxygen and 1600F

@aljan5047 4 жыл бұрын

Do you have a video how to measure the voltage of the o2 sensor?

@victorteo4783 3 жыл бұрын

As a layman, I would try CATACLEAN and there are so many other brands as well, are they all snake oil? Before having to go through all those trouble of removing it . How much would it cost for those works?

@girohead 3 жыл бұрын

Props for jumping to the content, these other clowns start off with a minute of introduction graphics and music.

@SantaClaw 2 жыл бұрын

Particulate filters can be cleaned however. Proper cleaning of those requires soap and high pressure water. It can be done professionally.

@glocksp80smd 2 жыл бұрын

Glad someone said it

@ezekielmartinez1424 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks 50s kid! My brothers 98 Toyota is running rough due to a bad cat 🐈. Thought we could save some money by giving it a good clean. Now I’m certain I would have wasted time and money and eventually having to by a brand new cat. Thanks so much

@viktorwaltenrath4328 2 жыл бұрын

thanks for share your expirience with that.

@howardblasingame7961 9 ай бұрын

Excellent tutorial. Camera work, editing & narrating is smooth & entertaining.

@jasontstreet 5 жыл бұрын

I've cleaned some nasty tars in my lab that could not be cleaned with any solvent with an autoclave. I would be really curious to see how it would work with saturated steam at 121 deg C for 20 mins at 15 psi.

@user-kj9oe7uf3d 3 жыл бұрын

thank you so much your video helped me make the right decisions by the way, I'm from Poland

@littilant121 5 жыл бұрын

Great test

@AikidoTubeSock 5 жыл бұрын

How difficult was it to remove the converter? It seems that bolts getting super hot then cooling repeatedly would make for a pretty tight bond. Did you use Liquid Wrench or other penetrating oil? I may have to remove mine a-la the Scotty Kilmer method.

@bigsparky8888 2 жыл бұрын

My cat has been replaced 3X already...costs are killer high in CALIF...THE SMOG TEST IS NOW DONE UNDER ACCELERATION ONTO A FREEWAY...HOW CAN THIS BE FAIR...IT IS NOT FAIR AT ALL...DEPENDING ON THE MAN DOING THE DRIVING CAN PUSH THE GAS PEDAL TOO HARD CAUSING EXCESSIVE NOX & HYDROCARBONS...IT IS AN EXPENSIVE BITCH TO OWN A GREAT RUNNING CAR THAT IS OLDER AND A 5 SPEED TO BOOT...DANG IT ALL ANYWAY...NOT FAIR...

@brockbaker3able 5 жыл бұрын

I have cleaned my civic cat and it worked great. None of the crap this fella tells you to try will work. There was an old article in scientific America that talked about this. You have to use a mix of citric acid ( same stuff you buy at Walmart for canning ) and wood bleach. ( oxalic acid ) I can’t remember the exact formula but you mix it up in a vat or water and submerge the cat in it for a couple hours while heating the water to 150-175 degrees. I used an old gas grill to keep the water hot. It worked perfectly and didn’t eat up the cat. The water turned green and nasty but I never got the converter below efficiency threshold again. 35 k miles later

@asherweck 4 жыл бұрын

brock baker wow I want to try but I’m scared

@1oneguythat 2 жыл бұрын

nice 1

@Wijak.M 2 жыл бұрын

Could you tell the name of that article?

@brockbaker3able 2 жыл бұрын

@@Wijak.M I went digging and found a posting of the original article. I also found a video of someone doing it in practice which I’ll try to post a link to that as well. Again, I have done this. It works.

@brockbaker3able 2 жыл бұрын

kzfaq.info/get/bejne/bJp7qrN9lbasn40.html here’s a video.

@avijithalder3511 5 жыл бұрын

Very honest experiment.

@addmix Жыл бұрын

I would assume results vary depending on cat failure case, if it a case of cat poisoning/blockage, I could assume these could work, but for catalyst degradation, I see the only probably solution is replacement. Same with O2 sensors, you can clean it if its dirty, but if its degraded, you can only buy anew

@socalcraigster 3 жыл бұрын

I did the paint thinner trick and it worked on my 04 Sedona. No way I’m paying $1,600. It runs fine.

@ashleylipa2244 2 жыл бұрын

Why does this freak me out so much if I keep seeing that it worked for people?

@dwpwdlgovasitsb4id13orlife2 2 жыл бұрын

@@ashleylipa2244 it's hard to put faith in internet advice when you're legitimately concerned that it could cause serious damage to your vehicle. Especially considering there's people that talk down on things they haven't tried. Anymore I keep digging until I'm satisfied, then make the decision as long as my intuition doesn't slap me 😂

@looncraz 6 жыл бұрын

Citric acid is the best wash for a cat. Takes a good long while, but it worked wonders on my 96 850... same cat six years later and still no more P0420 code. 8 years later: cat still going strong! Car has 260,000 miles on it and the original cat, though I sold the car.

@gabrieldusk 5 жыл бұрын

looncraz how much did you use and how long ?

@matheous77 5 жыл бұрын

Put 4 litres of lacquer thinner in half a tank of fuel, drove it hard until tank empty... No more PO420 code for me

@8207joe 4 жыл бұрын

Where would I get Citric acid? Do they have 100% citric acid? I guess I could squeeze a lot of oranges. Because the cleaners are always mixed with it not 100%?

@JA-rn5qv 4 жыл бұрын

@@8207joe Either home supply store or amazon

@dushk0 4 жыл бұрын

@@JA-rn5qv also the grocery or pool supplies