2001 SES Catalytic Converter

Hi guys. I am trying to get an assessment of how difficult it is to change a plugged catalytic converter in my Taurus. The mechanic quoted me $1k which I certainly can not afford. I looked online but couldn't find a good video tutorial, anyone know where I can find one? I guess I am just looking for advice. I am planning on selling the car once it is fixed (190k, good shape) so I'm not sure how much trouble this is worth. Thanks for any help.

Do you know which converter you need to replace, bank 1 or bank 2? Also, are you sure the converter is really the problem? They generally don't fail from mileage or age, but rather because of an issue with the way the engine is running (misfire, oil leaks, coolant leaks, etc.).

-Rod

Thanks for the reply Rod. I actually don't have that much information yet. I just got back from Europe and my sister was driving the car when it happened, the car is at Al's on 16th ave. I'm planning on going to talk with them later.

I am not sure if it is bank 1 or bank 2. During the winter I had a coolant leak that I was able to fix with Bar's stop leak. A full tank drained out before I realized there was a leak so maybe that caused the problem, but that was fixed a few months ago. Car has been running pretty smoothly ever since, well until this. I'm told the car won't go over 30 mph as is. I also put on a new starter this last fall. Not sure if that could be related but if there is an underlying problem I'd like to figure out what it might be.

If the car was burning the coolant through the combustion chamber, that could have degraded a converter. However, if it was burning coolant that fast through a combustion chamber, I doubt that Bar's Leak would seal it this long.

If the car has a serious misfire that could cause it to not want to make it above 30mph. Even if there were a loose intake air tube between the MAF sensor and the throttle body, that could cause an extreme loss of power. There's a lot that should be checked before investing in a new converter.

I'm not familiar with Al's reputation and certainly don't know if he's done things like drop the exhaust to confirm the power is restored when the exhaust is allowed to dump before the suspect converter.

-Rod

Rod-Is there any way to test to see if the cat is plugged other than what you just mentioned?

Have you tried removing a upstream 02 sensor and seeing if the engine runs differently???

Here is a video about using a vacuum gauge:

https://ericthecarguy.com/videos?start=30&videoid=d-jp1IIJVVk

Another video:

https://ericthecarguy.com/videos?start=30&videoid=d-jp1IIJVVk

Exactly what Tempfixit mentioned. If the car is running poorly, and the thought is that's due to a plugged converter, giving the exhaust a place to escape is one way to check. Removing the upstream O2 sensor gives it a place to escape, and the hole diameter should be sufficient to at least allow the car to idle.

-Rod