'94 Camry losing power

[tmarsh]

OK, gonna get the Cat Conv. checked out. I typically get around 400 miles on my tank of gas. After cleaning the EGR - 300! I lost over 8 miles to the gallon! I was worried I could have knocked loose some carbon residue in the intake manifold. Is this a possibility? If it is, what would be malfunctioning?

The Cat conv. sounds like a good place to start. I had it replaced in the last year or so. I noticed I must have hit it on a bump or something like that, as the steel "webbing" is a little frayed at the front. Not sure if that plays a part.

How much does it cost to fix a Cat. Conv? Is it possible just to clean? I have a neighbor that has an auto shop...is this something he could do?


I have also been goin through oil, with a leak on the back top of the engine. It is getting the area around the fuel injectors dirty...would this just be a valve gasket leak? If I fix it, since I have blow-by from a piston ring, is it jsut gonna make the next weakest gasket give out?

Sorry for all the questions, but I want to solve this dang ol' puZzle.

[jdmccright]

If the EGR was heavily encrusted, then you might try a engine cleaner like Seafoam in the fuel tank and intake to help dissolve those deposits. Also make sure the EGR still works too since a malfunctioning EGR valve gives the same results as a plugged one.

The stainless steel braiding is actually part of the flex pipe that goes between the exhaust manifold and the cat...it's not part of the cat. The fraying could be due to fatigue unless there are obvious scrapes on it. A new flex pipe will set you back $150-$180. But if it got a good knock, then the force may have been transmitted to the cat as well, rattling the internals loose.

The valve cover gasket is usually the first to leak resulting in the mess you describe. A new gasket set (including new spark plug tube o-rings) is usually $15. Some high temp silicone is needed too. After that, I'd check your camshaft, crankshaft, and oil pump shaft seals. If they haven't been changed along with the timing belt, then they're gonna be old, brittle, and likely cracked...these can cause a more significant leak than the valve cover.

And fixing these won't necessarily cause the next weakest gasket to fail, but Murphy is a sly devil. Hope this helps!