Car dies out

[shorod]

A code for Bank 1 Lean is not pointing to the converters, that's pointing to a condition where there is too much air for the amount of fuel. You either have a vacuum leak letting air in or you have a fuel issue not allowing enough fuel. You could also try removing the O2 sensor as CJ0717 mentioned just as confirmation that the problem is not restricted exhaust.

-Rod

[blklink]

Alright I will try that which is bank 1? I know there is 4 02 sensors on the dual headers. which makes 2 upstreams 2 down streams. If its bank 1 I would figure it would be the drivers side sensors. If I take the 02 sensor out and everything works fine then that would be my problem?

[CJ0717]

So far you have a decent tuneup completed. Still sounds like something clogging in the exhaust

[blklink]

I just went outside and started the car not to long before you posted and both sides of the exhaust is fine. They are both thumping. Well which I had Borla exhaust on it. I have took a video of it and I could send it possibly to you to show that the exhaust doesnt seem to be clogged in any way at all. Its pretty chilly outside so you can see the steam coming from the mufflers. But on the video it sounds like the car is cammed to death. Sounds like a older muscle car with heavy cam. Which its not cammed it is just at rough idle. I dont see anything that it could be other than the 02 sensors or like in the past post broke ring cause I did find oil on the end of the plug (spark) but I figured that was oil that came from around the valve cover, but there was oil on the ignition coil.

[blklink]

I noticed that you were telling me to take the sensor out well which one should I take out. I know it would be on the drivers side but would I take the up stream out or the down stream? Or take both out..
?

[CJ0717]

Remove any sensor just upstream from the cat converter. The easiest one to get at. Should take a couple minutes but at least it will confirm whether or not the exhaust is restricted. If it runs OK with this out then the muffler must be clogged up or something since you've said the cat converter is just a hollow tube now.

[blklink]

Alright heres another ***UPDATE***
So I took you advise Mr. CJ and Mr. Rod I go outside yes its cold and I took the driver side upstream 02 sensor out and guess what happens yes you should have guessed it it runs like it suppose to... I hit the gas to it at a stand still the RPM jumps up without any hesitation. It doesnt stall it doesnt do anything weird anymore. Alright now heres the question what now could be the problem bad 02 sensors or stopped up muffler or Cat? Has to be one of the 3 right? Well Cats are gutted as so as I thought. The exhaust system (borla) has been on there for a little while but I have a back up set of mufflers that I was going to put on my xtreme. Is there anyway that I can save my exhaust system without junking it? If push comes to shove I will swap the system out of it. So what do I do now is the question? thanks for your help I really do appreciate it without a doubt. Saves a ton of money when you have internet and a automotive forum that will help you save them big bucks especially on these cars. Please help again. Im so close to getting this thing back on the road its draining my pockets already.

[CJ0717]

GREAT!!!
This had me stumped for about a week as it progressivly worse. Finally had to take it to a mechanic that I trust alot. Had him stumped for about 8 hours. He told me he slept on it and had a wild idea in the middle of the night. Went in early in the morning and pulled an o2 sensor and viola ran great. Turns out the CAT was clogged. He replaced it and it ran like new. I got stuck with an $800 bill. 200 for the cat replacement and another $600 in diagnosis time. That stunk but it was fixed and running again.
I am very glad that I was able to save you the diagnosis time. This type of problem is very hard to find.
Now for your question. THe O2 sensor is probably fine. Alot of people change these when they get an O2 sensor code only to find out that the O2 sensor was telling them what the needed to know. At $70 a pop the parts dealers love this one.
I would start with the Cat Conv and make sure it is still a pass thru deal and that nothing left internally from the last time collapsed and clogged it. If that is ok then replace the mufflers. When these get old and rotted they can either start collapsing in on themselves or rot thru to the outside. It's when they collapse is when the engine's performance is affected.
LEt me know what you find and how you make out.

Have a great day in the cold

CJ

[blklink]

I shall do so. Went to day and picked up some PB blaster to get the bolts off the flange from the catalytic converters so I can see if thats the problem I thought about taking the half exhaust off and see if thats the problem first if thats it, it should be the mufflers. If it continues I know its the cats right? Im just guessing on the whole thing.

[CJ0717]

I'd be guessing too. It's 50/50 but my guess is the Cat Conv. probably fellapart internally. You won't know until it comes off. Good thing is you know for sure its an exhaust issue and not anything else.

CJ

[blklink]

Alright maybe somebody can give me some helpful tips on the same subject. Alright in the process of trying to check if the cats were stopped up. Well while doing that I had to take the down pipe off of the headers cause the cats are right at the headers has 2 bolts for each side 2 for the left 2 for the right. Well needless to say I only succeeded on getting to nuts off out of the 4 the 2 on the drivers side came off little hard but came off. Passenger side werent to lucky I guess they havent been lubed in forever they had probably seized. Well the 2 on the passenger side snapped. I have tried puttin a pilot hole in it I went and bought a extractor kit with the bits and extractor in it and the bits will not drill into the stud. Any ideas? Every time I fix one problem I get another problem right behind it. Anybody have any ideas?

[blklink]

Oh I also found what my problem was well as I stated in a post before the cats were gutted not likely. Well the driver side was gutted but the screen was still inside there well it was bunched up in a ball into the pipe itself so the screen never was taken out. On the passenger side the cat was not gutted it still had the comb inside. Just to put that into the post to let you know what I have found

[shorod]

Sometimes the drill bits that come with the extractor kits are left-hand bits. That way if the stud being drilled looses while drilling it, the drill bit will back it out. You can visually look at the bit to determine which direction it would need to spin to cut, or you can just try reversing your drill and see if it drills better.

-Rod

[blklink]

Drill going right direction. Just not cutting into the stud which is possibly the bit because one broke and one was cutting for a second and then all of a sudden it just wouldnt cut anymore seems like the bit got dull real fast

[CJ0717]

Have you tried using a propane torch and just heat the heck out of the stud. THen hit it with some WD-40. Repeat again if necessary. I have found that a good bit of heat will loosen up the worst possible situation. Except of course of you stripped the head on the bolt. Then I would get a die grinder in there and cut the son-of-a-pup right off.