Fix It

The first thing you can do to replace the catalytic converter in your Toyota Tercel is forget about the cheaper universal fit catalytic converter at the auto parts stores. Although this may seemingly save you money for the part, youre going to have to buy adapters or figure out how to make that universal fit converter fit like a direct fit converter. A direct fit converter for a Tercel will have a two-point flange on either side and will do just as its label describes: fit directly. In the long run it will save you time, money, and will work better for your Tercel since it was specifically designed for it.

Instructions

1

Lift the Toyota Tercel on a car lift all the way up.

2

Put on the cutting glasses, and light the acetylene torch using a striker. Cut the bolts and nuts from the catalytic converter from the flange(s) on the converter side. This way you will not incur damage to the flanges bolted to the converter flanges. Cut the bolt heads (with the torch) or the nuts flush to the converter flange.

3

Turn the torch off, switch over to safety glasses, and knock out the bolts from the converter side of the flanges using the hammer and a long stemmed punch. If they do not punch through, you may need to relight the torch and cut into the bolt hole a little deeper.

4

Remove the old converter.

5

Pick the old gaskets off of the pipe flanges on both side using a pick or awl.

6

Clean the surface of the flat part of the pipe flanges on both sides using an angled die grinder with a sanding disk.

7

Place the new gaskets onto the small pipe outlet protruding from the pipe flanges.

8

Check the exhaust flow of the new catalytic converter. It will be stamped on the shell or shields of the converter and be easy to see. There will be an arrow pointing in the direction of the exhaust flow or an A and B marking. A would indicate towards the front of the motor, and B would indicate towards the back of the Tercel.

9

Attach the converter flanges to the pipe flanges and place the bolts into the flanges (in any direction) in this fashion: bolt head with a flat washer through the flanges, then a lock washer and nut.

10

Tighten the bolts and nuts holding one end with a wrench and tightening with an air ratchet. Tighten each bolt a little bit, switch to the next one, and continue this pattern until all four nuts and bolts have seated the flanges tight together.

11

Remove tools and lower the Tercel on the lift. Start it up, raise it up again, and check for any possible leaks coming from the flange connections. If so, tighten the bolts some more.

Depending on what year and what motor you have in your GMC Sonoma will dictate the level of difficulty and the type of catalytic converter you need for replacement. Before the year 2000, the converter was connected to the exhaust system behind the front exhaust pipe in the popular 4.3 liter engine. In the year 2000, the catalytic converter became the front exhaust pipe which is much more challenging and difficult to remove and replace.

Instructions

How to Install a Catalytic Converter in a GMC Sonoma

1

Lift the GMC Sonoma all the up on the car lift. Load all the tools and the new converter into the tool cart/tray and wheel it over near you under the Sonoma, but out of your way. Put on the safety glasses.

2

Locate and remove the oxygen sensors. In the front Y-pipe converter application, there will be three oxygen sensors. In the older kind of Sonoma, there is only one oxygen sensor. Locate the plugs for the wire and unplug them using the flathead screwdriver to press in on the clip lock. Use the ratchet and oxygen sensor socket to remove the sensors. If need be, you may have to heat the pipe up a little with the torch to extract them. Allow them to cool down if you needed the torch.

3

Screw the oxygen sensor(s) into the new converter, but apply a light coat of anti-seize lubricant on the threads first. For the Y-pipe with three sensors, make sure to put the correct sensor into the correct port. Be caul not to overtighten to prevent stripping out the threads of the sensor(s).

4

Light the torch with the striker and heat up one nut on the manifold stud at a time (for the front Y-pipe converter). When the nut is cherry red, place the pneumatic gun, extension, swivel and socket onto it and remove the nut. If the converter is connected to the front pipe, cut the three nuts and bolts with the torch on both sides of the flange, then use the hammer and punch to knock the rest of the bolt out of the flange connection.

5

Cut the two or three nuts and bolts out of the rear flange connection on the converter using the torch. Cut the bolt on both sides of the flange and knock the rest of the bolt from the flange connection using the hammer and a punch. Be caul on the last bolt as the converter will separate from the exhaust system. Put on the gloves and remove the old converter.

6

Install the new catalytic converter starting with the inlet first (closest to the motor). Install the gasket(s) first and then thread on new manifold stud bolts for the Y-pipe converter or replace the nuts and bolts on the converter connected to the front pipe. Use a bolt head and washer on one side and a lock washer and nut on the other side of the flange.

7

Tighten the nuts on the manifold with the gun or tighten the nuts and bolts on the flange connection, using the gun on one side and holding the bolt steady with a hand wrench on the other.

8

Replace the gasket and hardware on the rear connection of the catalytic converter. Place the bolt head and flat washer on one side and the lock washer and nut on the other side of the flange connection. Tighten with the gun on the nut side and hold the bolt head with a hand wrench.

9

Plug the oxygen sensor wire(s) back into the plug(s).

10

Remove the tool cart and any other debris from under the Sonoma, lower the truck and start the engine up. Raise it back up and check for any possible exhaust leaks coming from the manifold, flange or oxygen sensor connections. Tighten as needed.

Installation of a new catalytic converter on your Jeep Liberty will improve the engine performance of your Jeep. If the converter becomes plugged it can over heat or limit the engines ability to breathe by limiting the flow of exhaust out of the engine. The converter is an important part of the exhaust system and while they are expensive to replace, they are necessary for the engine to run properly. Be sure to allow the exhaust to cool if the Jeep has been running before you start working on it. The pipe and converter get very hot when the engine is operating.

Instructions

1

Locate the front mounting flange from the front exhaust pipe for the catalytic converter. There are two bolts that secure the flange from the converter to the flange on the pipe.

2

Position the catalytic converter so the two flanges line up, insert the gasket between the flanges and insert the retaining bolts. Install two nuts on the mounting bolts and tighten them with a socket and ratchet or wrench.

3

Insert the mounting rod on the converter into the hanger under the cross member located near the center of the converter. This hanger is a rubber hanger that the mounting rod slides into.

4

Slide the tail pipe onto the output pipe on the rear of the converter and install the band clamp. Tighten the clamp with a socket and ratchet until it is tight but do not over tighten it or you will crush the pipe.

5

Start the engine and check for leaks in the exhaust system. If you find a leak, tighten the clamp or bolts needed to tighten up the pipes and close the leak.

The original catalytic converter on the 1988 Chevy K2500 was a flat, broad, pellet-filled component. Chevy used this style converter until the mid 1990s. The bottom of the converter featured a fill plug that would often erode from exposure and leak the ceramic pellets out from inside the shell. While replacement plugs were available, most aftermarket companies replaced the converter with a canister-shaped direct-fit converter with an internal ceramic honeycombed substructure.

Instructions

1

Park the 1988 Chevy K2500 on a level surface, turn the engine off and apply the parking brake.

2

Put on the safety glasses and crawl under the passengers side of the vehicle (behind the front tire) with the shop light or a flashlight.

3

Follow the exhaust tubing on the passengers side to the engine connection. The front pipe of the K2500 features a Y-pipe connected to both the drivers side and the passengers side of the engine.

4

Follow the Y-pipe back to the next component behind it. It will either be a large, broad, flat component or a round canister with an external heat shield spot-welded to the outer shell. This component is the catalytic converter. Depending on the size of the wheel base of the K2500, behind the converter there may be a small to medium length connector pipe leading to the muffler and the tailpipe. The connector pipe routes over the rear axle and out toward the rear bumper, all on the passengers side.

Catalytic converters are used to clean up car exhaust by burning left over fuel, not burned by the engine. They use particular properties of precious metals to catalyze the burning of hydrocarbons at temperatures below their normal ignition point. These precious metals include palladium, platinum, and rhodium.

The Facts

Catalytic converters were first installed into cars approximately 30 years ago. Prior to this, no emission regulations existed and cars put out a lot of pollutants into the atmosphere. California was the first state to begin monitoring emission levels and the first law appeared in 1968. In the early 1970s, the federal government also began to monitor and impose strict regulations on emissions. As a result, today cars are 99 percent cleaner.

Introduction

The cars exhaust is cleaner, the closer the ratio of fuel vapor to oxygen is kept to the perfect ratio of 14.7:1. This ratio is hard to maintain due to the vehicles fuel/ignition system and its range of operations. If the fuel is too rich, the emissions exit the engine through the exhaust and include chemicals such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor. Furthermore, the chemicals mix to form carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and other volatile organic compounds.

Function

Catalytic converters have been developed and are installed into cars to chemically alter the emissions that leave the exhaust into more environmentally friendly chemical compounds. This is accomplished with the use of the reduction catalyst (a large surface coated with a catalyst). The surface area is located within the converter and is made as large as possible through the use of layers and honeycomb like structures. These metallic structures affect the largest possible volume of exhaust gas in the shortest period of time.

Features

The exhaust gas comes in contact with the catalyst, within the converter. The catalyst metal has a unique property of being able to break the nitrogen atom from the pollutant molecule and free the oxygen atom. As a result, nitrogen atoms bond with other nitrogen atoms on the catalyst and are later emitted into the atmosphere.This type of emission is considered clean.

Considerations

Catalytic converters only work at high temperatures because otherwise the chemical reaction discussed above will not happen. As a result, they get very hot and require a specifically designed heat shield. This heat shield protects the bottom of the car and any flammable materials underneath (on the road).

A catalytic converter is an exhaust emissions device that is part of a vehicles exhaust system. In charge of lowering the exhaust emissions that exit a vehicles tail pipe, a catalytic converter can negatively impact vehicle performance if it goes bad or stops working properly. What follows is a brief list of the most common signs of a bad catalytic converter.

Reduced Exhaust Flow

A major sign of a plugged up and/or bad catalytic converter is reduced exhaust flow measured at the vehicle tail pipe. Engine exhaust must travel through a catalytic converter before exiting the tail pipe; a bad catalytic converter can block and/or impede exhaust flow.

Reduced Engine Power

If a bad catalytic converter seriously impedes the flow of a vehicles engine exhaust flow, reduced engine horsepower can occur. This is due to the increase in engine exhaust back pressure that results whenever engine exhaust flow is impeded and/or reduced.

Reduced Exhaust Pipe Temperature

It is common for a bad and/or plugged catalytic converter to cause abnormally low exhaust pipe temperatures on the backside of a catalytic converter. As engine exhaust exits an engine and travels down the exhaust system and through the catalytic converter, the exiting exhaust flow can be restricted enough to cause significantly reduced exhaust pipe temperatures between the catalytic converter and the tail pipe.

Increased Hydrocarbon Emissions

Catalytic converters work by reducing the levels of hydrocarbon emissions exiting a vehicles tail pipe. A bad catalytic converter can lose its emissions-lowering capabilities and cause an increase in exhaust hydrocarbon emissions, a condition that is normally picked up when a vehicle is undergoing a routine smog inspection.

Reduced Fuel Economy

Any obstruction and/or abnormality in a vehicles exhaust system has the potential to reduce vehicle gas mileage by creating exhaust back pressure within a vehicles engine. A bad catalytic converter can cause a reduction in vehicle fuel economy if it restricts the flow of engine exhaust to the point of causing a marked increase in engine exhaust back pressure.

Catalytic converters filter a percentage of harmful emissions that a car produces. Environmental regulations dictate emission reduction methods that each state must follow. Automakers include this type of emission control equipment on new car and truck products. But when operation surpasses the limits of the converters ability to operate properly, it becomes necessary to replace it to maintain the same level of filtration as when the converter was new. When old catalytic converters remain in use after their life expectancy, the vehicle can fail tests of emission control. It is easy to install a new welded catalytic converter with some common shop tools.

Instructions

1

Elevate the car to a height where you have easy access to the exhaust system of the vehicle. Check for fluid leaks and be sure that the area around the catalytic converter is dry and free of fuels that may be ignited during the cutting out of the old converter(s). Mark the exhaust piping 3" before and after the converter, where the exhaust pipe is at its straightest and best condition. Compare that distance to the length of the new converter and adjust so that a proper connection will be made between the new converter and the old exhaust piping.

2

Move the cutting torch tanks near enough to the work area for the cutting head to reach the converter and operate freely. Open the gas and air valves at the top of each tank and grab the igniter. Open the valves on the cutting handle in the proper proportion to turn the cutting flame from a flapping yellow to an intense, clear blue gas flame that can cut through metals. Press the air injection tab to create a cutting flame that can cut out the old converter quickly and easily. Cut around the marks made on the exhaust pipes outside of the converter inlet and outlet.

3

Grind down and around the end of the exposed exhaust pipes with a handheld grinder and abrasive wheel. Depending on whether the new converter has expanded pipe ends that slide over the old exhaust pipes or not, the converter will need to be tack welded end to end using a stick welder. Prepare the ends of both exhaust and converter for welding. A welded catalytic converter is expected to have high performance throughout the life of the vehicle. Take time to get this step right before welding so that youll get a better result.

4

Connect the ground to the exhaust pipe that will be welded and hold the new converter in place, edge to edge with the old exhaust piping. Protect your eyes with welding glasses and touch the stick to the joint of the two parts. After the connection is made, hold in place for three seconds, then pull away. Repeat this process again on the opposite side of the piping and then on the other end of the converter. This tack weld will hold the pieces together for complete welding later. Complete the converter welding around both inlet and outlet pipes of the converter so that the weld is complete and free of leaks.

5

Transfer old converters and exhaust tubing that can be recycled into a recycling bin. While the converter may become clogged and unable to be used, the precious metal can be recycled. After each and every upgrade or maintenance job there is something you can do to help the environment. Do your part by recycling everything that needs to be disposed of properly and find that your shop stays clear of dangerous debris.

The catalytic converter is part of an automobiles exhaust system. Its function is to convert carbon monoxide and other organic compounds into less environmentally harmful emissions, such as carbon dioxide and water. The catalytic converter helps reduce automotive pollutants and toxic emissions.

History

In the late 1960s, California and other states began requiring the automotive industry to reduce the level of emissions released by cars and trucks. By 1975, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and federal government established stringent regulations for the reduction of emissions. As a result, automotive engineers designed and developed an external converter through which gases would pass and be altered to less harmful products. Today nearly all internal combustion engine vehicles use catalytic converters.

Defining a Catalyst

A catalyst is a substance that allows a chemical reaction to occur at a faster rate or different temperature than it would under normal conditions. In a cars catalytic converter, the surface of the converter (part of the exhaust system) is coated with platinum or rhodium which serves as the catalyst in combination with high heat.

What Happens

Automotive exhaust, which is produced by the internal combustion engine, is a combination of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, organic compounds and water vapor. As the exhaust passes through the catalytic converter, it undergoes a chemical reaction when it comes into contact with the catalyst. The catalyst separates the nitrogen atoms from the oxygen and alters the other organic compounds. The gases are modified into less harmful byproducts and released into the environment.

Location

While the exact location varies by make and model of vehicle, the catalytic converter is mounted with the exhaust system. Typically, it is placed near the vehicles engine between the exhaust manifold and the exhaust pipes where fumes can pass through it before being released into the environment. Heat plates separate the catalytic converter from the exhaust manifold, protecting the vehicles engine from high heat.

A catalytic converter is an important part of the emissions system in your vehicle, but its also a consumable product. Eventually, it will wear out and break, and when it does, it has to be replaced by a new unit. Thats because its illegal in most states to sell used emissions equipment. Its also not easy to replace, as it requires welding into the exhaust system. Removing a catalytic converter from a 1998 Chevrolet Silverado, however, is as easy as cutting the exhaust.

Instructions

1

Raise the vehicle with the jack, and secure it on jack stands. Double-check that the vehicle is secure before you crawl underneath it. Make sure there is enough room for you to fit underneath the truck while using the reciprocating saw. Put on the eye protection and hearing protection.

2

Locate the catalytic converter on the exhaust. Its shaped like a rectangle with rounded corners and has a flat flange down the sides. Cut the exhaust tubing about 2 inches forward of the catalytic converter, using the reciprocating saw with the metal blade.

3

Cut the exhaust tubing about 2 inches behind the catalytic converter, using the reciprocating saw with the metal blade. Then spray the penetrating fluid in the exhaust hanger attached to the catalytic converter, and use the 24-inch pry bar to remove the hanger and, with it, the catalytic converter.

Most states require the use of a catalytic converter installed after the exhaust manifold, in line with the exhaust. The catalytic converter--often called the "cat"--acts as a filter and creates better emissions out of the end of the exhaust. Catalytic converters get clogged up over time and need to be replaced with a new one. If not, then the car will run poorly and wont be able to pass emissions testing. First though, you have to remove the catalytic converter.

Instructions

1

Pop the hood. Remove the air-intake tubing from the engine bay using the flat-head screwdriver. Pull the air box up and out of the engine bay. Unbolt the exhaust manifold at the front of the car from the forward exhaust section--which is the section that contains the catalytic converter--using the 3/8-inch ratchet, extension and sockets.

2

Lift up the front of the car with the jack. Put it down on the jack stands and then remove the jack.

3

Locate the oxygen sensors on the forward section of the exhaust, which are cylinders, one-half inch by three inches, that have electrical connections on them. Unplug the harness from the oxygen sensor using your hands.

4

Unbolt the forward section of the exhaust, including the catalytic converter, from the rest of the exhaust using the 3/8-inch ratchet and socket. Lower the forward exhaust section away from the car.

The 4.3-liter six-cylinder engine in your 2002 GMC Sonoma is equipped with many ways to reduce the harmful emissions created from the combustion process, and the most effective way is through the use of the catalytic converter. When the converter becomes clogged, you will likely experience a drop in fuel economy and engine performance. Your converter is located under the passenger compartment and connects between the exhaust manifold and the muffler inlet pipe. To remove the converter assembly, the rear transmission support will have to be removed.

Instructions

Removal

1

Park the truck on a level surface and set the parking brake. Lift the front of the truck into the air with the floor jack and place two of the jack stands under the front frame rails. Lower the jack until the truck rests securely on the jack stands. Remove the floor jack.

2

Place a block of wood on the jack arm and raise the jack until the wood contacts the transmission pan. Pry up on the transmission wiring harness plastic retainer on the transmission support to remove it. Remove the transmission mount to support stud with the socket and ratchet.

3

Place the third jack stand under the converter assembly and raise the stand arm until it is high enough to support the assembly. Remove the bolts for both of the converter hanger brackets with the socket and ratchet. Remove the three bolts securing the transmission support to the frame rails with the socket and ratchet. Remove the transmission support, washers and reinforcement from under the vehicle.

4

Disconnect the truck wiring harness from the right and left pre-cat oxygen sensors and the post-cat oxygen sensor by squeezing the tabs and pulling them apart. Remove the two converter assembly to muffler pipe nuts with the socket and ratchet. Remove the three flange nuts for the right and left manifold to converter assembly mounting studs.

5

Support the converter assembly by hand and remove the jack stands. Lower the converter assembly and slide it out from under the truck. Pry the both of the rubber hanger and brackets from the converter assembly.

6

Mark each of the oxygen sensors with tape so they can be installed to the same location during the installation process. Place the oxygen sensor socket over the left pre-cat oxygen sensor, making sure the pigtail sticks through the slotted portion of the socket. Remove the oxygen sensor with the oxygen sensor socket and ratchet. Repeat for the right pre-cat and post-cat oxygen sensors and set the oxygen sensors aside.

Installation

7

Clean the oxygen sensor threads with a wire brush. Install a small amount of copper anti-seize to the threads of the oxygen sensors. Install the oxygen sensors to their respective fittings on the converter assembly and tighten to 31 foot-pounds with the oxygen sensor socket and torque wrench. Push the rubber hanger over the hanger arm on the converter assembly; allow the bracket to hang.

8

Install the new exhaust gaskets onto the muffler pipe and both exhaust manifold. Slide the converter assembly under the vehicle and position it under its mounting location. Place the jack stand under the truck and lift the converter assembly onto the stand. Balance the converter and guide the outlet end onto the muffler pipe studs. Install the retaining nuts hand tight.

9

Support the opposite end of the converter assembly by hand and remove the jack stand. Guide the converter assembly inlet onto both of the exhaust manifolds and install the mounting nuts hand tight. Tighten the exhaust manifold nuts alternately to 30 foot-pounds

10

Connect all three oxygen sensor pigtails to their respective wire harness plugs. Set out the transmission support bolts and place a washer on each one. Set the transmission support into place and hold the reinforcement plate in position on the frame. Slide the mounting bolts through the frame and hold them in place. Install a washer to the over each mounting bolts and tighten the nuts to 40 foot-pounds.

11

Install the transmission mount nut and tighten to 42 foot-pounds. Swing the converter hanger bracket up and hold It to the transmission support Install the bracket mounting bolts and tighten to 13 foot-pounds.

12

Lower the floor jack and remove it from under the transmission. Push the transmission harness retainer into its mounting hole on the transmission support. Lift the front of the truck off of the jack stands with the floor jack and remove the jack stands from under the truck. Lower the truck to the ground and remove the floor jack.

The catalytic converter on your 1988 Chevy Blazer is located in the exhaust system and is a critical part of the emissions control system for your engine. The design of the converter will reduce pollutants like carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons and stop the escape of these pollutants from the exhaust system. A catalytic converter does not have a life expectancy and should not fail but if it does, the first step in repairing the system is to remove the converter for inspection and possible replacement.

Instructions

1

Raise the front end of your Blazer with a jack and support it with a set of jack stands positioned solidly under the frame of the truck. Remove the jack from under the truck so you dont have to try and work around it.

2

Locate the catalytic converter in the front of the exhaust system. On the S10 Blazer, it is located just behind the Y pipe where the two down pipes from the engine come together.

3

Locate the two mounting bolts on the joint at the rear of the catalytic converter where it meets the exhaust pipe. Remove the bolts with a socket and ratchet and then separate the joint.

4

Move to the front of the catalytic converter and locate the tow bolts that attach the converter mount to the front of the converter. Remove the bolts with a socket and ratchet. Remove the exhaust clamp just in front of the mount, using a socket and ratchet to remove the nuts from the cl then separate the two halves of the clamp.

5

Separate the catalytic converter from the front pipe by pulling it straight back, using a twisting motion to loosen the catalytic converter from the pipe. Remove the converter out from under the truck and set it aside.

If the catalytic converter on your 1998 Chevy Blazer is defective or has damage to the case, replacing it may be necessary. The converter is located under the front cross member, in the area underneath the drivers seat. It uses flanges on both ends to secure it to the rest of the exhaust and houses one of the oxygen sensors in the body of the converter.

Instructions

1

Raise the front of your Blazer with a jack and position a set of jack stands under the front suspension to support the truck while you work under it. Lower the jack and remove it from under the truck.

2

Position yourself under the passengers side of the Blazer and locate the catalytic converter in the exhaust system. Find the O2 sensor on the drivers side of the case and follow the wires from the top of the sensor to the wiring harness connector.

3

Release the locking tab on the wiring harness connection, then separate the two halves of the connector. Place an O2 sensor socket on the sensor body and turn it counterclockwise with a ratchet. Remove the sensor and set it aside for reuse later.

4

Move to the rear of the converter and remove the bolts from the mounting flange with a socket and ratchet. Pull the exhaust pipe loose from the converter and push it off to one side.

5

Locate the flange at the front of the catalytic converter. Remove the mounting bolts with a socket and ratchet, then separate the converter from the exhaust pipe.

6

Locate the rubber isolator that supports the converter; slide it off the mounting pin on the frame, then lower the converter down and out of the exhaust system. Slide the catalytic converter out from under the truck.

The catalytic converter is part of the exhaust system of an automobile and is designed to reduce pollution in the cars emissions. It oxides carbon monoxide and other pollutants into carbon dioxide and water by using a platinum-iridium catalyst. Sometimes the catalytic converter can become clogged with deposits and this can result in the engine not running properly. Puncturing the converter can solve this problem and allow the trapped gases a means of escape.

Instructions

1

Lift the car up on a jack so that you safely look under it to find the catalytic converter. Make sure the car is secure and that vibrations or small impacts will not affect the jack.

2

Locate the converter. It will normally be towards the back of the exhaust system near the muffler. Look for a cylinder-shaped casing with a pipe running in and out of it at both ends.

3

Determine if the converter is welded on to the exhaust of clamped. If it is clamped, remove the clamps and slide the converter off. If it is welded, saw through the piping on both ends of the converter to remove it.

4

Stand the converter on its end and hold the chisel tip in the piping against the end of the converter.

5

Use the hammer to hit the end of the chisel and force it through the catalytic converter. Do this on both ends. Be careful to not hit your hand with the hammer when you punch in the holes.

6

Re-attach the converter by clamping it back into place on the piping under the car.

The two catalytic converters in a Chevy truck are connected to the exhaust system. They help reduce pollutants and control emissions in order to meet both federal and state regulations. If either catalytic converter is not working, it needs to be removed to check for any blockages, or for replacement.

Instructions

1

Raise and support the entire truck on jack stands. Disconnect the negative cable on the battery as a precaution.

2

Disengage the electrical connectors to the oxygen sensors. There are two oxygen sensors attached to each catalytic converter---a pre-converter sensor located near the front end of the converter and a post-converter sensor near the end.

3

Use a small ratchet wrench to remove the flange bolts connecting the catalytic converter to the exhaust pipe. Separate the pipe from the converter, and support the pipe. You can use the trucks floor jack, but place a board on top of the jack to keep it from damaging the pipe.

4

Remove the bolts that attach the converters header pipe to the exhaust manifold. The studs and nuts here often are rusty, so apply penetrating oil to them for easier removal.

5

Take off the catalytic converter and its pipe assembly. Repeat for the other converter if needed.

6

Clean away any carbon deposits built up on the mounting flanges with brake cleaner or the penetrating oil. Discard the gaskets; use new gaskets on the flanges when the new catalytic converter is installed.

Removing the catalytic converter from your Subaru Forester will allow you to replace it with a new unit or a performance converter, or improve engine performance. The converter is located in the exhaust system between the muffler and the exhaust manifolds. The catalytic converter is easily removed but you need to change it when the car has not been running as it gets extremely hot when the engine is running.

Instructions

1

Raise the vehicle with a jack and support it on a set of jack stands. Make sure the vehicle is secure and you can safely work under it without it moving or shifting.

2

Locate the catalytic converter under the center of the vehicle. The Forester has six heat shields that surround the converter and pipe. There are three sections on top and three on the bottom that connect together with studs that are pressed into the top sections and nuts that thread on the bottom.

3

Remove the nuts holding on the heat shields with a socket and ratchet or wrench. Remove the lower heat shields and set them aside. Locate the front and rear flanges on the exhaust pipe. The front has three bolts securing it and the rear has two bolts.

4

Remove the three front mounting bolts on the flange and support the pipe with a jack or jack stand. Locate the exhaust hanger on the drivers side of the converter and remove the retainer bolt with a socket and ratchet.

5

Remove the two retaining bolts from the rear flange and remove the jack stand from under the front of the converter. Lower the converter and remove it from under the Forester. The upper heat shields will come down with the converter; set them aside to be used during installation of a new converter.