I just went on a 2000 mile trip in my 1989 Camaro and the catalytic converter started getting clogged 900 miles in. After those 900 miles my car had embarrassing acceleration issues. I was told that if I'm not running EGR on my car that the catalytic converter will clog very quickly. Is this true? I am running a Holley Stealth Ram with no EGR capabilities and a high flow magnaflow cat. Does this mean that I can't run a catalytic converter without EGR?

 

No, it means the person who told you that doesn't know what they're talking about.

 

Are you sure your catalytic converter is the problem?

 

Running rich is the problem...

 

I used this catalytic convertor for about 9000 miles and ran it continuously for 9 hours and it gets clogged. I though egr was supposed to recirculated unburnt fuel for the exhaust. Wouldn't the unburnt fuel get stuck in the cat then eventually destroy it?

 

EGR = Exhaust Gas Recirculation.
EGR is a system which recirculates exhaust gases back into the intake, and into the cylinders. Since exhaust gases are inert (they won't burn), the cylinder temperatures go down, and thereby NOx gases (which form at high cylinder temps) are reduced.

The cat won't get clogged by not having EGR, it will melt if unburnt fuel gets in it, and when it melts, it clogs itself. It can also clog from coolant or engine oil entering the cat, but the most common catalyst failure is that they melt from unburnt fuel entering.