ok, just like the subject says, the back half og my catalytic converter is glowing bright bright red and popping. . . my headers aren't glowing, so I dont think it is running too rich, could it be my timing, cuz the damn thing is soooooooo slow today and has no pick up. . . I tried to manualy adjust the timing by turning the distributor a little but it still runs like **** and I am still but to burn a hole through the floor. . . any ideas??? thanks guys

 

The car could have been running very rich and clogged the converter. The more the converter clogs the more back pressure you get and worse performance plus the converter keeps getting hotter.

 

is there a way to clean it out or am I screwed. . . well I had a dead plug today, so all the unburt gas was prolly going into it. . . would that do it??

 

Yep, the fuel reaching the cat may have burnt up the honeycomb part and clogged. If emissions aren't that strict you could just take off the cat and hollow it out by banging out the insides, or just buy a new hi-flo one, summit sells them at a reasonable price.

 

yup, clogged, just get a new one, or cut yours off and get a really high flow one (pipe)

 

This web site may be of some help to you.

http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/s.../catpunch.html

 

sounds like a plugged cat to me


I wouldn't go for gutting it though cause that could hurt flow (well in reference to a working cat that is, not like you are flowing well as it is right now) but rather put a pipe through the cat or put a striaght piipe on the car right now

if you have smog in your area just buy a few flanges and have them welded in there that way you can swap the striaght pipe for the cat at testing time

 

anytime you have to destroy something to 'test' it you are messing up. if you take this approach, then you might as well diagnose all your problems with replacing parts randomly untill the problem goes away. get a job at a parts store for the employee discount.
jess