I heard recently that one gallon of lacquer thinner to about ten gallons of gasoline could clean some catalytic converters, clear codes, and otherwise improve performance without having to replace the catalytic convertor. Is there any truth to it? Will the lacquer thinner damage the engine, fuel system, or anything else? I really can’t afford a $4-500 repair right now and doing it might mean that I could get to winter before I can replace my wheel bearings so that could mean driving in snow without ABS, but at the same time I want my performance back and I can’t help but feel like I’m damaging something else every time I drive like this. If I can get rid of the problem with a gallon of lacquer thinner, at least until after the winter, that would really help. I have read some really good things about results doing that, but the idea of pouring lacquer thinner into my gas tank makes me nervous.

As a side note, if it can clean the catalytic converter, what might it do for my fuel injectors and pistons?

 

So are you going to put the lacquer thinner in your gas tank and then run it through the engine? If yes, I would think that the combustion of another non-gasoline hydrocarbon would only result in pistons and valves mucked up with excessive carbon build up which would cause detonation and even more deposits on your cat. If you are thinking of removing the cat and dumping this stuff down into it, maybe that'll work but it would depend on why the cat is clogged. Mine got clogged by physically breaking up from almost 20 years of vibrations and not due to any deposits.

A quick search at RockAuto for my 1999 Blazer has cats ranging in price from $155 to $300. If your cat is not integral to the y-pipe, it is a pretty straight-forward job to do, even in a driveway. Even if integral with the y-pipe, I would think it would just mean needing to put Liquid Wrench on the exhaust manifold bolts for a few days before you start the job to make them easier to take off.

 

I can’t find any good videos on this so I hesitate to try, the only one I saw the guy took apart the entire exhaust system, not just the catalytic converter, really muddied it up for me.

 

thinners will burn super hot and dry robbing any lubrication from things like cylinder walls ect, about like running straight alcohol instead of gas - rule of thumb gas and minute additives only

 

Are you saying you could not find any videos on the removal and replacement of the catalytic converter? If so, a quick look under your truck will show you what would have to be done. If you see a bolted-together flange directly in front of the cat between it and the engine, you have one of the easier ones to replace. The rear end of all the cats on the 2nd gens seem to be at about the same place along the exhaust system. Go to RockAuto and look at the cats available for your year and application to see what they look like. If none of them have the y-pipe, then it is almost absolutely certain that yours does not either. However, for my 99, RockAuto shows both the non-y-pipe and the y-pipe type. Mine had the non-y-pipe type.

Something that will likely be very hard to remove will the the O2 sensor on the cat exit pipe. It is sometimes easier to just get a new sensor to mount in the new cat exit pipe.

Youtube videos are great but the people who post them are not always all that smart themselves. I'd suggest getting a Haynes or Chilton repair manual if you don't already have one as what is in them has at least been checked.

 

Don't waste your time. Replace the cat.

 

Pull converter, drill out, reinstall and drive on. Been 5+ years and never thrown a code or failed emissions check, 6 bolts, Cost...$0

Plus, it sounds better.

 

Small Arms....what year Blazer? Getting the cat out can be done two ways; 1. fast way to cut the pipe on both ends or 2. hard way is to unbolt from the exhaust manifolds and the joint after the cat...remove the entire cross-over pipe.

On my '02 I have replaced the entire cross-over with cats in my driveway, did not even need jack stands. However one cross member has to be unbolted to get the new cross-over pipe in which required lots of soaking of bolts. Oh there are six exhaust manifolds studs/nuts....plan on all of them breaking, so have replacements in hand. I think everything cost me around $300.

Universal cats are available and not very expensive. Or you can do #1 above, gut the cat by ramming a rod into cat internals (illegal of course to do this) and then using short pieces of pipe to re-install the old cat. You may get a Check Engine Lite by doing this....above did not...I have never tried this with an OBDII system, which is why I was asking what year you have.

Good luck.

 

1998.

 

When I first bought my blazer 10 or 11 years ago, one of the first things I had to replace was the cat.
It had only done 42k miles.
Don't remember the price I paid but it was a direct replacement from rockauto.

Have you heard about the trick of regenerating your failing battery by placing it in the freezer?