- Eastern Catalytic
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1. Temperatures approaching 2 500 F will melt the substrate While many newer vehicles will disable the fuel injector on a misfiring cylinder to prevent overheating of the catalyst others may not See Photo 3 In these cases it pays to replace spark plugs wires coils and other ignition parts as a preventive measure if the catalyst substrate appears to have melted or if the PCM s diagnostic memory contains any current P0300 series misfire codes or has misfires recorded in the misfire history RPM STATUS 1589 OFF TPS 8 CYL 1 MISFIRES CYL 3 MISFIRES CYL 5 MISEIRES TOTAL MISFIRES STA SIGNAL 2 MISFIRES o 4 MISFIRES__31 6 MISFIRES o SPEED MPH 35 Photo 3 This scanner screen indicates a light misfire on a single cylinder Because misfires can overheat the catalyst on many import applications check the scan tool s trouble code and misfire history when diagnosing a failed catalytic converter Internal disintegration can be tested by lightly rapping the converter shell with a rubber mallet If the converter rattles the wrap insulating the substrate against the converter shell has come loose or the substrate itself might be disintegrating See Photo 4 Photo 4 A snap throttle test on this converter revealed an exhaust restriction that had passed conventional testing methods Exhaust restriction often occurs if the substrate is contaminated or if it begins to disintegrate Restriction can become so severe tha2. a significantly shorter warranty period and generally won t meet the 8 80 standard Before replacing a converter that stores a P0420 430 DTC always check TSBs to make sure that downloading new threshold calibrations into the PCM can t instead cure the problem After replacing a converter be sure to follow federal and state regulations regarding documentation storage and disposal of the old unit Although lead sulfur silicon zinc and phosphorous contamination hasten the degradation process very little of these materials exist in modern automotive environments To illustrate ethyl lead is found only in racing gasoline While sulfur can be found in some fuels it will eventually burn away when the converter reaches high temperatures Silicon found in plain dirt can to some extent contaminate gasoline Using non approved silicone gasket sealants commonly causes silicon contamination Although oils containing phosphorus have been phased out phosphorus can still be found in some motor oils designed for flat tappet racing engines Before replacing a converter an engine should nevertheless be evaluated for excess coolant or fluid consumption to prevent possible contamination of the new converter Thermal or overheating damage occurs when a cylinder misfire causes excessive amounts of unburned oxygen and gasoline to enter the converter In general the catalyst begins to function at 550 F and will begin to lose efficiency at 1 800 F
3. changes how atoms are assembled into chemical compounds The term Lambda represents a stoichiometric or chemically correct air fuel a f ratio of 14 7 unit weights of pure gasoline to 1 0 unit weights of air Catalytic converters operate most efficiently at Lambda because all of the gasoline and air inducted into an engine can theoretically be oxidized into water vapor and carbon dioxide it s still important to understand the basics of catalytic converter operation Lambda is determined by dividing the current a f ratio by 14 7 A rich 12 1 a f ratio therefore produces a Lambda number of 0 82 when 120 is divided by 14 7 A lean 16 1 a f ratio produces a Lambda of 1 09 when 16 0 is divided by 14 7 Lambda is maintained by modern closed loop fuel control systems using an upstream oxygen 02 or air fuel ratio AFR sensor to measure the oxygen content of the feed gases entering the catalytic converter The powertrain control module PCM uses that data to modulate a f ratio by changing the fuel injector opening time Remember that a false Lambda number can result if an exhaust leak exists ahead of the upstream oxygen sensor FEED GASES During the combustion process atoms of HC and N2 are oxidized by bonding with atoms of 02 The chemical symbols H and C indicate that hydrogen and carbon exist in their natural states as single atoms while 02 and N2 exist in their natural states as two atoms bon
4. includes application listings for all of our Direct fit Universal High Performance Diesel and Manifold lines as well as our new ECO Series ECO Il ECO Ill and ECO GM and our accessories line The catalog also incorporates an engine size conversion chart VIN Chart vehicle emissions labels and OBD II Oxygen sensor locator along with valuable information on converter basics diagnostics causes of converter failures selecting direct fit and universal converters EPA requirements and Eastern Catalytic s Limited Warranty and return policy
5. 987 to 2010 including hard to find units for Ford Honda Hyundai Infiniti Lexus Mercury Nissan and Toyota We ve boosted our R amp D efforts dramatically to bring more new parts to market Eastern Manifold Converters are designed and built to meet OE specs for exact fit and performance All post 96 manifold converters use Eastern s ECO advanced Series catalysts Our manifold converters come complete with gasket studs and nuts as required All of the converters are checked in special QC control fixtures after production to assure exact OE fit before final packaging Pa onf Eastern s new manifiold converter for 2001 05 Honda Civic 1 7L exe VTEC engine California here we come Eastern recently received several executive orders from CARB for converters in the State of California The first order D 665 was for our new Series 840100 three way catalytic converters TWC which can be used as converter replacements for selected 1996 2002 Honda Acura passengers PC equipped with on board diagnostics II 0BD Il systems Application coverage includes 1996 Accord EX 2 2 and 2 7 1996 Prelude Si 2 3 1997 Prelude and Prelude Type SH 2 2 1998 Prelude VETC and VTEC R 2 2 1998 9 Accord 2 3 1999 Accord 3 0 2000 01 Accord 2 3 2001 02 Accord 3 0 1997 Acura CL 3 0 and TL 3 2 and 1998 Acura CL 3 0 and Acura 1132 Two other orders cover GM Passenger cars D 665 2 and T1 certification trucks with one converter pr
6. FaAcTERA CATALYTIC www easterncatalytic com CONVERTER QUARTERLY 2151 Cabot Boulevard West Langhorne PA 19047 USA USA Canada Ph 800 553 7199 Fax 215 702 3606 Worldwide Ph 001 215 702 3600 Fax 001 215 702 3606 New ECO GM Cats keep CEL in the dark Our new ECO GM converters are just what shops need to handle MIL issues on specific GM vehicles and help keep the Check Engine Light off The new series has been developed specifically to meet the emissions challenges of GM 2 2 311 3 4 and 3 8L engines We ve engineered the catalyst with specially formulated precious metal and chemical content to meet the special requirements of these engines The new converters use a catalyst washcoat that is designed to maximize catalyst performance and oxygen storage capability The catalyst was developed by the same supplier that produced the original equipment You can get Eastern ECO GM catalytic converters in direct fit models for select GM applications and a 12 16 OAL universal configurations The ECO GM series is backed by Eastern s 5 year 50 000 mile warranty Your one stop shop for Also in this issue components Properly Diagnosing Failure Can Reduce Comebacks Boost Profitability With the exceptional availability and competitive pricing on its new components program Eastern is now your best source for Eastern 1 supplier of Manifold Converters flex pipes boss and plugs cowbells
7. about 78 nitrogen into their component parts of oxygen 02 and nitrogen N2 The oxidation stage uses some of the oxygen generated by the reduction stage to change lethal carbon monoxide CO to non toxic carbon dioxide C02 by adding an atom of oxygen Similarly the oxidation stage oxidizes hydrocarbons HC by adding two efficiency The math formula is also designed to filter false data When efficiency falls below a predetermined threshold a P0420 is stored in the PCM s diagnostic memory and the Malfunction Indicator Light MIL is turned on DIAGNOSTIC SUMMARY Catalytic converters can fail due to physical damage normal degradation contamination overheating internal disintegration and restriction in the substrate Physical damage should be an obvious reason for a DTC P0420 430 being stored in the diagnostic memory Normal degradation or wear on the other hand varies widely among different nameplates and applications Modern original equipment converters covered under an EPA warranty are built to last at least 8 years or 80 000 miles whichever occurs first This warranty has been extended to 10 years and 100 000 miles in some states like California Converters failing with a P0420 430 DTC under that warranty should be referred to an OE authorized dealer for warranty replacement While OE converters will degrade they are generally designed to last well beyond the normal EPA warranty period Aftermarket converters have
8. ded together The resulting combinations of HC CO NOx C02 and 02 entering the catalytic converter are called feed gases which are the source of atmospheric pollution Photo 1 Although this catalytic converter didn t set a P0420 DTC it accumulated enough contamination on the substrate to cause significant exhaust backpressure during a snap throttle test By Gary Goms Gary Goms is a former educator and shop owner who remains active in the aftermarket service industry Gary is an ASE certified Master Automobile Technician CMAT and has earned the L1 advanced engine performance certification He is also a graduate of Colorado State University and belongs to the Automotive Service Association ASA and the Society of Automotive Engineers SAE Article printed from ImportCar with permission of Babcox Publications CATALYTIC CHEMISTRY The function of the modern three way catalytic TWC converter is to convert the various compounds of HC 02 and N2 into more environmentally friendly gases To illustrate gasoline is a complex hydrocarbon compound in which atoms of hydrogen H are bonded in various forms with atoms of carbon C When a 14 aff ratio is oxidized within the confines of a combustion chamber the theoretical exhaust product should be pure carbon dioxide C02 water vapor H20 and nitrogen N2 In reality the microscopic layers of fuel HC touching the surfaces of the combustion chamber remain u
9. e OBD II D 665 2 According to Henry Hippert Executive Sales Director These new orders will add over 275 new SKUs to our program and result in several thousand California vehicle applications Eastern has made a substantial investment in engineering and R amp D to develop its California converter program and is currently testing and near completion on several other California vehicle applications Will the real California Cat please stand up When it comes to replacing a catalytic converter there seems to be a lot of concern and some confusion by shops across the country about the rules and regulations for installing a California converter versus non California converter To clarify this situation you need to understand that there are two regulating authorities at work here the California Air Resources Board CARB which covers California emissions and the EPA which addresses the remaining 49 states CA vehicles must meet CARB standards The State of California mandates that all catalytic converters both OEM and aftermarket must be certified to meet CA emissions On top of this 17 states have followed California s lead and require any new vehicle sold in those states to meet CA emissi ons However this only applies to new vehicles These states do not impose the same CA emission standards on aftermarket replacement converters The rest of the country abides by Federal emissions standards Vehicle labels identify emis
10. nburned Carbon monoxide CO is generally formed when an insufficient amount of oxygen is available to fully oxidize carbon and oxygen into carbon dioxide C02 CO might be also caused by an unequal distribution of fuel within the combustion chamber An engine produces nitrogen oxide emissions because our atmosphere is composed of about 78 nitrogen Under the high pressures and temperatures of the combustion process the normally chemically inert nitrogen gas bonds with oxygen to form nitrogen oxides or NOx THREE WAY CATALYTIC CONVERTER CONSTRUCTION Although construction can vary according to engine application the common three way catalytic converter TWC contains a reduction and oxidation stage To create maximum surface area each stage is generally a ceramic or stainless steel honeycomb substrate covered with a rough silica and alumina wash coat Both stages of the converter are coated with precious metal catalysts that accelerate chemical reactions without themselves being consumed The reduction catalyst generally includes platinum rhodium and cerium Cerium stores excess oxygen during periods of lean operation that can later be used to oxidize HC and CO during periods of rich operation The oxidation catalystis generally coated with platinum and palladium Throughout these simultaneous chemical processes the catalysts platinum rhodium palladium and cerium remain unchanged The reduction stage breaks nitr
11. ogen oxide molecules 2NOx atoms of hydrogen H to one atom of oxygen 0 which produces water vapor H20 THE CATALYST MONITOR All passenger car and light truck OBD Il emissions systems built since 1996 test the efficiency of the catalytic converter by running a catalyst test or monitor The catalyst monitor is a non continuous monitor which means the monitor runs only once during any single warm up cycle The cat monitor must meet a set of application specific driving conditions called enabling criteria before it can run The enabling criteria for a Honda product might include DTCs P0137 P0138 and P0141 not set cold engine start up completed and running in closed loop with vehicle speed at 40 55 mph for two minutes followed by a deceleration period to 35 mph at closed throttle See Photo 2 Fuel Control Status Photo 2 This scan tool graph of upstream and downstream oxygen sensor activity indicates that while the converter hasn t stored a DTC P0420 itis approaching the threshold of failure In general the downstream graph should not fluctuate in relation to the upstream graph Most professional scan tools indicate when the cat monitor is ready When the cat monitor begins the PCM performs a mathematical analysis of the difference between the upstream and downstream oxygen sensor inputs to determine converter An engine produces nitrogen oxide emissions because our atmosphere is composed of
12. shells heat shields and end caps Eastern Flex Pipes come in a wide range of Page 5 configurations including e outer braid inner and outer braid interlock and double Page 6 bellows style pipes The shell line includes both stainless steel and fully aluminized steel shells Our heat shields and end caps are all fully aluminized steel Complete listings descriptions and specifications are available in our new full line catalog Page 2 Page 5 California here we come Will the real California Cat please stand up New catalog delivers the whole enchilada Page 6 For your free subscription of Eastern Catalytic Converter Quarterly visit our website at WWW easterncatalytic com Properly Diagnosing FAILURE Can Reduce Comebacks Boost Profitability Ithough modern OBD II technology has simplified catalytic converter diagnostics it s still important to understand the basics of catalytic converter operation when dealing with a P0420 or P0430 diagnostic trouble code DTC DTCs P0420 P0430 indicate that catalyst efficiency is below predetermined thresholds on cylinder banks 1 and 2 respectively In the following text Ill explore the basics of catalytic converter chemistry and summarize how common catalytic converter failures can be diagnosed See Photo 1 LAMBDA NUMBERS Understanding Lambda is important because the catalytic converter neither creates nor destroys atoms Instead it simply
13. sions system To properly determine whether the vehicle has a CA or Federal converter you should check the vehicle s emissions system label which is usually found on the front radiator support the strut tower plate or under the engine hood So basically it means that a California registered vehicle can only be serviced with a California certified aftermarket converter These converters are available depending on coverage from either the OE dealer or a select group of aftermarket suppliers that are permitted to sell CA legal converters Eastern has recently joined that select group of manufacturers and is able to provide coverage for certain applications Converters approved for Federal EPA standards can be used to service vehicles in the remaining 49 states mi DAIMLER CHAYSLER DATE OF MFR NR rp AT 4360 2258 KG 05000 LB ms msa oD Fat pea Se Betas WAME MA OUD emn ad NEE oa ICABLE FEDERAL MOTOR VEIL SAFETY rien EO neu emitted SHO ve xoccxcnononoooa 1 PANEPOP VENCLEMADEINUSA TAME Typical label showing a Federal system VEHICLE EMISSION CONTROL INFORMATION CATALYST Typical label showing a California system Common vehicle emissions label locations are 1 On the front radiator support 2 On the strut tower plate 3 Under the hood New catalog delivers the whole enchilada Our new 352 page full line catalog is Eastern s largest and most comprehensive to date It
14. t the engine stalls or so mild that the driver barely notices a power loss during acceleration Remember too that a restricted converter may not store a P0420 430 DTC While other testing methods are effective the most definitive test for exhaust backpressure is to place an adaptor in the upstream oxygen sensor port and attach a low pressure gauge of at least 15 psi capacity At idle the pressure should be less than one psi During a snap throttle test the pressure generally shouldn t exceed 4 psi While the P0420 430 DTCs can occasionally be tough to diagnose you ll find yourself with fewer comebacks and greater profitability if you remember the basics of catalytic converter diagnostics Eastern 9 manufacturer of Manifold Converters Manifold converters are fast becoming one of the hottest parts in emissions service with more and more shops seeing new application needs every day That s why Eastern has made such a tremendous investment in its manifold converter business We ve boosted our R amp D efforts dramatically in order to bring more new parts to market sooner and continue our rapidly expanding coverage and availability especially for late model vehicles Eastern s new manifiold converter for 2001 06 Ford Escape Mazda Tribute 3 0L and 2005 07 Mercury Mariner 3 0L As the go to choice for manifold converters our coverage is second to none We offer thousands of applications for cars vans light trucks and SUVs from 1
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