I had a less busy weekend recently and as I usually do, I passed it around in a place where various artisans ply their trade, mechanics Kazeems inclusive. That weekend, I saw something that directly inspired today’s article.
What’s the logic of stuffing catalytic converter cases with wire mesh, after the precious metals have been extracted and all that remains is a ‘mighty’ hollow?
The Kazeem I asked this question was ‘caught in the act’ and replied that it was a way of ‘fooling the vehicle’ that a catalytic converter was still there.
I didn’t understand what he meant but unfortunately, I was a ‘nuisance’ upon further probe, getting no answer.
Defeated in Kazeemland, I’ve resulted in answering my own rhetorical question today.
So, what’s the point of weaving a mighty mesh into the case of a missing or stolen catalytic converter? Are there any benefits to this or it’s simply a case of ‘doing things for doing sake?’
Article Outline
What Is a Catalytic Converter?
A catalytic converter is a honeycomb of meshes, fitted into the exhaust system of all modern vehicles with internal combustion engines. A catalytic converter aims to change the harmful gases emitted from an engine into safe gases, usually, steam and water.
To achieve this ‘catalytic change’, a catalytic converter is made of majorly precious metals: platinum, palladium, and rhodium – which after working on these harmful exhaust gases, turns them into less harmful gases.
This is purely an emission affair and has nothing to do with fuel economy, as tauted by some folks. The function of a catalytic converter remains the conversion of harmful gases to less harmful output, simple and short.
It’s a response to regulations by car manufacturers in targeting an overall, cleaner and safer earth.
However, the precious metals that make up the honeycomb of the catalytic converter make them attractive to thieves who steal as much as just under 30,000 units, in the US alone, in a year!
With that much theft happening in the US where security is better than in most developing countries, it doesn’t take genius to figure out that the issue of catalytic converter theft is something much more serious than a passing issue.
It turns out, the catalytic converter is grossly misunderstood, with many, including vehicle owners and so-called mechanics, clueless about what it actually does.
What a Catalytic Converter Is Not
Many vehicle owners and their mechanics Kazeems wrongly believe that a catalytic converter is a fuel-saving appendage – as earlier stated. However, that’s just the tip of the iceberg: many actually believe that the converter (or converters, as the case may be) does magic.
This is how it works…
…upon discovering that their catalytic converters have been stolen (or missing, to use a mild word), what most car owners do, aided by their mechanics, is to input a thick, long, mesh of wire into the exhaust port, around the area where the catalytic converter was housed.
The billion-dollar question is and remains: to what end?
Stuffing Catalytic Converter Cases with Mesh
Seeing that the original catalytic converters are designed in meshlike form and indeed look like a mesh, most vehicle owners simply understand that anything that will withstand the heat of the exhaust system and importantly, looks like a wire mesh will do the job of a catalytic converter (in the sad event of loss of their original options).
This is the theory and basic ‘logic’ behind stuffing wire mesh into catalytic converter ports.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t work and instead, causes more harm than good. This is why.
Why Stuffing Wire Mesh Doesn’t Work
The original design of a catalytic converter is done with the thought that exhaust gases will need to flow through it. As thick and as dense as it is, exhaust gases have no challenge going through it whatsoever.
Wire mesh on the other hand?
What it does is simple: it simply blocks the exhaust gases from flowing through the exhaust pipes, essentially choking the engine.
When the above happens, a vehicle struggles to gain power, is at risk of overheating, strange noises become a ‘normal’ part of their operation and ultimately MPGs suffer, severely.
If this is sustained and not immediately rectified, the excessive pressure buildup in the combustion chambers can easily lead to cracks in the engine block, broken connecting rods, and other dear engine components, as a direct result of the uncontrollable heat and pressure that instead of channeling its way out, now comes back to the engine.
So, what should you do if your catalytic converters are stolen?
What You Should Do If Your Catalytic Converters Ever Go Missing
If your catalytic converters go missing for any reason in the world here are your options:
First and most importantly, simply replace them. This is the best route and it’s the one I recommend. Nothing beats it and a vehicle that has stolen cats replaced should function as normal again, assuming other components were not compromised in the theft.
Secondly, run a straight pipe and ignore the cats. This IS NOT RECOMMENDED – but it’s still leagues better than stuffing wire mesh into the system. The only issue here would be the CEL, illuminating and of course, the extra pollution to the environment.
Finally, there’s another alternative: leave the catalytic converter ports open (and without any mesh) and plug the O2 port with a cat spacer to cancel the CEL; issue sorted – at least, at your level.
It’s important to note that a cat case should have nothing in it than a catalytic converter; not wire mesh, not anything.
That said, it’s always best to replace your cats when they go missing – if you can. If that’s not an option, then, the other two options could be considered but by no means should wire mesh or any sort of blockage feature.