Rick,
My old Healey has a 1/4" asbestos type heat shield attached to the floor
above the muffler. You need something like this or a more elaborate
metal heat shield. Even with the engine in perfect tune the cat-con will
get very hot.
Dave Russell
Chris K. wrote:
> Rick -
>
> Someone else suspected the mixture/timing. What you'd be looking for is
> mixture too rich or timing too late. Either one will leave unburned
> fuel in the exhaust stream, which the catalytic converter will happily
> combust (that's how a catcon gets rid of unburned hydrocarbons...). As
> you might guess, this creates copious amounts of heat. I've seen them
> glow better than red-hot.
>
> Chris K.
>
> Rick Reineman wrote:
>
>> Just picked up a 1978 Spitfire that the previous owner had put headers
>> on. That moved the catalytic converter farther down the pipe just
>> under the transmission cover (it's a California car). The factory
>> solution was to put the Cat right under the exhaust manifold.
>>
>> I had to have the thing smog checked. Since the new laws in this
>> (f'ing) state require a dynamo test the car was running in place at
>> around 35mph for some time. The catalytic converter got so hot it
>> ignited the carpet that's over the transmission cover.
>>
>> I can get new carpet and the smog guys will help pay, that's not the
>> problem. My question for the list is if there is some sort of
>> commercial solution available? Or are there lessons learned out there
>> (besides don't live in Calif.) that will save me from learning them
>> the hard way myself. The flaming Spitfire was a lesson I could have
>> lived without.
>>
>> I had intended to take it to a local muffler shop and talk to them
>> about heat shields, better muffler etc. Thought I'd give the
>> newsgroup a shot first though. Thanks in advance for replies.
>>
>> Rick
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