[Douglasdzaster]

This is my wife’s car and I’m never in it unless it’s time for oil change etc. She drove my truck today so I could check out the car getting it ready for inspection and new tags this month. It seems everything went south since the last oil change. I noticed it idled bad right away and as I pulled it over to my shop when I hit the brakes I could here them and feel them. She never said a word. It threw a code P0420. Catalytic bank one. Did the same thing last year and I found some stuff called Cataclean. Fallowed the instructions and the code cleared itself and the car ran a lot better. I told her then we need to keep an eye on it. Now I’m also getting ignition timing advance for #1 cylinder. 9BTDC I thought I may have done something wrong today either with the scanner or some how when I checked the tensioner on the belt because I turned the tensioner by hand while holding it with a 14mm wrench. It didn’t want to turn the belts starting to fray. When it did turn so did the belt and out of the corner of my eye I saw the crank pulley turn as well. I’m Mr. DIY with a new scanner I’m still learning about and haven’t dealt with a timing issue in so long back then you popped the hood and turned the distributor by hand and hope it didn’t have a small crack in it because……well it doesn’t feel very good ask me how I know.
So I have to do a brake job. replace the belts and tensioner AND valve cover gaskets leaking now. Not to mention what I had planned on doing as far as maintenance.
So I broke down and went online to an ask an expert site and got ahold of a Ford mechanic to verify what I was thinking. Catalytic bank one and missing at idle. Evidently the #1 cylinder. He agreed catalytic converter is clogged. I don’t think I’ll get away with pouring something in the tank although it did work well last time. It should at $30 a pop. So it looks like I’m doing the catalytic converter change before it really messes up the engine. Sorry for the long rant but I’m almost finished up with my boat I’m rebuilding. Just have to finish wiring and get it wet. It’s took a year.
Anyway has anyone ever replaced the catalytic converter on a Focus? What do I have to look forward too? It seems all bolt on from the manifold with no welding but I could be wrong it’s happened twice before.
Thanks for reading my bad day and believe it or not there’s more. Lol

 

[pbfoot]

I haven't personally done one on this model. Consensus seems to be taking the wiper blades and cowl cover off and taking out the top. There are a few videos on YouTube but they skip alot of steps. Ford service manual has it coming out the bottom after pulling the subframe. Car will need to be at least 2 feet in the air and header/converter will need to be rotated to remove. Oof. Out the top it is.

 

[Douglasdzaster]

I haven't personally done one on this model. Consensus seems to be taking the wiper blades and cowl cover off and taking out the top. There are a few videos on YouTube but they skip alot of steps. Ford service manual has it coming out the bottom after pulling the subframe. Car will need to be at least 2 feet in the air and header/converter will need to be rotated to remove. Oof. Out the top it is.

Hey thanks for the reply. So far all the new ones I’ve looked at on line that are the complete assembly have bad reviews on things lining up some having to heat and manipulate parts of it. Even though the description says it’s all lined up.They say to do a mock up assembly and get all that done then install. I don’t mind drilling a hole for a heat shield but I’m to old to be standing on my head with an torch while trying to muscle the thing around. I’ve also been looking at the cheaper ones though. Not the $400 ones. I watched a few videos when the code came up last year and it was like you described removed from the top. I think I remember one guy removing an engine mount while supporting the engine from the bottom. I wish I could just unbolt the old converter piece and replace that but I think there’s a leak in the old exhaust. I’m complaining and it could be a bigger pain to do than it is. I better count my blessings. I’m trying to figure out why it started dropping rpms every few seconds while idling when I was playing with the OBDII Thinkcarpro I have. I says Ignition timing advance for #1 cylinder. I talked to a tech yesterday and he’s convinced it’s because of the catalytic being clogged and never addressed my scanner. I’m wondering if I threw off the crank position sensor or something. My wife told me last night it was not running like that before. If I can fix the miss I can drive the thing to town and get parts for the brakes etc. instead of waiting for my truck to get home. Another reason I’ve got to get all the repairs I listed yesterday done. I’ve got to get her out of my truck. She spreads brake pads. Thanks again for replying I appreciate it. I’m going back to see if I can figure out the #1 cylinder issue.

 

[WoodmanMN]

Hey thanks for the reply. So far all the new ones I’ve looked at on line that are the complete assembly have bad reviews on things lining up some having to heat and manipulate parts of it. Even though the description says it’s all lined up.They say to do a mock up assembly and get all that done then install. I don’t mind drilling a hole for a heat shield but I’m to old to be standing on my head with an torch while trying to muscle the thing around. I’ve also been looking at the cheaper ones though. Not the $400 ones. I watched a few videos when the code came up last year and it was like you described removed from the top. I think I remember one guy removing an engine mount while supporting the engine from the bottom. I wish I could just unbolt the old converter piece and replace that but I think there’s a leak in the old exhaust. I’m complaining and it could be a bigger pain to do than it is. I better count my blessings. I’m trying to figure out why it started dropping rpms every few seconds while idling when I was playing with the OBDII Thinkcarpro I have. I says Ignition timing advance for #1 cylinder. I talked to a tech yesterday and he’s convinced it’s because of the catalytic being clogged and never addressed my scanner. I’m wondering if I threw off the crank position sensor or something. My wife told me last night it was not running like that before. If I can fix the miss I can drive the thing to town and get parts for the brakes etc. instead of waiting for my truck to get home. Another reason I’ve got to get all the repairs I listed yesterday done. I’ve got to get her out of my truck. She spreads brake pads. Thanks again for replying I appreciate it. I’m going back to see if I can figure out the #1 cylinder issue.

As a DIY'er myself, I have to admit there are times it pays to just have a shop do the job in a couple of hours, well worth the money.

 

[Douglasdzaster]

As a DIY'er myself, I have to admit there are times it pays to just have a shop do the job in a couple of hours, well worth the money.

Like the first thing I did when I brought the old boat home I’ve been restoring. Put a ratchet on thermostat bolt and that sucker twisted right off in the aluminum head. I was sick to my stomach but I didn’t touch it and took it to a guy here in our small town that builds hot rods and is a retired machinist. It took him about a hour and a half to get it out so I wouldn’t be looking for a new head. Well worth the money sir!

 

[WoodmanMN]

Like the first thing I did when I brought the old boat home I’ve been restoring. Put a ratchet on thermostat bolt and that sucker twisted right off in the aluminum head. I was sick to my stomach but I didn’t touch it and took it to a guy here in our small town that builds hot rods and is a retired machinist. It took him about a hour and a half to get it out so I wouldn’t be looking for a new head. Well worth the money sir!

Yup. Brakes, Suspension, things like that I can normally do fairly easily. I leave transmissions to professionals, and unless most of the exhaust is already rusted away and easy to reach, I let them do that too. Alternators, belts, etc are usually okay, but if the car will be down a few days, I'm better off paying for it. Too old to be laying on the frozen ground to wiggle out rusty parts.

 

[Douglasdzaster]

Yup. Brakes, Suspension, things like that I can normally do fairly easily. I leave transmissions to professionals, and unless most of the exhaust is already rusted away and easy to reach, I let them do that too. Alternators, belts, etc are usually okay, but if the car will be down a few days, I'm better off paying for it. Too old to be laying on the frozen ground to wiggle out rusty parts.

Yep. I used to do it all. As far as the Focus goes I’ll go by the stuff and take it to the little shop we have here in town and pay them to do the oil change then drive it to Discount where I get the tires rotated free. It got to be a real pain to have to jack up the car before I could fit enough to do anything. Then remove all the shielding that’s in the way. My back was talking to me getting up and down so much. I still do everything to my truck. So far anyway. It’s a F150 3.5 Ecoboost and I love it but man it requires a lot of attention. It’s just a high maintenance vehicle. And I don’t go by the recommended service intervals. In stead of changing the oil once a year or 10,000 miles I use full synthetic and never go past 5k on the miles. And check it regularly. If I make a lot of short trips it won burn all the fuel it’s feeding itself and it dilutes the oil so I check to make sure it’s not going farther up the stick. Spark plugs are supposed to last 100k but these are spark plug eating machines. They last around 30k then the gap has opened up. To help though they like to work. So I’ll pull it out on the fm road about twice a month. Turn off traction control put it in sport mode get up to a little over 2,000 rpms and dump the brake with hammer down. Set it free for a good stretch and it help keep the system open , turbos and everything . My wife says I’m obsessed with it and the boat. I have three totes full of care products to keep my truck pretty which it’s hard because it’s shadow black with custom wheels. I ceramic coated it after 4 days of decontaminating and polishing the surface. And it really helps keep it clean. I keep an original California duster in it also and cut way down on me washing it as often. I like using the foam cannon on my pressure washer though. It’s once I start though I don’t stop until I’ve fully detailed it though. Lol: That’s enough said looks like my wife has me figured out. It’s time by my schedule anyway to change the transmission fluid and filter and I’m having a hard time not doing it myself. You have to pump the fluid in from underneath. There’s no filler or dipstick under the hood for it. But I’m having to draw lines the older I get. I still tackle things that I used to do and end taking 2 days instead of a few hours. I still have to build a greenhouse for my lovely wife. And she don’t want no throw together kit either . That was the deal I made for bringing the boat back to life I drug home out of a pasture.

 

[Cobranut]

The cat converter may indeed be bad, but a misfire is often the actual cause.
Also, a clogged converter won't usually cause idle problems, but shows up as power loss under hard acceleration and poor economy.

Replacing the cat without fixing the misfire will quickly damage the new cat.

 

[Douglasdzaster]

The cat converter may indeed be bad, but a misfire is often the actual cause.
Also, a clogged converter won't usually cause idle problems, but shows up as power loss under hard acceleration and poor economy.

Replacing the cat without fixing the misfire will quickly damage the new cat.

Thanks for the reply. The miss is gone. Probl is I don’t know what I did. I let my OBD2 Thinkcar pro do a couple of calibration but I also pulled the spark plug and looked at it in the number one cylinder and it looked like it’s been getting to hot l pulled the coil off of the 2nd and had oil in the well and on the boot. I got out all the oil I could sprayed just a little carb cleaner in it then blew it out with my compressor holding a rag over the hole. Worked pretty good getting the oil out, Then I pulled the plug and it looked ok gap wasn’t good on both plugs. Next time I started the car to do another diagnostic it didn’t miss. Still not putting it on the road Because of everything I found trying to get it ready for inspection. Now I let someone else do the last oil change and inspection of things but with all the miles when I started looking around it went down hill quickly.
before my wife gets it back I’m replacing front brake pads and rotors. The brake fluid looks awful so I’m replacing that. The rear shoes measured ok. Replacing the valve cover and gaskets. New coils, boots, and plugs. Flushing and replacing coolant. Oh when I removed the wheels to inspect and take measurements I had to drive a socket on every single lug nut. I have the tires rotated at the same place every time I change the oil. Why would they not tell me about the lug nuts. Good thing the car didn’t have a flat somewhere. So I ordered new lug nuts too.
Today I cleaned the engine getting it ready for surgery and a couple of boxes of Parts showed up. It was the valve cover and gaskets. I opened the other box and saw the word coil and there was four boxes I said good they’re here. I thought I’d look at one and opened a box. 4 boots so I opened another and more boots. I have 16 spark plug boots. Opps ! The rest of my parts are tracking to be here tomorrow and Tuesday. Wish me luck it’s been awhile since I’ve tackled so much and I was a lot younger. When I finish I’m going to see how it runs and hoping I won’t have to tackle the catalytic converter. Probably will but I can hope. Lol

 

[Douglasdzaster]

I actually started another post about this part but figured I’d ask here. When I changed the valve cover and gaskets I cleaned the engine off as carefully as I cold. No pressure washer but did rinse it some with a regular hose trying not to use to much water. I had all the electrical plastic wrapped.
When I removed the old cover there was dirt and grime everywhere. One spark plug well had oil in it the rest had a lot of debris. I can pull the dipstick even when it’s time to service and the oil looks new. It looked pretty bad in the top of the engine though. Also it had sit a couple of days after I cleaned it and there was a little rusty looking spot on one of the shafts. That tells me water got in it. The gaskets where shot alright.
I haven’t started it yet. Is there something I can do besides just changing the oil before starting? If not should I change oil and filter again after about 500 miles or so to hopefully get some of that nasty out?
Also I had forgotten about the wife calling me 6 months ago between work church and said it was over heated. I went to the church and found it low on coolant and one of the heater hoses had a drip. I replaced both of them and flushed and replaced with new coolant. I did think to check the spark plugs then. When I pulled them this time all 4 had been blistered it was obvious they had gotten hot.