Re: Clogged cat?

["mlcmlcmlc" <mlcmlc@enter.net>]

Hi Whitson,
Diesels produce the same nasties that all gasoline engines make, with the
addition of "sticky" particulate matter. (Those nice wonderful plumes)!! The
obvious problem has been to make a catalytic converter system that can deal
with the particulates (not get clogged). That has been a challenge for the
catalyst companies for quite some time. I think it is also why (until very
recently) diesels have always been exempt from alot of the scrutiny the
normal gas powered stuff has had to abide by...they couldn't be made cleaner
with any longevity.

This long standing problem has recently been solved by the design of what
are termed regenerating particulate traps.  The company I work for is based
in England and they are making these types of systems to be retro fitted to
all buses and large trucks over there, regardless of the age of the vehicle.
I bet our Mr. Phil P. probably knows about this.

I know that if the traps / catalysts can be made to work on an old
disgusting spewing bus, your modern hi tech direct injection VW diesel has
to be a piece of cake.  I'm sure it will not plug. I'm not familiar enough
to know for sure the catalyst layout on your VW, but I'd bet with the
factory.  I would leave it alone, I'm sure the amount of development that
went into your car was considerable...The durability tests the emission
components must meet is strenuous.

I would usually believe that a clogged catalyst is more a result of a poorly
running vehicle. If a gasoline powered car's putting out "particulates",
you gottem big problem !!! (someone from an earlier post I thought I read
mentioned this).

Whitson you better like your car, I imagine it's gonna run a LONG time !
Joel Stetina in PA

.

-----Original Message-----
From: Whitson <whitson2@gte.net>
To: mlcmlcmlc <mlcmlc@enter.net>
Date: Monday, February 01, 1999 12:08 PM
Subject: Re: Clogged cat?


>mlcmlcmlc wrote:
>>
>> Hi Huw,
>> The catalytic converter certainly does reduce CO. I work in R & D of a
large
>> company that designs and manufactures catalyts. The CO reduction we see
is
>> about 99.8 % removal when averaged thru all the phases of the test.
(This
>> is reducing  percent level CO emissions to less than a hundred ppm). BTW,
>> once heated after starting, well made catalysts will actually remove 100
%
>> of the CO an engine makes during regular driving modes.
>>
>> But they certainly don't make your turbo very happy...or make you fast.
>>
>> Joel Stetina  91 200tqa,87tq,  79 323i (No Cat, PERIOD).
>
>
>Hello Joel,
>
>  Since you work with catalysts, why are cats put on the VW TDI's ?
>Why put one on a dieles at all ? Very curious as I would like to
>remove it if it isn't needed. What are the chances that it gets
>clogged ?
>
>--
>Whitson
>'86 4KCSQ
>