Hi guys, ok first off, my check engine had popped, found that my spark plugs in need of replacing, while pulling the plugs noticed coolant on top of the plugs. Pulled the plugs and thought was spraying brake parts cleaner but turns out it was carb cleaner, too late to fix that now. The coolant did get into the cylinder heads. The coolant had come from what seems like a leaking temperature sending unit on the intake.
Installed the new plugs and before the car was misfiring, now it will barely idle like the exhaust system is plugged. I got up under the car as it was smoking. Low and behold the passenger side Cat converter was cherry red as was some type of other part before the cat was cherry red. Shut the car down right away.
Did some researching and everything points to a plugged converter, the only thing I can come up with is, when I sprayed the carb cleaner to help dry out the cylinder holes, could I have cleaned the buildup on the valves themselves and that is what plugged the converter? Or was it the coolant that drained into the holes that has caused this. I let the vehicle sit over night and ran it for an hour, when you hit the gas it bogs out real bad and it still is missing but the converter did not turn red on me. I tried to drive it but it stalled and still runs like crap. Keep in mind that this has never happened before I changed the plugs, the car has 104 k in miles plugs never have been changed. It is a 1998 Mustang GT 2V.
The main question is this, I did some price shopping and on my exhaust I have the header, that goes to a mini cat, I do not know the name of it, then goes to the Cat, then to another "mini cat", then to the mufflers. Looked at some exhaust systems and do not see anywhere these "mini cats". Do I need them, as I only plan on replacing the passenger side cat, as it was the only that turned red. Can a muffler place just cut the cat only out and change that leaving the "mini cats" in place?
Sorry about the long writeup, just wanted you to know all the facts.
Signed, Broke Down in Texas