Red hot catalytic convertor after valve cover gasket job on pass side

tx94sc

Registered User
I just got done doing a passenger side valve cover gasket replacement, new plugs, new wires. job on my 94 sc auto

i put gasket maker onto the supercharger top mating surface ( just a little ) and into the coupler for the top intercooler tube to make sure they sealed up well going back together.
my car now will barely start i have to play with gas pedal while cranking to get it to start, for a little while i have to feather the pedal then itll idle roughly by itself at about 600 rpm. at 1k rpm i have about 14 inches of vacuum on the dash gauge. the passenger side cat gets red hot on top where its pinched together. ive already checked and made sure my plug wires are installed correctly, i just dont know what to do next.

o and btw i have basicly no power at any rpm, it can barely limp to my mailbox

Any and all help will be greatly appreciated thanks.
 
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Sounds like a massive vacuum leak to me. Re-check all of your IC tube connections, vacuum lines, etc. to make sure none of them are broken or cracked or connected properly.
 
Check your plug wires again. Given what you did, it barely running, and the glowing cat, it about has to be that.

Thomas
 
I just got done doing a passenger side valve cover gasket replacement, new plugs, new wires. job on my 94 sc auto

i put gasket maker onto the supercharger top mating surface ( just a little ) and into the coupler for the top intercooler tube to make sure they sealed up well going back together.
my car now will barely start i have to play with gas pedal while cranking to get it to start, for a little while i have to feather the pedal then itll idle roughly by itself at about 600 rpm. at 1k rpm i have about 14 inches of vacuum on the dash gauge. the passenger side cat gets red hot on top where its pinched together. ive already checked and made sure my plug wires are installed correctly, i just dont know what to do next.

o and btw i have basicly no power at any rpm, it can barely limp to my mailbox

Any and all help will be greatly appreciated thanks.

Yeah, I third that. If you have a couple of plug wires backwards, easy to do, you could be dumping raw fuel into that converter, causing it to get red hot and will eventually melt the convertor.
 
Yeah it sounds like a bad vacuum leak. I don't know what you used to seal the top and IC tubes, but I strongly suggest redoing the job with High Temp Permatex Copper RTV (orange stuff).

David
 
I had this happen to me. Checked the firing order and found the problem, crossed wires then had to replace catalytic converter Because it sounded like someone was shaking a paint can when the car was idling. hope this helps
 
Could have a vac leak, but the red hot cat indicates raw fuel being dumped into the exhaust and is being burned in the cat... not good. This is likely due to having the spark plugs screwed up so that one cylinder is not firing and is dumping raw fuel.

Check the plug wires. When that's fixed. Then see if it idles properly. If not, you have a vac leak.
 
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