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  #1  
Old 06-17-2004, 10:39 PM
unkl300d's Avatar
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Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: San Francisco, Ca
Posts: 2,468
Angry W126 smelly problemo-'road kill'

Hey members, last month my W126 1989 300SE tangled with some bubble wrap on the road and the wrap clung on for dear life.
Yes, it stuck to the exhaust pipes.

I scraped and pried most of the big stuff off but there remains
a layer of melted plastic on the catylitic converter.

The worst possible scenario.

After the car is operated, the residue heats up to a point where it stinks but does not burn off.

My only idea so far is to get a propane torch and gently heat it to melt the crud off. Of course playing it safe.
However, I suspect that direct heat on the cat converter will probably damage it. (bottom surface has the plastic crud).

Anybody care to offer advise?

Thanks!!

Denis

__________________
1979 300D 220 K miles
1995 C280 109 K miles
1992 Cadillac Eldorado Touring Coupe 57K miles SOLD
********************
1979 240D 140Kmiles (bought for parents) *SOLD.
SAN FRANCISCO/(*San Diego)
1989 300SE 148 K miles *SOLD
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  #2  
Old 06-18-2004, 03:56 AM
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Location: oregon
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I'd try sanding it off either by hand or with a disk sander , as the heat sheild under the cat is aluminum it disperes heat rapidly.........

William Rogers..........
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  #3  
Old 06-18-2004, 01:48 PM
unkl300d's Avatar
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Disk sander sounds the way to go. By hand goes nowhere. I tried.

Will direct heat from a propane torch harm the cat converter??

Thanks for your opinion.
__________________
1979 300D 220 K miles
1995 C280 109 K miles
1992 Cadillac Eldorado Touring Coupe 57K miles SOLD
********************
1979 240D 140Kmiles (bought for parents) *SOLD.
SAN FRANCISCO/(*San Diego)
1989 300SE 148 K miles *SOLD
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  #4  
Old 06-18-2004, 02:21 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Santa Monica, CA
Posts: 2,053
Catalytic converters run very hot normally (remember the "do not park on tall grass" warnings), so I would not imagine a propane torch would harm it. I'd be more worried about adjacent undercoating, hangers, etc., catching fire. Be judicious if you go that route.

A word of encouragement. My darling wife ran over some plastic mesh/wrap in her Toyota, when it was new, and it fused to the converter. I couldn't remove it. I scraped off what I could and two weeks later it had "cooked" off, leaving only a brownish stain on the converter shell. It didn't smell too great for a week or two, but it returned to like new in just a short time.
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1984 300SD (bought new, sold it in 1988, bought it back 13 yrs. later)
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  #5  
Old 06-18-2004, 04:56 PM
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Chadds Ford, PA
Posts: 82
I think that the plastic residue on the cat will burn off within a few weeks of normal driving.

-George
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'81 300TD (White) 225,000 miles
'85 300SD (Burgandy) 239,000 miles
'86 300SDL (Silver) 340,000 miles
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  #6  
Old 06-19-2004, 01:17 AM
unkl300d's Avatar
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Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: San Francisco, Ca
Posts: 2,468
OK Thanks guys, it has lasted for several weeks but I need to put more miles on it.

I'll try more scrape/sand and let nature do the rest.

Thanks again!!!!!

__________________
1979 300D 220 K miles
1995 C280 109 K miles
1992 Cadillac Eldorado Touring Coupe 57K miles SOLD
********************
1979 240D 140Kmiles (bought for parents) *SOLD.
SAN FRANCISCO/(*San Diego)
1989 300SE 148 K miles *SOLD
Reply With Quote
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