Can backfires kill the o2 sensor?

[bhazard]

I ask because ever since that whole incident with the corrosion in the distributor cap causing the missing and backfiring, Ive had an intermittent problem with power loss in high gears, mainly 4th and 5th at highway speeds. A lot of times if Im in 5th cruising at 55 and I give it gas to accellerate, the car just gets noisier, I dont actually accelerate. At first I thought it was the loss of backpressure from the muffler no longer existing but once in a while the power comes back.

I have no CEL, but I dont think the bulb is bad either, sometimes when I ground the test wire to check timing it starts blinking.

Anyone ever have this problem?

[festivaWES]

i don't believe they can. but I'd check that light out on the back of the cluster and look up the codes at least!

[FestYboy]

having the issues you describe can be due to a clogged cat. the poor running condition of the car before can cause cat damage (it will melt). if this is not addressed, the problems will persist and get worse (to the point that you are limited to 20 mph). you "could" airate the cat, but you didn't hear that from me.

[bhazard]

Cat is not the problem, as there is no cat. It was replaced by a pipe by a previous owner.

[jglutz]

Don't be mis-lead....engines hate backpressure...the less pressure the better.
O2 sensors....some of them...are scaled for a level of pressure.
A blocked cat can cause some of the symptons you have but not intermitent.
A block cat can usually be detect while driving up a hill...a total lack of power.
I would believe our problem is more the internal pulse pick up inside the distributor. You said the rotor and cap where corroded...I would summize that what ever got to the rotor and cap got to the pulse pick up. If I remember correctly...i think we had some post a while back pertaining to this.

[FestYboy]

5 words: Brake clean is your friend... Joe's right, clean out your distro.

[drof 89]

Cat is not the problem, as there is no cat. It was replaced by a pipe by a previous owner.

You can run catless in Ohio? Do you have yearly state inspections? I tryed running a guttless cat and a 12in. glass pack with the exhaust pipe dumping out in front of the rear wheel on my Samurai. Between shifts, down shifting and backing off for a corner the thing backfired heavy all the time. I put a cat back on it and it stopped with no damage to the O2 sensor. I guess you need a certain amount of back pressure on a stock engine? I don't know. Worked for me.

[FB71]

I ask because ever since that whole incident with the corrosion in the distributor cap causing the missing and backfiring, Ive had an intermittent problem with power loss in high gears, mainly 4th and 5th at highway speeds. A lot of times if Im in 5th cruising at 55 and I give it gas to accellerate, the car just gets noisier, I dont actually accelerate. At first I thought it was the loss of backpressure from the muffler no longer existing but once in a while the power comes back.

I have no CEL, but I dont think the bulb is bad either, sometimes when I ground the test wire to check timing it starts blinking.

Anyone ever have this problem?

no, backfire will not hurt the O2. Not sure what is causing your issues, though.

[FFesti_90]

You can run catless in Ohio? Do you have yearly state inspections? I tryed running a guttless cat and a 12in. glass pack with the exhaust pipe dumping out in front of the rear wheel on my Samurai. Between shifts, down shifting and backing off for a corner the thing backfired heavy all the time. I put a cat back on it and it stopped with no damage to the O2 sensor. I guess you need a certain amount of back pressure on a stock engine? I don't know. Worked for me.

They check for cat's in a stupid manner here. Instead of actually running the engine and diagnostics and what-not to figure it out, they just shove a mirror under the car to see if there is a cat on the exhaust. SO essentially you could take a cat gut it and just slap the shell around your exhaust pipe and pass inspection.

I heard this from my friends uncle who does these inspections.

Kinda dumb if you ask me.

[bhazard]

No inspections out here at all.

Oh and credits to joe, brake clean seems to at least taken care of most of the problem.

Thanks guys.

[Pu241]

. SO essentially you could take a cat gut it and just slap the shell around your exhaust pipe and pass inspection.

Now that's pure genius, I must say!
And to think some people here have gone to the trouble of unbolting the cat gutting it and bolting it back up to look factory.
What were they thinking, when it is so much simpler to do what you're saying.