Could a clogged cat damage brand new coils and plugs over a short period of time?

 

More of the other way around, but I don't see why not. Backflow sucks, either way. Being able to move as much exhaust out of the engine is the exhausts function, along with heat. So, if it's backing up I could see it as an issue.

 

True, I was thinking flooding the engine might damage the plugs more

 

No. It shouldn't damage the motor either, but it will make it harder for it to "breathe". Imagine trying to breathe through a straw with a piece of paper stuck in it.

The only damage that should come from this is thermal shock on the exhaust pipe around the catalytic converter (you might see cracks/ballooning in that area).

 

Yeah I replaced my oem with an aftermarket one then after a while I was suspicious and pulled it and sure as hell was rattling when I shook it. Took my oem gutted it and now I have peace of mind.

 

Would checking the ohms be the best way of checking?

 

OK I'll get one of those. How accurate is the spark plug tester? The one that you plug in between the coil and the plug

 

A proper plug tester works well.....it will have a large gap that is much harder for the charge to jump than the plug gap. If you get a strong spark with that your coil is OK

 

Strong bright spark?

 

Thanks for the info guys. Currently I have a stuck open ssv. Weird thing is that I cleaned it a few weeks before the CEL. Before and after cleaning it I still have power loss between 3k and 5k. I can feel a boost in power right after 5k which tells me it's not operating right

 

And the problem with a timing light is there is no way to tell spark quality either. They both take some interpretation. Both work well if the coil is dead though 😎

 

Don't forget about this either.