One for the motorheads. Exactly how does lead ruin a cat converter?

they just get plugged up, excess gas does the same thing, you usually cant fix them

The converter is filled with thin plates of specialized (and expensive) alloys that remove the particulates and hydrocarbons from the exhaust with intense heat. The lead molecule ruins the plates because it doesn't 'burn' and stops up the converter.

They cannot be repaired, only replaced.

Not to worry -- unless someone poured some aviation fuel in your car you won't have lead.

cat converters contain a catalyst which is used to reduce the toxicity of emissions from the engine.

the lead coats the Catalyst so it does not work,

Depending on the contaminant, catalyst poisoning can sometimes be reversed by running the engine under a very heavy load for an extended period of time. The increased exhaust temperature can sometimes liquefy or sublimate the contaminant, removing it from the catalytic surface. However, removal of lead deposits in this manner is usually not possible due to leads high boiling point.

The catalyst is platium. At operating temperatures the deposited lead will alloy,

(amalgamate with), with the platinum and destroy it's 'catalytic' capability.

It might be possible to drive off the lead by raising the temperture high enough to

drive it off, in a stream of inert or moderately oxidizing gas, but I don't believe it's

a practical process.

The platinum is usually recovered and re-refined.

in some of the cats you have pellets and some has stuff that looks like honeycone and using leaded gas can ruin catalyst inside and plug it up.the only way to fix it is get a new cat.

The motorheads, the motorheads, it's the worst band since the electric guitar

It breaks down the honey comb fibers that are inside of the cat converter and when the fibers expand or separate and it will plug off the air flow

The motorheads the motorheads, it's the worst band since the toothbrush

the lead particales atch them saves to the particales inside your cat and plugs it colsed call it a cemical problem

with unleaded gas they are only good for 45,000 miles ......leaded gas cuts that to about 10,000.......

and no there isn't a way to reverse it........

cat is made up of ceramic with screens of metal holding it into place......basically the porous ceramic absorbs the excess carbon that isn't burned in the combustion chamber......

** yes there are other elements in cat (like platinum) but that is a basic description

@ joshua lead has a low boiling point....but there is no way to remove it since when it is liquefied it just burrows deeper into the ceramic...