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NW Washington | Sorry Rich, didn't mean to bum you out, but the catalytic converters are probably made by the same company. I have pasted in what a diesel catalytic converter is supposed to do. Also, the EPA emission rules for diesels are changing for 2007 which is kicked around farther down the page.
And getting behind a diesel pickup in stop and go traffic does really stink.
"Diesel Engines
For compression ignition (i.e., Diesel) engines, the most commonly used catalytic converter is the diesel oxidation catalyst. The catalyst uses excess O2 (oxygen) in the exhaust gas stream to oxidize CO (Carbon Monoxide) to CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) and HC (hydrocarbons) to H2O (water) and CO2. These converters often reach 90% effectiveness, virtually eliminating diesel odor and helping to reduce visible particulates (soot), however they are incapable of reducing NOx as chemical reactions always occur in the simplest possible way, and the existing O2 in the exhaust gas stream would react first.
To reduce NOx on a compression ignition engine it is necessary to change the exhaust gas - two main technologies are used for this - selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and NOx (NOx) traps (or NOx Adsorbers).
Another issue for diesel engines is particulate (soot). This can be controlled by a soot trap or Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF), as catalytic converters are unable to affect elemental carbon (however they will remove up to 90% of the soluble organic fraction). However, DPFs can clog and lose their effectiveness with time and use."
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