1997 Sportage, 4x4, auto. Car is experiencing a loss of power. Engine runs good, has new plugs, coils, wires, and coil feed cable. No transmission slippage or other tranny problems. Just very little power. Will barely go up a long hill near my house when it has always gone up this hill with ease. Acts like it has a back pressure problem, but there seems to be plenty of exhaust coming out of the tailpipe. My obd tester has apparently quit as I cannot retrieve any codes. Check engine light is on, although I may have created this when I disconnected the MAF sensor to see if it would make any difference (it did not). As usual, you insights will be appreciated.

Not experienced this with mine but from previous threads here, this looks very much like a clogged catalytic. Then I'd proceed to a disconnect and test a bit of extra noise

....you know, the exhaust CANNOT accumulate...ALL the exhaust will eventually go out, otherwise the engine would not run at all....but getting it out with a restriction will require more (back) pressure (thus restricting the intake) , which is precisely what you said ..
There might be a second explanation..but probably not as impairing as what you describe. Knock sensor failure would set a default mode that retards spark...hence less power, but the clogged catalytic is my best guess.

Here's even another hint from "brettclancy" on another forum:
"I removed the #1 converter only to find it mostly empty. Seems the guts of the cat have crumbled and collected in the exhaust pipe between the #1 and #2 cats. "

Your 97 only has 1 catastrophic converter. It sounds like either that or you have slipped some teeth or have a broken/wallowed out key/keyway on the crankshaft for the timing belt gear.
Keep us posted on what you find.

Everet <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/patriot.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

everet is right: slipped timing belt is a common issue...that slipped my mind.. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

It was the cat. As I cannot read the codes in that car for some reason, I was reduced to guessing. I guessed fuel pump. I was wrong. Where I live (Pacific island) there are lots of folks below the poverty line. No money is spent on parts that can be avoided. The mechanic I eventually took it to just cut it off and put a straight pipe in without asking me. Anybody who would buy a cat when you can do without it would be regarded as a fool here. Oh, well, there is zero air pollution here, with or without cats. Is not having a cat going to be harmful to the engine? If it's going to cause problems I will go ahead and buy one.

I ran mine without cats for quite a while with no problems. Some have said there is a loss of low end power on the automatics but I've got a manual transmission and it felt like it had a little more power to me.

I agree. With the new fuel pump and filter and no cat, car jumps like a jackrabbit.