To remove converter or not?

[Roger Zimmermann]

Bruce, what do you mean by this? That the pellets would blow through the exhaust into the muffler? Once the plug is out, what is the best way to drain the pellets effectively?

I did it once. I removed the cover and let the engine run. All pellets went out; unfortunately, I had a plastic container to catch the pellets which were hot...No good for the container!
There must be a screen at each end of the converter to avoid the pellets to escape. No big deal.

[TJ Hopland]

Seems like I remember seeing pictures of the service tool and it looked like a vacuum cleaner or maybe a vacuum attachment.    I would imagine you were to service it cold but have never really paid close attention.   

I kinda remember that flag thing on our families 76 Pontiac which was about the only car I remember that we got new.   Everything after that had more than 50k on it by the time we got it.