2002 Ford Escape FUEL PRESSURE

This may help you and it may not. First of all, run the engine at night and see if either the front or rear exhaust manifold glows red.

Each exhaust manifold has a 4 inch by 6 inch "flash off converter". These are filled with a steel wool like substance. I had one blow the guts out of it downstream and plug off the inlet to the primary catalitic converter. You can unbolt the inlet side of your catalitic converter, look into it with a flashlight, and see if the engine runs better with it open. Looking into the inlet of the primary catalitic converter, you should see only a ceramic honeycomb.