The Emissions Test

[P72Ford]

I apprecaite all the input guys. Here's what I've got:

I will take the EGR valve off tomorrow and clean it out, but I doubt it is clogged. I go WOT in my car alot... I have a serious lead foot. However, I'm willing to try it just to make sure.

I gave the car a comprehensive tuneup about 3000 miles ago. The PCV valve is new as well.

I checked the timing not that long ago, and it was dead on. The car runs like a top; very smooth. Its actually impressively smooth for the goofy VV carburetor.

I used Seafoam last fall, and it didn't make any difference. There was some plumes of white smoke, but not like some videos I see online. I followed the directions to a T...

As far as the cats go, I know they have to be about dead. The car has run rich at startup since I've owned it. I changed the O2 to no avail. I cleaned the choke rod and carb, and it was okay for awhile. It just loads up bad sometimes at startup. It clears up within a few minutes though. I can see particulates out the exhaust at times; I can only assume its pieces of catalytic converter, or soot deposits dumping out. That hasn't been prevalent lately though.

MrLTD: we can get a waiver if we spend $660 on repairs. But, that $660 has to be spent at a CERTIFIED emissions repair facility. If I could spend $660 and validate it myself, I'd just change the exhaust (headers, catted h pipe, etc). Unfortunately, CT is "gay" about this...

Zack: my Dad used to used to pour water down the carburetor prior to sending cars through emissions. He said it loosened the carbon desposits very well. He said you have to be careful how fast you pour (obviopously), and to keep the engine revved up.

Once again, thanks for all the suggestions. My plan is to get this passed by Friday, so that I can start on the 4bbl swap.

[gadget73]

water down the carb, water in a vac line, same difference. it also does the same job as seafoam through a vacuum line, but quite a bit cheaper. If the motor is clean inside though, its not going to do much since there won't be any garbage to loosen.

[P72Ford]

My engine is very clean inside, from what I've seen. Thast why I think I'll just look at the EGR, and clean it if necessary. Maybe some CRC Guaranteed to Pass, but I'm not sure yet.

[mrltd]

my wagon motor was SPOTLESS inside and I ran the living shit out of the lopo, however the EGR passeges were completely clogged shut. Car ran great, got good milage, etc. Just would not pass emissions. Scott and Thain should be able to attest to the condition of my lopo....it's in one of scotts car now.

Unless you have had the car since new and have been raggin it since new, it's a good possibility that it's clogged....

Damn, that sucks about the waiver crap....

[gadget73]

yeah it was clean inside, but the intake and the head ports were clogged solid with carbon on the egr passages. The actual intake runners were fine. I think the thermactor ports were clogged shut too.

[marquisman]

them passages are asking to get clogged too, not exactly big.

[86GmLsCoupe]

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My engine is very clean inside, from what I've seen. Thats why I think I'll just look at the EGR, and clean it if necessary. Maybe some CRC Guaranteed to Pass, but I'm not sure yet.

I was figuring that your car was in good shape from what you've said was done and your cardomain page. With what you said about the debris coming out of the exhaust, it's certainly possible the catalyst is dead in the cats. IIRC, someone just mentioned something about spraying WD-40 into the EGR vacuum regulator to get it unstuck. Did you check for any codes by any chance?

NJ wasn't to bad with my emissions repairs. They have their list of the MVC approved repair facilities, which they probably get some sort of kickback for listing. You can also simply do the repair, do 1 minute of paperwork and bring a copy of any receipts. You can be vague on the form as well, and just check off emissions-other/vacuum line repair so no receipts needed.

[Rodentkiller]

Bosh Platium tipped spark plugs are only for hotter ignition systems so if you have a stock electronic or braker point ignition system your car will run like crap and the opposite occurs with a car with a hot ignition system and standard spark plugs. Lord knows how many car I had to work on and change the spark plugs back to standard ones after the people paid $20.00 per plug and the car runs like crap, change em around and the car runs good.

[1987cp]

Funny! This must've been back in the early days of platinum plugs?

Good thing I successfully talked the AutoZone guy into giving me regular plugs for my Explorer cylinder heads. :p

[P72Ford]

Alrighty; I'm going back for a retest at 2:30 this afternoon. I removed the EGR valve yesterday, and it was spotless. I inspected the passage into the intake itself, and that was also very clean. Black, but no buildup whatsoever, as I suspected.

I hooked the EGR valve to the ported vac. source on the passenger's side of the carb, and still have the thermactor bypassed directly to the cats.

As far as checking codes; can you even do that on a carbed car?

Anyway, I swapped on my silenced air clean as well, as I'm not sure the independent PCV breather is a good choice. My da seems to think otherwise, and I figure it can't hurt.

I could also change the oil, but I'm not going to. My auto machinist told me that if the choke sticks and the car loads up (filling the crankcase with fuel) emiossions also go up. I only have like 700 miles on this change though, so I don't think that is going to be a factor. besides, it hasn't really loaded up in a while, fortunately.

I also avoided the "Guaranteed to pass", heeding the advice of my parts man.

[mrltd]

If the car didn't change the way it was running when you plugged the EGR in like that, the passages are clogged or the EGR is bad.

[P72Ford]

Hmmmmm... did I pass; no, I didn't pass...

I was taking my car for a ride to get it warmed up, when I turned off onto a back road. I floored it, and the car ervved to like 3000, and then the ignition started to break up. Mind you, I was on my way to the meissions test station. At first I though it was the methanol, but I only had 20% by volume in the tank. So I backed out of the gas, and the engine just fell on its face. Its stopped wanting to go, and it started to stumble hard. Then it cleared up, and I stpped on the gas again (not hard), and the car just died. With it rolling down the road I put it in neutral, and tried to start it. Nothing doing. Finally, as I rolled to a stop, I got it going. I didn't get 300 ft down the road, and it died again.

I got out, putzed around and found I had no spark. So I took the cap and rotor off, and looked in the distributor. Everything was fine. I made sure all the wires were on and everything. Tried to start it, and nothing. I bumped the engine over a few times, again verifying I had no spark. I called my Dad and told him to bring the wrecker.

Then I looked back in the distributor, and jiggled the wires going to the pick up coil. I put everything back on, and it started, stumbline bad again. I started away, and went about 5 miles, and it died again. I did the same trick, and it started again. It died 300 ft later.

My Dad picked the car up, and we took it to the shop. We had a bunch of distributors to choose from, but all of them had some issue. One the wires were burned on, one had broken bolts for the advance, and one had an inoperable advance, which was sure to break if we tried to remove it. So I went to get a new pick up coil. I got the wrong one and had to go back. We took the old dist apart, and broke off the bolts for the advance. So, I called my parts guy and ordered a distributor: $57.

So we hadge podged a dist back together, and put it in the car. Get everything hooked up, and it turns right over and starts. The timing was a little off. I get in the car, and my tach isn't working, and the alternator is dead. Usually it starts charging if you rev it up a little; not today.

What gives? Sometimes this car really gets under my skin. No emissions test today, and probably not until Friday. If it fails, that'll throw off the 4 bbl swap, which I've lost interest in at this point anyway. I hate when shit gets fucked up.

[mrltd]

Old cars are fun eh?

[Brown_Muscle]

Damn man thats sucks. Just sit on it for a few days and clear your head, doing something else always helps me. How many miles does the engine have on it again? Just my 2 cents

[P72Ford]

125K on the car/ engine.

Yeah, old cars are fun. Usually I like to do these projects, but not when they are diverting my attention from other priorities, like school.