Emissions testing

[jaybird]

Okay. I'm tired. I gave it my best shot, have been fighting and arguing with the state of IL for a couple weeks or so now.

Emma has to get inspected. Would be exempt if we had antique plates on her. The wording is "...if qualifies for..." -- and she does qualify, she just doesn't HAVE antique plates. And I used that little opening and argued my way to the highest supervisor I could talk to at IL's Secretary of State office in Springfield.

I give. And I don't give very often.

Now. What??? I would bet she won't pass. It's just the 'sniffer test' where they put the hose or whatever in her tailpipe. IF she fails, then they start inspecting everything. Her smogjunk is off, long gone before I got her.

Tricks to help her pass? I've heard running a tank of Seafoam through and then adding more right before the inspection. I've also heard adding ethanol?

Got some tips? I have to do this by December 31st.

 

[tony barnhill]

Run some gas treatment through her...get her warm & don't turn her off after she's warm until she's been inspected

 

[jaybird]

Just any sort of gas treatment Tony? And are we talking 'run a tankful through her' or half tank?

 

[tony barnhill]

Janel - I've been told to use the Chevron stuff for a few tanks...oh, I'd probably run a few tanks of 93-octane in her also

...but, I'm just going by what I've heard - we don't need no stinkin' emissions tests in Alabama!

 

[jaybird]

Dude, I don't think I have time to run a few tanks through her before the 31st. Maybe one tank.

((suppose I should have worried about this WHILE I was arguing with the state, right?))

 

[Stewart]

I would highly sugest you install a good loud speaker under the hood and a fan in the muffler and take then take it in. Should pass with flying colors /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Stewart]

If you can't drive out the old gas you can always drain the tank and put fresh in. Set the carb up so its nice and lean and make sure the timings right. If you know someone with a gas tester ask if you can use it and make sure your in the right ball park. Change the oil and you should be good. You could try the seafoam. I've heard nothing but good things about it. Dont bother with any of the "pass in a bottle" junk.

 

[Nunyas]

This ispection including a tail pipe test?

if so... lean out the mixture... REALLY lean... I'm talking so lean it'll barely accelorate. Then turn the adjust ment 1 or 2 flats towards rich. Should be somewhat driveable at this point, but probably not very fun. Drive it hard for a few minutes to get the cat nice and hot (I've found hard acceration and downshiftng/engine braking). Then take it easy the last mile or so to the inspection shop. Of course, this all in addition to the stuff the others have mentioned. It also assumes that your catalytic converter is still GOOD. If you have to do a tail pipe test it's imperative that your catalytic converter is good and working.

 

[jaybird]

Noonie, I don't have a cat.

 

[jaybird]

From what I know, because Chuck takes the vehicles for the testing, it's just a tailpipe test - initially. If the car fails, then they start inspecting and testing everything.

 

[Matthew E. Herd]

waitaminit! If you don't have a Cat, you shouldn't be subject to an emissions test, as it pollutes so much more than a catylized car that it's basically written off! I know that PA (my county in particular) is required to test to the fullest extent of EPA Regs, and my car (if insured regularly), as well as my '71 IHC Scout 800B, are emissions exempt due to the lack of a Cat.

 

[jaybird]

Welcome to Illinois. And the fact that the state probably *assumes* that Emma has a catalytic converter because she's a '75. I do have an offer of the use of a 'smog package' from a guy in our car club. I'm sure more than one has their smog junk tossed in a box with nuts and bolts! I just don't want to borrow it and put it all on the car!

 

[Matthew E. Herd]

Also, I've always been told that isopropyl alochol is the way to go. Put a pint or so in your gas tank. That's from my mechanic, and he's a pro at getting 300,000 mile Geo Storms to pass emissions without making 'substitutions.'

 

[maynard]

Why not just get the antique plates? They cost about $100, but are good for 5 years.

 

[Matthew E. Herd]

If it doesn't pass, I'd either find a shop where they'll be understanding about this problem, or I'd point out that it wasn't OE equipped with a cat, and therefore should be exempt. If they do it by vehicle (including year and engine type), like they do in PA, it would come up in their database with drastically different requirements for a '77 midget versus the exempted '76 (mine).

Seeing as passing emissions is a genuine issue here in PA for most vehicles made before about 1996, I'm quite familiar with the regulations. Additionally, my brother's '80 MGB would have never passed, as it ate the air pump soon after we installed it (after passing visual inspection the first time aroung). Every time after, since it doesn't exceed 5000 miles, they don't even look at it, just slap a sticker on it because it's below the minimum mileage for testing.

Oh, I just realized that not every state has independent inspection stations. Is Illinois like NJ, in that they have state run inspection stations?

 

[jaybird]

Noooo, I think it's rubbing alcohol (or menthanol or denatured ethanol, not isopropyl alcohol. I really don't want to do that if I don't have to, particularly since it will take some time to run all that alcohol out of the gas system afterwards this time of year.

As far as antique plates, in IL, they're cheaper than normal plates, only $25 and good for 2 years. But the restrictions on them are tight. Can't be a daily driver, to and from shows, to and from the shop, if you're selling it, etc. I put around 8000 miles on Emma the first year I had her, just not taking the chance of getting stopped.

And yes, IL has state-run inspection sites. And we don't have minimum mileage limits either.

 

[Matthew E. Herd]

Either way, you can put isopropyl acohol in the gastank all year long. You won't notice a decrease in performance, and (in cold weather) you may notice pleasing effects in the realm of starting, etc. This is because 'gas line dryer' or 'gas line anti-freeze' is actually isopropyl. Do yourself a favor, and if you live in an area where it's necessary (like I used to -- Troy, NY) put it in with every tank. It certainly can't hurt. The reason it works is because it's 70% alcohol 30% water when you buy it from the drug store. Since this mix burns just fine, and mixes with both water and fuel, it's just the ticket. I don't know for absolute certainty that it's good for reducing emissions, but that's what I'm told.

 

[Nunyas]

well... do your normal thing then I reckon... bite the bullet have it tested and go from there... If you can retest then that should remove some of the worries about failing. Sure it'll be a hassel to bring into spec, but with the first test you'll at least know how far you'll have to go to get her to pass... ya know?

If I'm not mistaken even the federal '75 MGBs had cats stock... but that doesn't mean you have to have a stock Cat. you can get a "free flow" or "high flow" cat installed and it won't effect the performance of the car ... other than cleaning up the emissions... that is of course unless the carb or valves are badly out of spec... in which case you can burn out the cat in a very short distance and completely clog the exhaust...

 

[jaybird]

If she fails, we can retest 3 times (I think) Before they pull the plates. But the initial test isn't much, just the thing up the tailpipe. After that is when they get involved and start inspecting everything.

Maybe I'll just do it and take her tomorrow. Get it over with or get it started, however it goes.

With my carb though, I am really concerned. I have timing issues as it is. Seems I'm regularly adjusting the idle to keep it at 850-900 instead of 450.

But after she passes, I have 2 years, and I'll have the SUs in her by then.

 

[Nunyas]

well if there's a limitation on how many times you can retest... then maybe there's some sort of clause for getting extensions after your first fail? I mean even Kalifornia has the decency to allow plate extensions while we're waiting on difficult to acquire parts for our cars...