As some of you know I've been having trouble passing WA emissions. For those that don't, here are the threads where I was trying to work through the problems and eventually got to this point, where I am passing.

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...ight=emissions
https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...ight=emissions
https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...ight=emissions


Now that you're updated, here's the scoop. So I couldn't pass before, even with leaning my car out with the s-afc to -18 at idle!! I couldn't figure out why. I decided to say screw emissions and get a PO Box, and proceeded to ripping all of my emissions stuff out. Well... after I was done taking all of my emissions off my state passed a law where you can't register under secondary addresses (like PO Boxes) so now I was really screwed!!

I knew I had to pass somehow, so I thought about it for a while and came up with my recipe for passing. I proceeded to putting my n/a fuel pump back in instead of the TII one. I also had to put my cat back in (since when I took off all my emissions I put a test pipe in its place). But what to do about all the emissions equipment? I wasn't about to tear everything apart just to put it all back in, so I came up with this. I passed with only an airpump and my bonez high flow cat, no other emissions equipment. I hooked the airpump straight up to the split air pipe to the cat so that it was getting air all the time instead of just at cruise and seemed to be getting more than if the ACV had been there. Also for the test I leaned my s-afc out to -12 for idle and -16 for 2000 to 4000 rpms. Result, passed!! And I didn't even have to pour alcohol in my tanks

Test Limits:

Idle - HC=220 CO%=1.2
Cruise - HC=160 CO%=1.1


Test Results:

Idle - HC=86 CO%=0.05
Cruise - HC=73 CO%=0.01


Look at those results!! I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that, that is such an improvement from before, it's crazy. The people at the testing place gave me a weird look too when I passed since they knew that I had failed 3 times before and had just improved vastly. But oh well!!

All in all I'm happy, and to recap here's my recipe for how to pass emissions with just 1 high flow cat, airpump, and NO alcohol in the gas tank:

1. Hook airpump straight up to split air pipe, for this I used generic rubber hose from an auto parts store size 3/4" OD
2. Set variable resistor to as lean as you can where your car still idles normally (if you have one that is, I unfortunately don't have one anymore)
3. If you have a high idle for whatever reason, adjust the idle speed screw on top of the TB/Dynamic chamber to around 700, that's what I did.
4. If you have an air/fuel controller, lean the idle out as much as you can to a point where your car wants to die but still stays running, then richin it a little bit from that point so that it idles smoothly still. For cruise testing, lean it out to around -16 for 2000 on up (to 3000 or 4000, whatever) but do this in the Lo Throttle AND Hi Throttle settings.
5. If you have a higher output fuel pump in for some reason, put the lower one in, it seemed to help my emissions a TON

That's about it, I know everyone doesn't have an air/fuel controller, but I could have passed without it, I'm not really sure. Also, I was going to try some FUELON in my gas tank (which is supposed to help emissions) but I decided to go take the test without it to see if I could pass. For those that are having trouble passing and want to try it, here's the website http://www.superfueladditives.com/


Thanks for everyones help along the way in the past threads, I still can't believe I finally passed... Now I don't have to again for 2 years

 

Very helpful thread It should probably be stickied for the lot that has to deal with this crap. Luckily for me, my backwoods state (PA), is only doing visual inspection... but they expect me to have an airpump... i'll have to go find one or i can get a waiver, but that's a pain in the ***...

 

Emissions?!?!?! What is that??!?!?!?! hahahha i live in florida no emissions here. if there was i would be dead.

im glad to hear that you passed, and if florida ever gets emissions im gonna be screwed. but ill save this thread incase we ever have them

 

Thanks wonko, I figured that at least one other person out there might be in the same boat as me, so I'd share my experience in case they are trying to pass too

Gergrx7, word... You're lucky with your no emissions haha, but oh well, I just had to slap on the airpump and cat, and fuel pump, for a day, didn't have any other emissions equipment, so I'm really happy at how well it worked out.

 

Uh, we've been saying this for a while.
Just make sure you unhook everything after.
The heat will literally disintegrate the guts of the cat in no time!


-Ted

 

So I take it you don't have a visual inspection.

Can't do that in CA

- Dana "I hate this State sometimes"

 

Yes I know this, the car, with the cat hooked straight to the airpump, was only driven to the testing facility and I'm going to take everything out again before driving it more.

 

Nope, no visual. But I dont really know if I'd fail the visual either, my cat is there and my air pump... Do they actually check for the acv or anything else?

 

man isnt it easier just to throw a few bucks to the inspector? =]

 

Interesting stuff, I am kinda in the same place you are. I just failed this morning, (Just posted another question about my acv 5 minutes ago, before reading this post.)

Anyway, If I hook my air pump directly up to the pipe goign to the cat (just for the test as REted has suggested) what are the problem with running my car without the the ACV system putting air into the cat sometimes?? I thought the cat would get clogged up or something. I have a high flow cat, with a RB header, in case this makes a difference..

 

If you hook the air pump straight to the cat it will supply air to the cat ALL the time rather than just sometimes. The ACV sends air to the cat under cruise conditions, but at idle it doesn't send any. If you do this just do it for the test and hook it back up to the acv when you're done.

Btw, I also have an RB header with a bonez high flow cat

 

So, what if you decided to ditch the ACV all together, as I had previously had? Will that damage the cats? I guess I understand more now though, if the ACV doesn't normally give the cat any air at idle it would certainly help my situation, because as far as I know they are only measuring me at idle. I may be wrong on that, but the form I got (in NC) says failed; engine RPM 757...so I think if I can tune for idle, then I will pass (and as I mentioned in my other post (not this thread) I am runnign pre-mix and forgot that would KILL my test...

 

You shouldn't leave your airpump hooked to the cat for more than a day, it will ruin your cat. If you have to keep the cat, then keep the airpump and acv to regulate the air going into it.

Also, I run premix too, and I run on the rich side, still passed

 

I blew 867 HC and 1.9% CO Limits where 220ppm and 1.2%.

I have new hope now, I think I will fill my tank with non-premixed gas, drive to the inspection, hook up the air pump directly to the cat, pass (hopefully) then hook the air pump back the the ACV.

BTW, do you do anything with the two open holes? One goign into the acv from the now removed air pump and the port on the intake that normally hooks to the split air pipe??

Have you looked at my post I did tonight? I am having another more specice ACV problem you may be able to help with..

 

Ohhh yeah, I wasn't saying earlier that I meant to keep the air pump hooked directly, i was asking if there is any damage to the cat if the entire ACV is removed/disabled. If I don't need the ACV to keep the cat alive and only for emssions reasons I would rather remove the assembly and put on a block off plate until next year

 

The two open holes on the acv (when the air pump is hooked straight to the split air pipe) will need to be plugged until the air pump and split air pipe are hooked back into them.

You can take the acv off if you wish, but you'll run into some problems. From what I understand if you leave the cat in without any air hooked up to it you run the risk of it getting clogged, and if you hook the airpump to it you run the risk of it getting fried. So if you're going to take the acv out, just get a pre-silencer or a test pipe in place of the cat, and then put it back in for emissions.