Failed emissions: CO

[RocketSled]

Jun 1st, license place registration (and the fines for expired plates) goes up here in Colorado. So after 9 months waiting on a power steering rack, I get the Sled back together and on the road. The sequence is this:

1. fire up car and get it up to temp (15 minutes)
2. two loops around the neighborhood
3. drive to DM for a temporary plate (1 mile)
4. drive to costco for gas add 10 gallons to a 24 gallon(?) tank (4 miles)
5. 'warm up' motor (water temp 205, oil 180) for a few miles
6. Fail emissions test blowing 25 GPH CO, limit is 20 GPH

This is a 383 with a Lingenfelter intake, Hooker headers, a Heated O2 sensor, recent high-flow cat, and it's passed emissions 3 or 4 times before.

Since then I've put injector cleaner in the tank, romped on it righteously, and I'll put the 'cosmetic' emissions guts back on if they decide to look at things further. (all the AIR and EGR stuff is commented out on the PROM)

I've since had an Auto Xray on it and the BLM floats between 128 and 132 (which is wierd, as it used to float around 120, IIRC) The O2 sensor is in spec, the Rich/Lean counts increment quickly, Idle is otherwise smooth, the IAC isn't pegged.

So. 48 hours to pass emissions on a system that _seems_ to be running well enough. I'm really hoping it's old gas and a Cat that just needed a little heat.

 

[LLC5]

Jun 1st, license place registration (and the fines for expired plates) goes up here in Colorado. So after 9 months waiting on a power steering rack, I get the Sled back together and on the road. The sequence is this:

1. fire up car and get it up to temp (15 minutes)
2. two loops around the neighborhood
3. drive to DM for a temporary plate (1 mile)
4. drive to costco for gas add 10 gallons to a 24 gallon(?) tank (4 miles)
5. 'warm up' motor (water temp 205, oil 180) for a few miles
6. Fail emissions test blowing 25 GPH CO, limit is 20 GPH

This is a 383 with a Lingenfelter intake, Hooker headers, a Heated O2 sensor, recent high-flow cat, and it's passed emissions 3 or 4 times before.

Since then I've put injector cleaner in the tank, romped on it righteously, and I'll put the 'cosmetic' emissions guts back on if they decide to look at things further. (all the AIR and EGR stuff is commented out on the PROM)

I've since had an Auto Xray on it and the BLM floats between 128 and 132 (which is wierd, as it used to float around 120, IIRC) The O2 sensor is in spec, the Rich/Lean counts increment quickly, Idle is otherwise smooth, the IAC isn't pegged.

So. 48 hours to pass emissions on a system that _seems_ to be running well enough. I'm really hoping it's old gas and a Cat that just needed a little heat.

Has it ever passed with the recent high flow cat? Run it 20-30 mins on the freeway if possible, get the cat as hot as you can, and hope you don't have to wait in line too long to get tested, the cat will cool down at idle rpm. Choose the time of day carefully so as to minimize your wait time.

 

[bucket]

gee...out here in los angeles we dont have any problem passing smog test...
if you know the right people ..
im kleen but a mechenic told me for 250 bucks he could get pass anyone....
you gotta love america...

 

[Schrade]

GPH?

I'm guessin' that's a constituent of exhaust gas? Which one tho'? Hydrocarbons? Oxides of nitrogen???

If it's NOx too high, then you need to reduce burn temps, and one way to do that is by adding fuel to the mix, a LITTLE at a time (because that will increase hydrocarbons).

BUT, if it's too high hydrocarbons, you need to INCREASE burn temps by taking away some fuel. That also must be done in TINY increments, because it will raise NOx levels...

Do you have the last readout they did on you, with a complete breakdown, and what the limits of each one is?

 

[RocketSled]

Carbon Monoxides in Grams per Hour, I guess. It's an arbitrary kind of measure that doesn't translate well to anything else.

I've got a full detail report, but not here at the office. LLC5 It's passed emissions handily in the past. It's got a pretty mild cam, all things considered. I don't remember the specifics, but there's little to no overlap. It still turned 300 rwhp 378 rwtq on a 101 degree day in the dyno cell.

I've been watching the Block Learn (BLMs) today and it's creeping back to what I remember it running when healthy. 117-122 with the occasional 128. I'll get this tank burned off, then put in 5 gallons of 101 unleaded for the test.

 

[Schrade]

Aha! Too many CO's...

You need a fifth bottle of Everclear from the local ABC store (95% ethyl alcohol). This will reduce CO's almost to 1/10th what you have now. BUT, I do not know how much to add, depending on how much gas your tank has in it now.

You need to go to the local community college (or university), and chat with an organic chemistry professor (I got a 'C' in organic). He'll be able to tell you right away how much to put in.

 

[RocketSled]

Holy crap that's funny! And by funny I mean: Just crazy enough to work, but do I risk the free retest on it.

 

[Schrade]

Alright - I pulled my organic book off the shelf, and did some cypherin'...

E85 ethanol makes 1/10th the amount of CO as regular unleaded. That's known fact.

E85 is 85% (usually between 70 - 80%) ethanol, 15% unleaded.

So if you have 1.5 gallons of gas in your tank, you'll need 8.5 gallons of Everclear (190 proof/95% alcohol, 5% water) to make E85. Granted, just to get your CO's in spec, you won't need that much, because E85 will reduce CO output to 1/10th of regular gas. That's why you need the printout of what you have, and what spec is. AND, this will raise exhaust temps... And you have to mix the alcohol in some gas first, because the water will separate out, and 'fall' to the bottom. Then pour it off, into the tank, with the rest of the gas.


Holy cow - just googled how_to_make_E85. It's all there. You're in uh huh.

EDIT:
Your CO's need to be reduced by 20%. Simple math - 20% = .2. .2 x (E)85 = (E)17. You need E17 ethanol. That's about 8.3 gallons gas, 1.7 gallons Everclear. That will get your CO's under 20 count. Roughly guessing, I say 18.5, maybe 19 CO GPH.

Write ALL your numbers down, so if you still are ABOVE 20, we can do more cypherin'...

 

[RocketSled]

I've got a better plan. I put 250 miles on the car today, spiritedly, to get the cat working and happy. I thne took the remaining 1/4 tank of crap+good+injector cleaner and added 5 gallons of 105 no-lead.

I'll change the oil in the morning, get the car roasty toasty hot and if it can't blow 6 fewer GPH, go looking for the real source of the problem, because that motor, in a healthy state, oughta blow a whole lot less than 20 GPH of CO.