Pass emissions with SSIs SC and 3.2 carrera

[Peter Zimmermann]

Originally Posted by Alan Lindquist

I don't run SSIs but I do live in California. I have an 80SC. I run stock headers, a J-Pipe (with OX sensor) bypass, no smog pump, and a Dansk stainless steel muffler. Every two years I bolt up the Cat in place of the J-Pipe and take the car to a local Porsche Independent mechanic. He tunes it for smog and delivers the car to the smog station. It passes with HUGE margins. (BTW - I have little to no compression in cyl #2 but no visible oil smoke). When he gets the car back to the shop he re-tunes it for street and I pay him about $75 total and go home and put the J-Pipe bypass back on. I don't ask why it passes visual with no smog pump and I don't wonder why the scores are so low, but the motor has 185,000 miles on it and it sure is tired. Then I run the snot out of it for two more years and repeat. It's worked for two tests in the last five years. I'm guessing he has a "friendly" smog test station near by.

1980 SCs never had, and don't need, a smog pump. Lambda and a 3-way cat cleaned up the exhaust sufficiently to get rid of that system.

[fumanchu]

You need to have the stock components to pass visual in CA.

Caveat here is that MOSTLY none of the current smog techs would know the difference between the stock setup and the modified SSI setup, hence it passess visual. I have been thinking of this setup for years, but was not willing to gamble the thousands on SSi's and 2 different exhaust setups... 1000's of dollars on a gamble. I currently have a factory testpipe on the factory setup so switching out the "custom" cat converter setup on the SSi's is a no brainer every other year... super easy. I was waiting for someone to post something on this to give me the balls to try.

Are SSI's still on backorder?

[Peter Zimmermann]

Originally Posted by fumanchu

You need to have the stock components to pass visual in CA.

Caveat here is that MOSTLY none of the current smog techs would know the difference between the stock setup and the modified SSI setup, hence it passess visual. I have been thinking of this setup for years, but was not willing to gamble the thousands on SSi's and 2 different exhaust setups... 1000's of dollars on a gamble. I currently have a factory testpipe on the factory setup so switching out the "custom" cat converter setup on the SSi's is a no brainer every other year... super easy. I was waiting for someone to post something on this to give me the balls to try.

I just spoke with the boss at the Test Only station where I take my SC every two years. He told me (and he's pretty sharp) that if headers (original heat exchangers) are replaced (SSIs for example), the replacement components must carry CARB (CA Air Resources Board) approval, and be tagged as such. He also said that a visual consists of more than just "identifying" a cat, and that the presence of any after market parts is an instant red flag. His advice was to keep it original, and if a replacement cat was installed to put it in the original location. RATS!

[efhughes3]

I rest my case.

[DailyDriven'88]

Your case simply doesnt represent all of CA. Find a dumb/lazy smog tech and you're good to go!

Originally Posted by fumanchu

Caveat here is that MOSTLY none of the current smog techs would know the difference between the stock setup and the modified SSI setup, hence it passess visual.

Pretty much what I said on the first page.

[bpu699]

Can anyone verify that cars pre-96 in Illinois don't need to pass emmissions??? I was told any car newer than 1985 will have to pass. My friend has an 87 308, and he also had to pass emmisions a year or two ago. Was this recently changed???

In Wisconsin, older cars aren't tested at all....

[aigel]

I have smogged my 911 cars since 2003 or so. Never had any one take more than a glance at the underside of the engine. The SC would have passed every time with a cat/muffler set up like the one listed.

That said, are you going to roll the dice?

George

[goat]

Originally Posted by aigel

I have smogged my 911 cars since 2003 or so. Never had any one take more than a glance at the underside of the engine. The SC would have passed every time with a cat/muffler set up like the one listed.

That said, are you going to roll the dice?

George

Same here.
I too have thought of this set up.

[Peter Zimmermann]

Originally Posted by aigel

I have smogged my 911 cars since 2003 or so. Never had any one take more than a glance at the underside of the engine. The SC would have passed every time with a cat/muffler set up like the one listed.

That said, are you going to roll the dice?

George

Interesting. The guy who does my car actually reads the smog info decal on the underside of the engine lid, properly verifies the idle speed, reaches into the engine compartment to touch the O2 sensor's wire at its connector, and removes the fuel filler cap and puts it on some sort of a leak detector. All of my bi-annual smog tests have required that I use a Test-Only station, this might not be the case in other areas/counties.

[DailyDriven'88]

Originally Posted by Peter Zimmermann

Interesting. The guy who does my car actually reads the smog info decal on the underside of the engine lid, properly verifies the idle speed, reaches into the engine compartment to touch the O2 sensor's wire at its connector, and removes the fuel filler cap and puts it on some sort of a leak detector. All of my bi-annual smog tests have required that I use a Test-Only station, this might not be the case in other areas/counties.

Thats different. Under the lid and under the engine are 2 different places. All of the techs I've run across seem to be more concerned with general vacuum line routing and an overall condition of the engine (excessive smoking, visual torn hoses etc). IMO, its as if they have to go thru the motions of glancing at various things in order to satisfy the protocol should any state inspector be watching. All cars have the gas cap tested, regardless of year as well as an evap test. Thats required, no way around it.

Even if they do peek underneath the engine, 95% cant tell if they are looking at something stock, aftermarket, or modified in any way, shape or form. This of course doesnt hold true if you have a highly polished set of headers or the like. Anyone can probably tell at that point.

[efhughes3]

Like I said, I have it covered. But a lot of guys haven't been so lucky. Finding the lazy shop requires luck or referral. The point is that the rig described here is NOT a slam dunk in Calif, like it may be in other states.

Your case simply doesnt represent all of CA. Find a dumb/lazy smog tech and you're good to go!

Quote de fumanchu

Caveat here is that MOSTLY none of the current smog techs would know the difference between the stock setup and the modified SSI setup, hence it passess visual.

Pretty much what I said on the first page.

[DailyDriven'88]

Originally Posted by efhughes3

That won't work in Califonia-it won't pass the visual...
But Ca looks for stock components, they literally match the engine to pictures. Aftermarket does not fly.

I have must have misread then. You really made it sound like it wasnt gonna happen, not even a possibility. Just sayin..

[efhughes3]

This was posted as a solution to pass smog. I stand by my statement that it won't pass visual in Cali. Never said anything about absolutely, never, positively, etc.

Unless one knows the shop they are dealing with, and they try to get such a contraption past the wrong person, the may get put into a corner where things get extremely tough for them.

[Peter Zimmermann]

Originally Posted by DailyDriven'88

Thats different. Under the lid and under the engine are 2 different places. All of the techs I've run across seem to be more concerned with general vacuum line routing and an overall condition of the engine (excessive smoking, visual torn hoses etc). IMO, its as if they have to go thru the motions of glancing at various things in order to satisfy the protocol should any state inspector be watching. All cars have the gas cap tested, regardless of year as well as an evap test. Thats required, no way around it.

Even if they do peek underneath the engine, 95% cant tell if they are looking at something stock, aftermarket, or modified in any way, shape or form. This of course doesnt hold true if you have a highly polished set of headers or the like. Anyone can probably tell at that point.

Sorry for any misunderstanding, my smog tech crawls around on the floor looking under the car before he performs the other mentioned procedures. And he does know the difference between early and late heat exchangers, and the difference between a cat and Euro pre-muffler. Sadly, so did the guy who I used in Santa Monica before moving to Bakersfield...

[Steve W]

This setup has worked great so far - no issues, passes smog and doesn't sound half bad:

[nkgosselin]

Steve W - dayum, that is tight looking. Mine looks like a Rube Goldberg device in comparison.

[911st]

There was someone here that would mod the stock SSI to slip a Cat in on each side before the stock banana muffler.

With this came bypass pipes so the cats could be removed if wanted.

Was a nice set up.

[911st]

I am thinking the smog shops do not know what a stock SC or 911 really looks like unless we bump into a Porsche guy.

They mostly go to a list of what is supposed to be there and look to identify it. O2, air pump, cat, EFI...

If the cat is an aftermarket unit and installed in a stock looking manner, it probably is not going to send up a flag.

If there is any thing that looks custom between the air cleaner and the cat, one is taking there chances as that is what sends up the red flag.

Having said that, I would take my modified P cars in on Sunday mornings first thing knowing I was going to get the lowest guy on the tree and that his biggest concern was probably trying to finish his first cup of coffee and to survive having to many beers the night before.

Can anyone confirm they actually go to a DMV website to see actual pictures of our car.

My shop said that is not true.

[fumanchu]

__________________

I've seen the setup Steve has posted before. You know what..... that looks somewhat factory to the untrained eye er.. 20 yr old smog tech. Some don't even know what kind of car it is thats being smogged!
Looks like something factory on a Peugeot or Renault... well something French... Wow! that setup should be rented out to the fellow community members here on Pelican.

Again, efhughes3 pretty much has it right.... its a gamble with who you get at the smog station, and as what is interpreted as "factory"

[efhughes3]

I had a smog guy in TX that was trying to find how to open the front hood to look at the engine.