78SC - 1, CA Smog Nazi - 0

[pbs911]

Just want to thank everyone for all the help and tips in getting my 78SC with pre-74 exhaust ready for smog. I picked up a Gastester and leaned out the fuel mixture to read .50 w/ the air pump and 1.00 w/o.

The bearing in my air pump is really on its last legs so I drove down to the Test Only station and installed the air pump belt a block away.

A $30.00 pre-test showed CO levels at .99 at 15 mph and a little lower at 25 mph. The car ran like @%& under heavy throttle, but OK if you ease the throttle. So I said to go ahead and test, another $40.

Got certified for another 2 years, drove to the next parking lot, disconnected the air pump and gave the air fuel mixture a 1/4 turn in the clockwise direction.

Tonight the air pump goes in the box in the garage.

Ahhh, its good to be legal.

[Jim T]

Don't you fail the visual without a cat converter?

[pbs911]

Cat is there a cat on a my car? (big s$8t eating grin) You mean the pre-74 exhaust does not incorporate a cat? Sorry, I forgot to ask. but I have to put my trust in the test station into whether or not all the parts are there and opperating.

[surflvr911sc]

You may have become my new idol. I'm getting closer and closer to taking the plunge Paul. Was this a Test & Repair or Test Only?

[Doug Zielke]

Paul....You and your trusty SC are a credit to the Plot.

[pwd72s]

Gee, it's great....living in the "land of the free", ain't it?

[bornrich]

Most excellant! As I am also thinking about the SSIs and there is the threat of the newer Smog test II here in the BA (required in the central vally and LA, I think). Are there any other ramifications other than the aformentioned visual inspections?

[5axis]

Paul, don't you use your car as a daily driver?
*Last I was in lala the air was quite thick, and I have seen the blue skies over Vegas turn brown in the last 10yrs.* I am somewhat uncomfortable with a daily driver being noncompliant.* My own turbo is far from legal, but it is a very limited use vehicle (1K-2K) so I feel okay with my situation.* I am not a tree hugger, but do like to see the sky once in a while.* Any other thoughts from the peanut gallery?* This is not a condemnation, but meant to open a discussion.*
regards
david 89turbo cab

[RoninLB]

I believe Mt. St. Helens spit more polution that the whole industrial world can spit in 100 years..we should outlaw volcanos, IMO

[surflvr911sc]

I think most of blame for poor air would have to lay on the shoulders of factories, trucks, and those damn cars I seem to see everyday that just blow brown cr@p all the time and have never seen a smog station in there lives. If a car can pass the dino test, it is burning cleanly wither or not it has all it's smog components. This is exactly what pisses me off about the whole system.
Here in So. CA, I see so many cars w/ Mexico plates that just stink. I here about "new" regulations to ensure cars crossing the boarder are smog compliant but I cross the boarder about once a month and I know better. There is absolutely no check for foreign cars crossing the boarder.
As far as global warming and killing the ozone layer, the autos in CA are about a 10th of 1% of the total world pollution.
I travel overseas quite a bit too and I can tell you, we have the cleanest running vehicles in the WORLD. I haven't been to country that has stricter law and test methods as right here in the land of the free.
Don't get me wrong here, I am definitely all for eliminating pollution where ever possible but I thing there are much bigger things to worry about than the few modified cars that run clean anyway. I'm definitely not a tree hugger either but cutting down forest through out the world, as probably been the worse thing for global pollution.
I think I’m going to go w/ SSI exchangers just for the principle of it!
I’ll get off my soapbox now, next.

[5axis]

My kind of tree hugger. enjoy

[pbs911]

My own turbo is far from legal, but it is a very limited use vehicle (1K-2K) so I feel okay with my situation.* This is not a condemnation, but meant to open a discussion.*

No offense taken. But I find it a little hypocritical to say someone who breaks the law some times should be exempt from compliance merely because they are only a "part-time" criminal. (not meant to be a flame, just a counterpoint to your argument.) Besides the car drives faster without the OEM 78 exhaust so it has to run for a shorter period of time b/c I get there faster. Thus, less pollutants! God I love fallacious reasoning.

But until all the SUVs, trucks, Semi's, industries, and every other car in the world is required to conform to the same standards, I couldn't really care less. Remeber all the florcarbons (SP?) being released caused a whole to opening in the ozone over the Northern area of the globe. When is the last time you even heard of anyone living it that area of the globe let alone using enough florocarbons to burn the ozone? It is truly a world issue. Ever been in London for a while and then blow your nose? Talk about pollutants! Localizing it to a particular county in a particular State of one county on the globe is really lip service.

I pay 45% of my income to the Govt. If they want cleaner air put my tax dollars to work by enforcing the emissions standards of the high poluting transportation and industry. But that will never happen due to large campaign contributions and lobbying. (yea, I know I need to get a better tax guy.)

As far as my smog equipment, it really does nothing to clean up the environment. The air pump is used SOLEY to dilute the emissions to defeat the emissions testing in the US. It does not clean up the emissions.

[930Chas]

You want to see some pollutants, drive behind one of my mid 80's Mack dump trucks. It's enough to bring tears to your eyes and a burning sensation in your chest. I think they even have Mt St Helens beat. Ah, but it doesn't get any tougher then a Mack.

[makaio]

And I bet PBS's car is just at clean without the smog pump and cat. It obviously had to meet the maximum levels, to past the tail pipe test.

Now 5 axis, does your car meet the maximum allowed levels at the tail pipe?

And yes, the big red fire truck that I drive burps a huge black cloud of smoke, whenever I step on the accelerator.