smogging 76 911 w/ 78 911 engine-help!

[robingb]

i am going in tomorrow to get it smogged here in Calif. i am hoping 78 engine looks enough like a 76 engine to pass the visual test. only real difference is the catalytic converter instead of a thermal reactor. i have heard that the replacement of the thermal reactor with a cat is acceptable. can anyone confirm this?

as far as passing at pipe, i have been told to really have car warmed up. any other suggestions like adding techron?

thanks and wish me luck, gary

[The cap'n]

I've done a lot of these. In this case, you 'might' squeeze by IF the EGR and AIS systems are in place and functional. However, if the guy sees and identifies the cat, you're a goner. Best advice: make an appointment with the referee, assure ALL your ducks are in a row, and have him smog and tag it. It's cheaper anyway, and you'll have the sticker for the next time. By law, the engine must be (a) the same MY or newer than the chassis, and (b), MUST have every piece of emissions equipment as it had when it was sold. I just did one with an '80 engine, cat, O2 sensor system, the works. No air pump, no EGR. With the sticker, he can now go to any smog station next time.

BTW, while it doesn't hurt to run a can/bottle of Techron or some BG 44K through it, the day of the test you need pure 87 octane regular in the tank. Burns more completely, reducing HCs. The timing needs to be dead on, and the distributor vacuum unit MUST be functional and to specs. In your case, the EGR has to work, as does the air pump system.

Good luck!

The Cap'n

[stlrj]

Also, if the 78 engine was from an out of state car, it did not have or need EGR as only the California engines had it. I installed an out of state 78 3.0 in my 74, went through the referee and it was certified w/o EGR.


Again, Good Luck,

Joe