SSIs and emissions testing on a 3.2
 

I currently live in a place with no emissions testing. I will be moving to a place WITH emissions testing. I currently have the stock system with my OXS unplugged (the plastic connector in the engine bay is broken, of course) and the car is running well. Steve Wong chip.

I have all the parts for SSIs and the heater backdate. So the question is for folks who have done this in places with emissions testing - did your car pass the emissions part? The visual inspection part might get flagged if someone knows what to look for, but what's coming out of the tailpipe (settle down Ron and Bob) is what matters.

This question could also apply to those folks running a hollowed cat or a cat bypass.

From what I've read, the SSI's get you close to nothing performance wise, and a Steve Wong chip with a free flowing muffler is what you want for performance bang for the buck. That may not help for backdating the heat, but I'm not sure it's worth it. Just my two cents from what I've read.

Incidentally, I have a 3.0L with SSIs, backdated heat, dual cats and this year it took me four(!) attempts to pass emissions because they were very knowledgeable about the ENTIRE airpump system. I had to not only install the airpump, but also wire-in the air injection piping "tree" underneath my SSIs just to pass visual. It was a pain in the ass (and arms as I burned myself to high hell trying to get the gear on in between emissions tests).

I've been running SSI's, a SW chip and a cat delete and I've never passed an inspection. In Texas, for god's sake. But I've heard of others who have passed. I believe much of it has to do with the overall condition of your engine, including vacuum leaks for our Motronic systems.

IIRC, JW has posted before that you can disconnect a fuel injector to fool the testing?

Is this testing being done in Western Washington?

Mine passed it's final test without a cat.
Might help to know where you're moving.

So were you failing on the actual emissions or just the visual inspection?

It bewilders me that you would choose to run w/o an active Oxygen sensor. IMO (and I've been doing smog related work in a tough emissions market for 40 years) there is NO benefit in disabling the O2 sensor, which essentially optimizes mixture throughout the RPM and load ranges. In fact, there's very little overall benefit in removing any of the emissions equipment. Here on the board, using the broken connector excuse is just that, an excuse (not a reason), as there's a nice repair kit available at a very reasonable price.

The Cap'n

First time I had my air/fuel too high and was just over on CO2, the next three were visual. I went to different emissions stations, but they all checked that the air jet pipe wasn't installed, so I had to install it.

Once it passed visual, it breezed through.

im in California and on an early 3.0 the improvement the ssi provided was worth swapping it all to n fro every two years for smog testing. it being a 78 I had to do it all, oil lines, HE, air pump/plumbing, egr.. I got it down to about 2 hours each way after the 3rd or 4th time..

Here in Illinois, they don't test the older cars anymore. Does the area you're moving to have collector or antique vehicle plates? Sometimes they're exempt from testing as well.

That is exactly what I was going to suggest. Years ago, I got around emissions test by having my car ride height be so low the VEIP stations would be afraid to roll my car over the rollers. The idea is they did not want to be responsible for any damage (I discovered this by accident) and I got an exemption. Then one year I had to go and found that they had removed the rollers so while I was waiting in line I was in the MD emissions website and read that antique cars were emissions exempt. I promptly got out of line and went right to the MVA and switched from my vanity plates to antique tags. No more emissions test for me and that was 5 yrs ago.