Vacuum leaks don't cause sky high HC numbers but an ignition miss will. An ignition miss will also result in low CO since (excess oxygen inside exhaust) air is not being consumed as raw unburned gas goes out the tailpipe in the form of unburned hydrocarbons.

So I would concentrate on your ignition.


Cheers,

Joe

Looking for CIS leaks IS ALWAYS a good idea.

I'd start by evaluating the overall condition of your motor -- 600 miles per quart strongly suggests the need for a top-end overhaul soon. Having a mechanic that's very familiar with air-cooled porsche engines see how much side to side play there is in the valve stems and what leak down/compression numbers are could help in assessing next steps. While all the steps referenced above should help resolve the current issues, they'd end up being largely redundant if/when the engine gets completely torn down during an overhaul.

Put another way, it would be a shame to get the engine dialed back in only to have it be completely taken apart in xxxx miles . . . .

Ignition problems in CIS are also high on the list since most CIS issues can be traced to ignition problems.

'87 3.2, with a functioning CAT should whiz right through a smog test. Your numbers are 10x the maximums. You have system(s) issues. Start with vacuum, on my '84 3.2 every intake manifold nut was loose. Check every vacuum hose for condition, pull it off and look at the end for cracks/splits. Oil usage will also drive the HC numbers up as well. Start with the simple stuff first. The fact you say it runs poorly below 3k leads to vacuum questions.

On a CIS engine, his is an '87.....

When I lived in NJ I would call independent shops, explain the situation and pay them a premium for the pass. Its really not a big deal. I always had tint, exhaust, no front tag, etc and pass! It can be done.

Thanks, everyone for all the advice. I am learning tons just by listening to all of you..

I looked locally for an LM1, having trouble finding one. Seems a bummer to spend hundreds on an LM2 just just a quick use.

I did order some injectors (I have suspected problems with them for a while) - inexpensive ones from Amazon, for the short term, to swap in and out and test.

And then.... I figured, "what am I thinking? I have 6 days to get this all in order, and no time for this". And called my mechanic. He's got the car now. This is basically a last-minute effort to prep it to pass, and if it doesn't, I'll go the QQ route. Even if it's just temporary - it gives me time to fix the problem(s). This is my own doing, I should have had the car inspected sooner.

Lots of lessons learned here. I will let you know what it takes to prep the car, and if we get it in order by the 31st.

Thanks
-Glenn

Yup, my Carrera from 2007 till now is practically unchanges at 120/140 HC (idle/2500rpm) and 1/1 CO.

So the OP's CO numbers are low and the HC's are sky high.
I won't be surprised if there's soot coming out of the exhaust and that's definitely not a good thing.

Usually the technician who did the test has an opinion. They see this everyday since it's what they do for a living. What did he suggest?

That would be a good start.


Cheers,

Joe

I agree about the numbers (particularly HC) being about 10x high. My '87 went through no problem when I was still taking it to inspection.

1st step: look for leaks, particularly vacuum leaks. Bad O2 sensor, clogged cat, CHT sensor or AFM are the others in more or less descending order (IMHO).

Me, I registered my car as a "collector car" in NJ, and then when it hit 25, I got QQ plates. Now I don't sweat the cat or emission inspection, running instead a Fabspeed euro premuffler (with O2 sensor) and Dansk 1-in-2-out, along with a Steve Wong 93 octane chip.

Even if you do some thing like this eventually, you've got to get it running better. There have been some good threads on problem like this. The search tool on this site might be helpful.

And if all else fails, there are some VERY good independent Porsche shops in NJ. I particularly like POWERTECH. PowerTech

Vacuum leaks, vacuum leaks, vacuum leaks . . .
Bet the intake manifold gaskets are toast. I bet that a number of the rubber vacuum lines have leaks too.

To reiterate some of the previous posts. Assuming that the reported numbers are accurate you are VERY lean.

You can chase down the cylinders with the worst problems by getting an IR thermometer gun. Just jack the car up with the engine cold, and observe the temperature of the exhaust ports as they heat up. A cylinder that is having problems will have a much lower temperature. Just aim at the exhaust tubes right next to the flange.

Once you have a specific place to look you can check those injectors but it is more likely the intake gaskets.
The intake will require 12 gaskets and 6 spacers.

If your cylinders seem to be heating equally I'd test the O2 sensor and see if you might need to re-arc the wiper in the AFM. Plus you will want to go through every bit of rubber hose in the engine compartment for leaks.

Folks - first, THANK YOU for all the insight and advice. Much appreciated!

I have an update on what's been done and where the car stands now.

My mechanic just called, he replaced several cracked hoses and one of the engine sensors (forgot which one :-( - some kind of temp sensor). He says it is running better, but believes there is still a misfire, and it will still fail for idle HC. He is taking my direction, which was to do what he can in the realm of "not spending thousands", since I'd prefer to go the historic plate route before doing that. He did confirm, the car was running VERY lean at idle. It should be "better" now, but still misfiring.

So - I'll be getting the car tonight or tomorrow, and I'll have till Monday to try inspecting it one more time, or just change the registration.

Given that I am now troubleshooting a misfire - I'm going to re-read all the above advice, and try the simple things that I am capable of doing. Primarily, I'll try to determine which cylinder(s) are misfiring, and swap out injectors. I bought three inexpensive ones from Amazon, which SUPPOSEDLY are a match, for this kind of exercise, probably couldn't hurt to swap them in and see how it runs. Nothing to lose right now.

I also bought an LM-1, yesterday, via Craigslist. I have a question about that though - if I'm going to use it, do I HAVE to have a bung welded in? I can't just use the bung that's downstream of the cat?

Thanks
-Glenn

p.s. 12k miles on the O2 sensor, and I already re-indexed the wiper arm on the AFM. I also have an IR thermometer and can try using it to identify trouble cylinders. If it's valve gaskets, then, I guess that's a bigger deal - but I can try to swap injectors, not much to lose in trying. Thanks

has he tried doing a leakdown/compression check on each of the cylinders? Was/is one of the plugs more fowled than the others? Misfire could be connected to your high oil consumption (which is frequently caused by especially worn valve guides in a bad cylinder)

He didn't do compression/leakdown - we discussed it as an option, though. He felt there's a good chance the rings/valves are shot or need adjustment, as well. But really, he also ran out of time, I brought the car in at the last minute, and he has other customers he's committed to working on. Just ran out of his time.

Folks, I have the car back, and checking the warmup temps at the exhaust pipes, the cylinder closest on the left side (#6?) is WAY colder than the rest. Which looks like the easiest injector to replace....

EXCEPT... I can't get to the bolt on the far side of the fuel rail off. There's a bracket above it with three connectors plugged into it. Anyone know what that is? Is there a trick to getting to the back bolt of the fuel rail?

Thanks
-Glenn

Also - do I need to disconnect the battery, or pull the fuel pump fuse before disconnecting the fuel rail?

The Bentley manual doesn't mention having to do this. And oddly, the bracket that's in my way, isn't pictured in the Bentley manual...

Thanks
-Glenn

See the bracket above the fuel rail? Looks like it is just wiring. Ok to move?http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1440820665.jpg

OK, I moved the bracket. Turned out to be nothing.

I undid both ends of the fuel rail (lotta stuff in the back, wasn't easy to reach the back) and undid the clips. Easy. Lifted off the rail, and the only injector that come out was the first one - the one I needed.

I pulled it off, positioned the new one, clipped it in, and re-seated the rail with the other injectors. Screwed the rail back down, put the fuel lines back on, and hooked the battery back up.

Cranked it a bit - it wouldn't start. Went around the back and found the new injector spraying fuel all over. WTF?!?!? It REALLY looks like it's clipped in right. I have the o-ring "captured" between the clip and the rail, just like on the others.

2AM here, and I have to admit defeat for the night... but.... What could I have done wrong?

Thanks
-Glenn