'85 GT not passing CA smog

[WingnuT-4eye]

(5) The aftermarket California catalytic converter must be installed in the same location as the OEM California catalytic converter it is designed to replace. The front face of the replacement California catalytic converter shall be no more than 3 inches further upstream or downstream in the exhaust from where the front face of the OEM California catalytic converter was located. The installation may not alter the location, position, or orientation of oxygen (O2) sensors upstream and downstream of the California catalytic converter

Kevin, good info thanks. This looks to be the only questionable section. Since the car went from a Y-pipe, to an H-pipe, the locations of the cats had to move to be balanced. Our smog tech told us that he would pass it since it's 2-cats, as it was originally. Guess we'll have to see on Monday.

When I had my 84 tested almost 2 years ago right after the STAR program went into effect, I asked my shop if I should consider replacing any components in advance to guarantee that it would pass. He started out by asking if there were any mods and I said that there weren't. He asked how well did it pass when I bought it just a couple of years earlier and I told him that it passed very easily. He said not to change a thing unless something isn't working properly and a replacement is warranted. The only repairs that came up was a split vacuum hose and an idle adjustment and it passed with plenty of room to spare. I was feeling rather good about having an almost 30 year old car with all original equipment pass so easily. I'm not even worried about the test coming up again this coming January. It's one reason I try to keep my car as original as possible.

Bryan, I agree about keeping it stock. But, since the exhaust is already modified, and I was told this new setup would pass, and sound better, and breathe better, I'm going for it. Fingers crossed.

Some good news. I was contacted by an owner of an '85 GT who has the complete stock system just removed from his car. He is letting me have it free of charge! I'll keep it around if I need it, or want to show the car. I can include it with the car if I sell it as well. Lucky break!

I'll update the thread on Monday after the test.

Darren

[WingnuT-4eye]

She passed!!!

With the new cats welded in the car passed with flying colors. I'll try to provide numbers when it pick it up later today. But, at last, I can finish the registration now. My DMV appt is in 10 days, so hurry up and wait again....

Thanks for all of the input. If I need to, now I have the original stock exhaust to install, and/or include with the car if I decide to pass her along to another 4 Eyed enthusiast.

Darren

[roadkill]

Cool. I feel bad for you Californians with all your testing BS. Here in Ohio in the counties that have eCheck it's 25 years old and no more testing. There can't be THAT many 25 year old plus vehicles running in Cali to still necessitate testing, can there?

[mustangxtreme]

I wonder how much of testing is to try to encourage people to get rid of their "old polluting vehicles".

[Dean_T]

Well, I seem to recall that CARB expects a certain percentage to fail and if a smog station doesn't fail enough cars they get investigated. Here I thought the idea was to ensure our cars are running clean, not meeting preconceived notions that the older cars will automatically fail at a given percentage.

However, if one really does not want to go through the bi annual smog check, just buy a '75 or older vehicle. This is my eventual plan.

[JACook]

I think it's a bit comical that we never hear people being told to move because they live in areas that have
to pay for annnual state and/or city vehicle safety inspection stickers, but Californians should all move 'cause
we have emissions testing every two years. I rarely run heat in the winter, and I don't much need A/C in the
summer. Given the alternatives, I'll put up with the occasional trip to the emissions test station.

As for what is expected of the smog test stations, it's simple statistics, and if you have outliers, by definition
that indicates that either the test equipment is faulty, or is being used improperly. The machine does not lie
to make some certain percentage of old cars fail. The station, however, can manipulate the test conditions
to make cars pass that shouldn't.

[roadkill]

I think it's a bit comical that we never hear people being told to move because they live in areas that have
to pay for annnual state and/or city vehicle safety inspection stickers, but Californians should all move 'cause
we have emissions testing every two years. I rarely run heat in the winter, and I don't much need A/C in the
summer. Given the alternatives, I'll put up with the occasional trip to the emissions test station.

As for what is expected of the smog test stations, it's simple statistics, and if you have outliers, by definition
that indicates that either the test equipment is faulty, or is being used improperly. The machine does not lie
to make some certain percentage of old cars fail. The station, however, can manipulate the test conditions
to make cars pass that shouldn't.

IMHO there are many more reasons to move from California than just smog tests... I KEED, I KEED!!! Seriously tho, we only have smog testing a a handful of Ohio counties, and have no mandatory safety inspections... tho there are times when I wish we did. You should see some of the rolling deathtraps on Ohio's roads.

[JACook]

Sorry, roadkill, that comment wasn't necessarily aimed at you. But I will point out that all of California
is not San Francisco or even Los Angeles, just as all of Ohio isn't Cleveland.

Yes, our taxes are higher than I would like, but in the temperate coastal zone where I live, the air is
clean and humidity is usually low. My gas bill goes up less than $20/mo in the winter, and in summer,
the "A/C" is free, thanks to a west-facing exposure, and open windows. I telecommute, so traffic, and
to some extent gasoline prices, don't really affect me all that much.

I've spent a lot of time in a lot of areas of the country, in every season, and I could literally do my job
from anywhere. I seriously can't think of many areas where I might rather be, and given my dislike for
humidity, I'd have to say none that are east of the Rockies.

[grabbergreen84]

You should see some of the rolling deathtraps on Ohio's roads.

These POS roads here are deathtraps by themselves.

[RamblerSteve]

My Pace Car came stock in 79 with a single exhaust meaning a Y-Pipe, 1 catalytic converter and 1 muffler. It now has an after-market H-Pipe with a cat and a muffler on each side. Its lowered about 2 inches and speed bumps will take out the cats if I'm not carefull going over them. Even with bad cats the car will pass CA emissions as long as I bump the idle speed to 950 rpm before the test. CA smog tests permit an idle of up to 1000 rpm. If the cats are working properly the car will pass smog easily at the recommended idle speed (600 rpm).

[RamblerSteve]

My Pace Car came stock in 79 with a single exhaust meaning a Y-Pipe, 1 catalytic converter and 1 muffler. It now has an after-market H-Pipe with a cat and a muffler on each side. Its lowered about 2 inches and speed bumps will take out the cats if I'm not carefull going over them. Even with bad cats the car will pass CA emissions as long as I bump the idle speed to 950 rpm before the test. CA smog tests permit an idle of up to 1000 rpm. If the cats are working properly the car will pass smog easily at the recommended idle speed (600 rpm).