Biggest emission friendly cam?
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 35
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From: NW Indiana
Biggest emission friendly cam? Okay I am going with Stage II heads, LT headers with cats and am not sure which cam I can use to pass emissions. I am looking for about 400RWHP when all is said and done. Car will be dyno tuned. So my question is: Which cams will pass (for sure), and what profiles may be in the grey? I have a M6 car BTW.
On The Tree
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 167
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From: Fair Oaks, CA
Re: Biggest emission friendly cam? 400RW should be no problem with a very mild cam.
The 220/220 112LSA (smogable) cam I just did put down 394RW un-tuned with stock heads.
Cats will cost you some HP though.
The largest cam I'd make to pass smog is the 226/224 mentioned above.
You know....cam swaps on these cars aren't hard at all. Hell, you don't even need new gaskets. If it were me I'd put in a fairly large cam (non-smogable) & keep the stocker for smog time. Same with the cats. Just swap everything out every 2 years. A weekends work & the difference could easily be 50RWHP from cats & a smogable cam to off-road exhaust & a nasty little grind. JMO
But.... with that 226/224 & off-road exhaust busting 400RW will come easy with stock heads.
The 220/220 112LSA (smogable) cam I just did put down 394RW un-tuned with stock heads.
Cats will cost you some HP though.
The largest cam I'd make to pass smog is the 226/224 mentioned above.
You know....cam swaps on these cars aren't hard at all. Hell, you don't even need new gaskets. If it were me I'd put in a fairly large cam (non-smogable) & keep the stocker for smog time. Same with the cats. Just swap everything out every 2 years. A weekends work & the difference could easily be 50RWHP from cats & a smogable cam to off-road exhaust & a nasty little grind. JMO
But.... with that 226/224 & off-road exhaust busting 400RW will come easy with stock heads.
Re: Biggest emission friendly cam? Pass emissions?
In part that depends on the specific emissions test you need to pass.
Sniffer test ~224/224 114 LSA should pass with a good tune
OBD-II scan - if they aren't sniffing the car, and the PCM is tuned and set up correctly...big cams can pass the computer test part. If course a 240/250 that smells like gas will probably cause the emissions folks to start asking questions and really checking stuff.
Visual - if the cats are moved you fail, if they really check it closely...
Dyno roller testing is different still
What specifically do you need to pass?
In part that depends on the specific emissions test you need to pass.
Sniffer test ~224/224 114 LSA should pass with a good tune
OBD-II scan - if they aren't sniffing the car, and the PCM is tuned and set up correctly...big cams can pass the computer test part. If course a 240/250 that smells like gas will probably cause the emissions folks to start asking questions and really checking stuff.
Visual - if the cats are moved you fail, if they really check it closely...
Dyno roller testing is different still
What specifically do you need to pass?
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Re: Biggest emission friendly cam? I would say anything bigger than a 224/224 is grey area if it passes. You would be resorting to every trick in the book to pass, maybe slipping the tester a $100 bill . . . 
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Re: Biggest emission friendly cam? If you have Edit available and can play with the idle and timing, you can get bigger cams to pass. A 224/224 115 can be made to pass with normal tuning and a 220/220 114 is a pretty safe bet, even for A4's.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 35
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From: NW Indiana
Re: Biggest emission friendly cam? This is what I wondered - it you can fix your A/F ratio to run lean and retard the timing when it gets "sniffed"........then resort back to "regular" tuning?
But I don't have access to any tuning equipment, so basically a 224/224 114 LSA should pass. hmmm.
But I don't have access to any tuning equipment, so basically a 224/224 114 LSA should pass. hmmm.
Re: Biggest emission friendly cam? You know....cam swaps on these cars aren't hard at all. Hell, you don't even need new gaskets. If it were me I'd put in a fairly large cam (non-smogable) & keep the stocker for smog time. Same with the cats. Just swap everything out every 2 years. A weekends work & the difference could easily be 50RWHP from cats & a smogable cam to off-road exhaust & a nasty little grind. JMO
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 35
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From: NW Indiana
Re: Biggest emission friendly cam? After I do the heads/cam/headers - tune. If I still have that itch, I'm gonna scratch it with a 125 shot of giggle gas - that should make up for my "little" emissions cam!!
Launching!
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 240
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From: Lake in the Hills
Re: Biggest emission friendly cam? My 226/226 114 has failed the Illinois test twice. Cant pass on HC and going broke on shops telling me "no problem" we can get it to pass.
Car is grounded
Car is grounded
Re: Biggest emission friendly cam?
. . . You know....cam swaps on these cars aren't hard at all. Hell, you don't even need new gaskets. If it were me I'd put in a fairly large cam (non-smogable) & keep the stocker for smog time. Same with the cats. Just swap everything out every 2 years. A weekends work & the difference could easily be 50RWHP from cats & a smogable cam to off-road exhaust & a nasty little grind. . .
If you have Edit available and can play with the idle and timing, you can get bigger cams to pass.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
From: NW Indiana
Re: Biggest emission friendly cam? Dragon, that is a great idea, but I know a lot of the guys with HUGE cams have cars that run rough as hell. I want mine to run fine as a daily driver if need be, although I have thought this over. I will probably go with the 224 for now and after it tests in 2 years, new better cams will be available at that time.
