robertbartsch

I have a very mild cam and a set of ported LS6 heads with headers.

I have tried about 6 different LS1Edit tunes but I cannot get close to the required New York emmissions. In fact, in my county, Westchester, they even retoractively increased the sniffer test to apply to older cars - this change was done AFTER the cars were manufactured - which is unfair!!!!!!

Consequently, I beleive my only shot is to remove the mild cam and replace it with the stock unit. While I'm at it, should I also put the stock heads back on?

This BLOWS!!!!!

Predator

That sucks man--sorry.

If it was me, I would just drive the car and enjoy it and not have it inspected anymore. I sometimes let a year slip by with an expired inspection sticker and I've never been stopped or hassled. The cops seem to be more interested in checking-out the bling wheels, cam lope, and giving me the thumbs up as I drive by with my expired inspection sticker.

jimmyblue

iTrader: (11)

I didn't recall your cam being "very mild" but, anyway... if you want
to keep a cam, look for something with less overlap, more separation.
I saw a guy selling a TR "Old Man" cam (right after I'd gone and bought
another one ) on the classifieds. People get 224/114s to pass in Cali
but it seems to be a bit of a stretch, 224/112 not so likely. A Z06 cam
or similar (the Old Man is lust a little closer and a little bigger) will
pass if it's tuned right.

Over-ported heads, i.e. ones that have flattened the swirl ramps and
enlarged runners that lower the velocity, I think can hurt you for
emissions (being as that is all low-flow regime). No telling whether
this is part of the picture.

If you made a friend at the testing station, who would let you sit and
tune and repetitively take tailpipe readings, I suspect you could pull
the emissions to the "best possible". Though that would likely be very
tedious at Edit's write-rate.

Did you ever try the suggestions like forcing the AIR pump to run full
time (to help burn down HC/CO)? Are you confident that you have no
single-cylinder problems like injector mismatch? Are your O2s good,
hot and happy?

There are some airflow mode, O2 loop params that HPTuners has "*****"
for which I think could lower emissions, if you can reduce the width of
the O2-loop dithering excursions (the PCM deliberately jacks the mixture
back and forth, to cause cross-counts, but the further out it swings the
more little puffs-o'-stank you get, to challenge the cats' efficiency). If
you can make it swing tighter this ought to clean things up.

Lastly if I recall this is a headers car. It may be that your high flow cats
are just not efficient / effective enough. You might want a special pair
of not-so-great flow, but as effective (long, high internal surface area)
to hang on once a year.

SSpeedracer

iTrader: (8)

that 112 LBA is killing you. You could probably get by with keeping the heads. Like stated above, put together a good cat emissions system after the headers and give it a try.
FYI, I had lower than average emissions with a TR220 114 on a 14.7+ A/F tune (150mV O2 switch) with the stock ex manifolds, cats and Y through a magnaflow. I swapped to a high flow RT cat/y system and emissions barely pass but went up ~10x.

If I were you, I would
A: swap back to stock exhaust or weld OEM cats in place
Bosch O2s
tune O2 switch points

Test (probably fail, but worth a shot)

B: swap cam to a friendly 114+ lba

Test (probably pass)

Intake side does not effect emissions as much as exhaust. The car is part throttle so VE in compromised by the TB. However, adding back pressure will reduce your HC.

Good luck

robertbartsch

Thanks guys...

I already replaced the 02 sensors so I don't think this was the problem....when I got the cam, the seller told me it was a mild deal that would shurely pass the sniff test in NY. I did not realize that a 112 is a emmissions killer cam...

What really bugs me is I failed the sniff test a few weeks before they eliminated it in NY; apparently, for the next emmisions test they will only check the PCM for bad codes - no sniff test. Unfortunately for cars that failed the sniff test before the newer test goes into effect, they must pass using the sniffer and not the PCM code test.... This is ridiculous!

I should move from New York to Commiefornia....

jimmyblue

iTrader: (11)

You got that half right...

robertbartsch

The cops in my area always check the inspection stickers on cars; they love to do this **** in parking lots. We have too many cops in our town; the real estate taxes are high and the town wastes the extra money on stuff our town does not need - cops and fancy SUV cop cars.

Consequently, I think I am stuck with triying to get this dump hot rod through the test....

I suppose I could pay some tuner to try their luck - either way Big Brother has won and the mod police are killing our hobby.

robertbartsch

If I have to replace the cam I'm going to rip the heads off too since playing around with pen magnets and lifter rod sticks to hold up the lifters does not appeal to me. I'm not a gambling man....

I've learned my lesson - do not modify cars with speed parts - the pigs will prevail and ruin your day...!

jimmyblue

iTrader: (11)

You know, it might almost be worth the grief to buy a
turn-key late years LS-1 motor with PCM, log manifolds
and cats, all the way back to the Y-pipe, and swap it in this
one time... get your sticker and sell the motor for what
you paid, or keep it in the shed for annuals in case the Smog
***** re-re-change their fuzzy little planet-saving minds
about the OBDII-only. Seems like a full-motor swap might
be a whole lot easier than opening up a (well-running?)
motor. Whole thing is connectorized, after all. You can
reprogram the PCM to have your VIN (at least, with some
tools; dunno about Edit) or just tell the dude "my original
got fried and I had to get one from the junkyard").

robertbartsch

..swapping out a stock engine and exhaust sounds like a major pain in the *** and expense. I supose I could try a stock exhaust manifold, stock cats and Y-pipe. I have some of these parts but I think my y-pipe was cut in half.

What about buying a set of new cats for my existing LT headers; is there any way to tell if the old cats are trashed?

SSpeedracer

iTrader: (8)

The minute I saw HPT list VIN support I thought about doing this myself. It will only be a matter of time before this catches on in my neck of the woods.

In other words, borrow a "clean" car and temporarily change the VIN to match your "dirty" car. I dont plan on doing this 'cause I believe in the principle of emissions testing and like the challenge of creating HP while not increasing emissions.

robertbartsch

I don't understand how this works.

So ...I would have to find a clean car, swap my PCM into it and run the clean car through NY inspection. After it passes, I would have to remove the inspection sticker that has my VIN number on it from the window of the clean car and glue it on to my dirty car window.

I then would have to swap my old PCM back into my car.

Is this correct?

jimmyblue

iTrader: (11)

I think it's the physical side of it (adhesives, hard-mounted
chassis VIN plates) that would screw you up. The software
side is well in hand, but if they check the windshield tag and
insist on applying the sticker themselves you're screwed.

My point was just that the motor swappage should not
have any problems of that sort.

I think the junkyard logs, cats and Y route is the best bet
for your case though. Backpressure will settle down NOx,
the cats will scrub better (hotter, tighter, closer) and the
O2s will be happier too. Should be no problem finding those
pieces cheap, not especially popular items.

robertbartsch

This is getting very complicated. I wish there was a simple answer. Speed is not important to me if I can't be legal. I think our hobby is DEAD!

Maybe I can bribe a shop to slap a pass sticker on my polluting hot rod?

Predator

I didn't think of that, maybe flash a $50. bill.

Don't let the bastards win.

FastCarsSpeedKills

bullshit. its made breathing cleaner and its improved the auto industry beyond what anyone could have remember. so big hunky muscle cars died, but if it wasn't for their faults......your FBody wouldn't be as high tech as it is now. Just pass emissions man, what I did in my daily driver was throw in some E85 (3 gallons, the rest was gasoline) I barely past but I did pass. My cat is shot, a leak in the exhaust pipe, and the car is on its last leg but its going to be only till winter. Alchohal helps!! Just don't run it alot.

CRL 01 SS

iTrader: (4)

What's an emissions test!? ...j/k

DaleMX

iTrader: (4)

This is the whole reason I decided to put an LS1 into a 78 Datsun 280Z. No tesing is required on 81 and older in my area so I can mod to the max. The hobby is not dead, you just have to play by the rules.

MNR-0

Phooly shick mooiitteeeeee!

SSpeedracer

iTrader: (8)

Not many of you know how horrible the air quality was in southern california back in the early 70's. The studies I read indicate that my life span was reduced by about 5 years 'cause I grew up breathing the $hit every day. If you want to get an idea how bad things would be both in los angeles and your location check out the pollution in Mexico City. No emissions, lead fuel etc.

I really cant get over the misconception others have about the emissions requirements in california. In some cases your car has to be more than 10X over the original/certified emissions in order to classified as gross polluter and not be "legal." The air could be better here, but at least it doesnt burn my lungs and eyes as bad as it used to.