Barely passed SMOG. Solutions?

Where can you buy Speed Bead? I wanna try it.

-Mike

Hmmm... how about taking it to your local Ford dealer and letting them flash the computer with the latest updates?

/me ducks under the desk

Ok, Ok, I know you're not gonna do that anyway. You ever run any injector cleaner through it? Were you running 87 octane for the earliest possible burn? Was the car fully warmed up?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Tom

1998 GT Coupe 5-spd. Bright Atlantic Blue K&N FIPK, Tri-Ax, 3.73's, FRPP Coated Shorties, SpeedCal, P&P 2K Heads, 2K Intake, Bassani X-Pipe and Cat-Back, Subframe Connectors, JMS Chip, Eagle Alloy Wheels

I'm thinking those high-flow cats are the first suspect on an otherwise well-maintained motor.

Dana

I bought a few cans last week at Kragen Auto Supply. Good stuff.

-JD

_________________________________ JD's Locally-Famous Mustang Page: http://207.13.104.8/users/jdadams

Either that, or 2 high-flows just can't clean it up well enough; I may have to add 2 more or something. I suspect you're right about the 6 OEM cats: 2 are probably not enough.

-JD

_________________________________ JD's Locally-Famous Mustang Page: http://207.13.104.8/users/jdadams

ROFL!!!

Affirmative on the 87 octane, and it idled 20 mins. before being tested. No injector cleaner, ever; I'll run a bottle of Techron through it before having it retested. I have this funny feeling that the O2 sensors were just out of spec enough to cause it to run a bit rich.

-JD

_________________________________ JD's Locally-Famous Mustang Page: http://207.13.104.8/users/jdadams

Now that I'm thinking about it, has anyone else smogged their 97-98 GT yet? What HC values did you get? California is NOTORIOUS for listing very low 'average' readings. It is possible that everyone else's GT runs about the same as mine.

-JD

_________________________________ JD's Locally-Famous Mustang Page: http://207.13.104.8/users/jdadams

Looks like it some variation of an IM240 test. My guess is that it's the high flow cats not doing the job as well as stock. Also, are you running MIL eliminators because of the high flow cats? That would basically make the computer unable to adjust the fuel mixture based on post-catayst data.

Don't have a Kragen Auto Supply around here... anywhere else?

-Mike

IL's IM240 lists the values in grams. The results for my '97 indicated

0.090 grams HC in the composite fast pass. This was 2 years ago. This year they just checked via OBD2 and were happy. Ford changed the test in 2002 to speed the newer cars through by just checking what their computers said. Only if there was a problem stored in the computer did the car go on the dyno.

You've never run a can of anything through it? May I suggest a dose of Lucas? You can read about it here:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Tom

1998 GT Coupe 5-spd. Bright Atlantic Blue K&N FIPK, Tri-Ax, 3.73's, FRPP Coated Shorties, SpeedCal, P&P 2K Heads, 2K Intake, Bassani X-Pipe and Cat-Back, Subframe Connectors, JMS Chip, Eagle Alloy Wheels

I have Bassani aftermarket high flow X-pipe with cats on my 400+ hp 331 stroker (AFR heads, TFS intake, and custom cam). I easilly passed my emissions test with 1/4 of the allowable emissions. This was HALF the emissions of the same setup with the STOCK 5.0 engine (twice the hp and 1/2 the emissions).

Make sure your air pump is functioning properly as well as all the air control valves. If your mixture is right (oxygen sensors), EGR is functioning properly, and all the air injection checks out, THEN I would suspect the cats.

LJH

95GT

unless CA is different, there shouldn't be an air pump on his car.

Give

a try; they sell most Stoner products online.

-JD

_________________________________ JD's Locally-Famous Mustang Page: http://207.13.104.8/users/jdadams

I double-checked, and sure enough, it uses no smog pump, which rules out the UD pullies as suspect. The EGR is clean and functions perfectly. No MIL's. At this point, it's either the cats or O2 sensors. The O2's were 45,000 miles young. I spent $240 to replace all four, and it runs quite a bit different now; I'm headed back next week for a recheck to see if they are the culprit.

-JD

_________________________________ JD's Locally-Famous Mustang Page: http://207.13.104.8/users/jdadams

I'll check it out - thanks!

-JD

_________________________________ JD's Locally-Famous Mustang Page: http://207.13.104.8/users/jdadams

No MIL eliminators were needed, and the tech assured me that they scrubbed HC as well as stock. I did change out all 4 O2 sensors after the test, and it runs quite a bit different now, faster actually. Looks like a retest is in order to see if the old O2's were the problem. If it doesn't come back down, then the cats will have to be modified in some fashion. I may even swap in an entire '01 Bullitt exhaust system, if they're not doing the job properly.

-JD

_________________________________ JD's Locally-Famous Mustang Page: http://207.13.104.8/users/jdadams

How many miles were on the motor oil at the time of the test? Notice when you change the oil, that the used oil smells of gasoline. This can drive up HC emissions. In other words, change the oil right before you take the test. Also, check your fuel pressure, as I think I have heard that a lean A/F can cause high HC's. Does the car have EGR? I think I heard that some of the newer engines are clean enough to forego EGR. If it does have it, be sure that all of the EGR passages in the EGR plate, throttle body, and intake are clear as they can get clogged. I have a '92 GT, and the inlet passage immediatly inside of the valve (inside the spacer) was completely clogged, but there were no EGR codes as the valve was still moving normally, satisfying the EGR valve posis- tion sensor. This engine (of course) is a

5.0, not a modular. Also , I think high combustion chamber temps can drive up HC's. (Think lean).