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Emission test with a Weber?


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I'm going to be selling my 86 GL wagon with a one year old weber in it soon. We were going to keep driving the subie when our third child comes in March, but we recently found out we're having twins! Four kids and a subie don't mix, so goodbye subie, hello Honda Pilot.

Anyway, I don't have to do emissions tests where I live and I'm wondering who I can sell it to. Is it an automatic flunk because of the weber? Is there anyway somebody can register this in an area that has emissions tests?

The other issue I have is that I got rear-ended about 2 years ago which ended up totalling the car. I got a new tailgate and bumper from a USMB member and fixed the car. Unfortunately I didn't get the VIN number off the parts, so the Washington State Patrol decided to give it restricted title. I can't sell it out of state for 3 years (1 more year). To sell it I provide a notarized release of interest to the buyer.

I have a friend who is interested right now, but if that falls through, I'll post some pictures. It has 194,000 miles, dual range 4x4 5-speed. This car is pretty much rust free and I've owned it since 1994. At 162,000 miles, we had a factory new engine, new clutch, water pump, and oil pump installed. Everything works: all fan speeds, A/C, rear defogger, Panasonic CD player with aux input. It needs tires and possibly front struts as the front tires seem to angle in a bit. They are maybe adjustable, I don't know. We recently had a front brake caliper rebuilt as well as new pads and turned rotors.

The right front passenger door is a slightly different color, which I didn't notice until about a year after I bought it, so I think it was hit on that side before I bought it. I've been rear-ended 4 times, all were pretty minor except for the last one when a Ford F-250 slammed us. They did a great job putting it back together, though.

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If you have a few hours and some patience the stock Hitachi air box can be cut and modified to fit over the Weber. Just use some bits of metal - cut up a coffee can or what not. It only has to look good from the top, and be serviceable for long enough to have it inspected. As long as it blows clean on the tail-pipe sniff, and looks normal to a cursory inspection they won't ask questions.

 

There's nothing inherently wrong with the Weber - they can pass smog inspections just as well as anything else. They are not DOT approved because the aftermarket versions don't have vent solenoids, and such for the float bowl. None of that affects it's ability to be tuned for a smog test though.

 

GD

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If you have a few hours and some patience the stock Hitachi air box can be cut and modified to fit over the Weber. Just use some bits of metal - cut up a coffee can or what not. It only has to look good from the top... looks normal to a cursory inspection they won't ask questions.

 

There is no visual inspection in WA. :banana:

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There is no visual inspection in WA. :banana:
Carfreak is correct. WA only wants it to pass a sniffer test and a weber is often more easily tweaked to pass than the old Hitachi. The emissions guru in Seattle (I've posted about him before) has re-tweaked our car every time it came up for emissions testing and didn't pass the first time through. We currently have two weberized Brats which both passed during the last inspection.
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I think it depends on who you take it too.

 

GD

I've taken any of our cars through state inspection for 20 years now in WA (with three sons and a wife with each one having their own car); never have they lifted the hood. I've owned our weberized Brat for about 8 years now and never had trouble passing emissions except for one year when I had the delta cam rebuilt motor; that one required some "diligence" by the emissions guru to get to pass. And when that one failed "big-time" when we first took it through, they didn't look under the hood either.
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I've taken any of our cars through state inspection for 20 years now in WA (with three sons and a wife with each one having their own car); never have they lifted the hood. I've owned our weberized Brat for about 8 years now and never had trouble passing emissions except for one year when I had the delta cam rebuilt motor; that one required some "diligence" by the emissions guru to get to pass. And when that one failed "big-time" when we first took it through, they didn't look under the hood either.

 

Xlnt news! Thanks.

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i have passed emissions twice with a weberized brat.i simply ran some seafoam through it and drove on the interstate for about ten to fifteen miles before hand to get it nice and warmed up.the base setting s were all that were done to the weber.slightly "tuned" beyond that for elevation.if the car runs strong and does not tend to smoke at all,you should be alright

.the biggest problem you will run into with the weber is it running rich.at least that is what i have found.and ed is right on the visual inspection,i have never had them look either.cheers, brian

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