TheSubaruJunkie Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 My '78 Wagon came from the factory, with no Catlytic Converter. Im in the process of restoring it, and one of the largest hurdles is the California emissions standards. Im affraid it might not pass. If I replace the exhaust and have them put in a generic catalytic converter... will that help to reduce emissions? Or would it be best to just have a new exhuast made without one? -Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flowmastered87GL Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 Is CA really THAT bad that a car that came from the factory with no cat would end up needing one?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meeky Moose Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 cars built without a cat are not required by law to have one put on it.. there are different standards for cars made without a cat.. tune it right and you won't need a cat.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSubaruJunkie Posted January 29, 2004 Author Share Posted January 29, 2004 The state wont make me install one, cause it came w/out one. Im just wondering if it will help my headache of getting it to pass. -Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meeky Moose Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 prolly not because the emmisions control stuff is not on the engine.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nug Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 Well, if there is any availible O2 in the exhaust, it should be catalyzing SOMETHING. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
struculeus Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 Im affraid it might not pass. Personally, I wouldn't worry about until you know for sure that you haven't passed, and by how much. J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thealleyboy Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 My understanding is that if it meets the emissions standards at the time of manufacture, you're good to go. Make sure you have this data when they do their E-check, so you can challenge them if they try to pull some sh*t on you. If you are lucky, the sticker will still be on the underside of your hood. If not, you can get a replacement sticker thru Subaru of America. Any kind of mods will get you in trouble. Just stick to the original configuration and you'll be fine. Do a thorough "maintenance tune up" before you go in to make sure you are running clean. I'm talking about things like PCV, charcoal, breather filters etc. good luck, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subarutex Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 I know up here in WA... cars after a certain age aren't required to take emmisions tests anymore. 2 years ago, when I bought my '76 chevy truck, I thought I had to get it to pass emissions. Went, did the test... it did pass, but that really didn't matter, because I didn't have to to get it tabbed. Not sure if California has a similar system... but it would be worth it to check out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NV Zeno Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 I'd recommend an off-line test (sometimes called a "Pre-test"), just to see where you are. That way you won't be on record as being a gross polluter (if that's the case), which opens an additional can of worms with C.A.R.B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bajavwnsoobnut Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 Brian your wagon should have a sticker on the drivers side door under or above the vin plate that says NON-CATALIST on it so there is your proof that it doesn't need a cat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RenaissanceMan Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 The cut-off year for california smog is a little bit older. Being you dont have to smog it if its '75 or older. Part of it depends on who you take it to, to get it smogged. Last time I had mine smogged it had the glasspack on it, and they didnt seem to care, nor they didnt seem to care that I had removed the air conditioning belt. However the first time I got it smogged elsewhere they made me install a coolant overflow tank, even though the car never came with one out of the factory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subieman Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 Well Brian, in 4 more years you won't have to worry about getting your car smogged. here is everything you need to know about calif smog... Calif Smog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rallyruss Posted January 30, 2004 Share Posted January 30, 2004 Brian I have a CA smog license. If you need some advice specific to our CA emissions testing let me know. And to answer your actual question. YES. adding a cat will help. There are a lot of other thing involved but if the car was a boarderline fail a cat would help. Nvzeno is correct about getting a pretest. its a good idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSubaruJunkie Posted January 30, 2004 Author Share Posted January 30, 2004 Yeah, i already plan on giving it a tuneup and having it pre-tested. believe me, the engine needs ALOT of work to get it cleaned up, and i know for sure right now it will not pass. But i got new PCV stuff for it, and will end up replacing the cap, rotor, coil, plugs and wires before its tested. Im also going to need to get the exhaust replaced, or patched. The door does have the sticker, so proof isnt going to be hard. I just figured, since it needs exhaust work anyhow, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a Cat put in, just to be on the safe side. We'll get it tested 1st, then see what happens. -Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NV Zeno Posted January 30, 2004 Share Posted January 30, 2004 Hey Brian, does the smoke (oil, whatever it was) still come out of that hose that connected to the bottom of the air cleaner? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSubaruJunkie Posted January 30, 2004 Author Share Posted January 30, 2004 I havent even started to work on the car. Its run twice since i brought it home, once to move it out of the garage, and once to move it back in. At the moment, im working on getting my '84 to pass smog. That needs an entire exhaust, if not more work. After thats said and done, i'll start working on the '78. Right now, there is so much oil everywhere, i cant tell which is new, and which is old. I will take the car to the carwash and degrease the engine then start to work on it. -Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hondasucks Posted January 30, 2004 Share Posted January 30, 2004 Brian -- Catalyzed engines are tuned to run a little bit "dirty" so that the cat has something there to work with, putting one on your car would be $50 or so that you could spend on tuneup parts to make it pass without the cat. If you know someone who has an exhaust analyzer, have them analyze it, that will tell you what it might need.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rallyruss Posted January 30, 2004 Share Posted January 30, 2004 Catalyzed engines are tuned to run a little bit "dirty" so that the cat has something there to work with you might want to clarify this a bit. they don't run "dirty" what I think you were tring to explain was the cycling of the O2 and its relation to the cat. they bounce back and forth between lean and rich verry quickly to make the cat work most efficietly yes. this is why if you look at data or a signal of a good hot O2 it will cycle up and down. if you just fed the cat a rich mixture all the time you eventually will get a dead cat. sorry to get all crazy but I take diagnossis to heart and want others to understand whats up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Roberts Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 ...sorry to get all crazy but I take diagnossis to heart and want others to understand whats up. Bravo! Hey, pm me if you have thoughts about adding a cat to a dinosaur (grin). My 1969 Dodge A-100 camper van, V-8, of course never had a cat. But on that engine, oil leaks past the loose rings whenever it sits more than a week). The blast of black carbon as it burns up that oil is ... well, this was made the year Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the Moon. It's no smokier than a Saturn V launch. I'd be happy to add a cat to it, even though I don't drive it 400 miles a year, just to be a good neighbor (and not have to wait til the neighbors leave to start it up). If not, I guess it's a garage-type exhaust hose leading into a big box made o' furnace filters to catch the worst of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syphon Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 [...] 2 years ago, when I bought my '76 chevy truck [...]You only bought it 2 years ago? I swear it was parked in my backyard 2 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSubaruJunkie Posted May 16, 2006 Author Share Posted May 16, 2006 Check the date on this thread Syphon Blast from the past. -Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hondasucks Posted May 18, 2006 Share Posted May 18, 2006 it'll have to pass emission standards for the year of manufacture, and since cats require fairly precise control of the amount of oxygen in the exhaust to function properly, chances are putting one in won't do any good. Tune it up as best you can, might have to tinker with mixture, etc.. but just make sure you take in in there with new filters, and a fresh tune up and you should be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subiemech85 Posted May 19, 2006 Share Posted May 19, 2006 if'n you want to clean up your exhaust, run e85 my favorite phrase: NON CATALYST Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caboobaroo Posted May 19, 2006 Share Posted May 19, 2006 I got a shovel guys, wanna dig up anymore dead posts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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