So my new baby just totally bombed out on the Virginia Emissions test. Here's the sad tale of the tape...

HC ppm @ 25mph CO% @ 25mphNO ppm @ 25mph
Oh boys, my pocketbook is gonna be hurtin' as I try and get this up to par so I can get her licensed.

I've stated before: I'm a n00b. So, not knowing crap about why I failed or too much about wht does what for emissions in the motor, my neighbor took a look under the hood. Turns out the previous owner and engine rebuilder took some liberties when he put on the Edlebrock intake and carb. My neighbor pointed out two glaring problems where some hoses from some contraptions for emissions weren't hooked up to the carb. Since the new carb isn't stock, the hoses don't fit so it's not like I can just hook it up and go.

I'm going to turn this one over to a garage for repair.

 

mix a couple of gallons of racing alcohol in there. its a trick that works sometimes.

 

I woulda waited a day or two before giving it to a shop, the emissions stuff is all pretty easy to fix.

I would help you but i dont know jack about carbs, if it was efi i could tell ya everything lol.

Oh and if youre not already aware www.thirdgen.org take advantage of the message boards there www.thirdgen.org/techbb2 the best resource available to you.

I'm also going to reccomend you go to www.helminc.com and buy the dealer service manual for your year car if you plan on doing any work on it. You can cheap out and buy the super condensed haynes or chiltons service manual but id say the dealer service manual is the best investment ive made on my car.

 

if ur smog pump is disconnected or removed then ur catalytic converter isnt going to function very well

it also looks like ur running quite rich, leaving excess hydrocarbons (HC, gasoline) and producing plenty of carbon monoxide (not enough oxygen left over for carbon dioxide), but then u have excessive oxides of nitrogen, NOx, which is caused by high cylinder temperatures, the previous owner probably removed the egr valve

u might have to "go to a place" to pass

 

That is what it comes down to. I live in NY as well, and even though this is a smog-**** state, lets just say this: I have no worries even though there is no such thing as emissions control devices on my car.

 

LOL Thanks for those tips on finding a "helpful" mechanic who does emissions testing.

If you refer to this photo, I can explain what the neighbor and I saw. (In completely non-technical terms since I don't have my manual with me.)

The recirculating tank at the front-right of the photo (in front of the washer fluid) isn't hooked up to the motor. There is supposed to be a hose connecting off of the right-side (in the photo) of the engine block to the air filter that sucks some heated air back into the carb (right?), that isn't hooked up.

The PCV valve is there and good, and the exhaust has the bump outs for the cat converters.... assuming they are in there.

 

I have an Edlebrock 600 carb, it has two adjustment screws at the front of it. Is it "lefty-loosey" for richer running and "righty-tighty" to make it more lean? How do I know when I'm lean enough or when I have leaned it too much?

Where is the "smog pump" located?

Sorry for such dumbass questions. I'm a computer geek learning to be a gearhead. I bow to your mercy!

 

couple things id like to say

first of all to what the first poster said, dont just put alcohol in it! thats a rediculous thing to say and i guarantee you, it wouldnt pass.

Second theres no real reason to take it to a place that will give you a phony e-test.

If your car is releasing a lot of unburnt gasses then its not tuned right. A race car will pass emissions because they get complete combustion. Thats all youre looking at.

 

ur exactly right with the adjustment screws, for idling
general rule of thumb, screw the screws in all the way and then back out a half turn -one turn i think
but that wouldnt effect your emissions test @ 25mph, that has nothing to do with the idle circuit of the carb

the smog pump is normally located on the passenger side of the engine, under the alternator

 

There are two screws because it's a 4 barrel, right? One screw for two barrels?

What are the effects of being too lean? Would I be in danger of harming the motor or will it just do something lame, like sputter or hesitate?

I'll look for the smog pump.

 

I dont know about VA but up here iin PA when you spend 150 to tryt and fix your emissions you get a waiver sticker, then you can try to figure it out, now given it is always best to know whats going on first and try and fix it for yourself, but if all else fails it might be an option. Also check the grounds and wiring too, i dont know much about carbs, btu you want to make sure your getting enough spark.

 

In VA it's $620 to get a waiver.

Plus, the $620 doesn't include "diagnostics" or tax.

 

I'm just taking another look at your problem now, and okay no one hate me if i say to check a part that doesnt even exist on carb'd engines lol

Your biggest concern seems to be CO's i bet once that comes down so will everything else. Carbon Monoxide is the product of incomplete combustion.

So looking at this simply, what does a car need to run properly. Air, fuel, spark, compression and timing.

I'm just going to assume you dont have a soot black air filter, and that your motor is healthy enough you more or less have compression.

If you know your carb is in a vaguely tuned where it should be which it sounds like youre on the right track with peoples help from this post.

that leaves us with spark and timing.
have you changed the plugs since you got the car? Also the cap and rotor on the top of the distributor. Its like 20 bucks at the auto sparts store. If the little rotor inside the cap is corroded to all hell thatd do it.

Cap comes off with two screws, the the rotor inside just pops off. As far as installing the new rotor you can only install it correctly, and 180 degrees out so thats easy as pie too.

If all thats fine get the timing checked at a shop see if thats an issue

 

The air filter is clean. The plugs, wires, and rotor were changed in the past year (according to the previous owner) and look good visually. I have only had the car two and a half weeks so I haven't done them myself. (That I can do, did it on my old Ford Aspire... yes... a Ford Aspire.) Timing would have to be checked.

From what everyone has told me and from the results of the test, the carb is set too rich. A neighbor even commented that it "smelled like it was running rich." I feel comfortable adjusting the lean/rich setting on the carb from what I read above, but my question is about the car running too lean. If it does run that way, what are the potential problems?

Any tips besides "tighten the screws all the way and then back out one half turn" for the lean/rich setting on the carb?

 

it being a 4 barrely meands that the 2 primary barrels feed the engine under light loads, the 2 secondary barrels open under heavier loads to give u 4 barrels

the 2 adjusting screws are for idle only
if ur driving around town, ur not really idling, so adjusting the screws doesnt help you pass emissions, but will help you with idle

running too lean will creat high compustion temperatures, you can burn valves if u run too lean, and u will produce even more NOx

to fix your rich problem u need to adjust the cruise circuit in the carb, that means adjusting the float in the carb, its probably too high and needs to be lowerd a bit, i'm not familiar with you'r carb, as a matter of fact i'm only familiar with the q-jet and a little bit on holleys so i couldnt tell u how to adjust ur float but that definately is ur biggest problem


if the engine runs fine, u dont have any driveability problems, u just cant pass emissions then your ignition system is probably functioning perfectly,

check it anyway, it wont hurt