emission testing in Houston area

[sam's 72]

I just bought my son a 87 swb chevy truck, it has true duel exhaust on it with flow masters, no cats, any ideal how to get around this? Or am I going to have to break down and buy some high flow cats for the truck? To me this is a racket!
Any ideals guys?
Sam

[Slonaker]

My understanding is that, to pass emissions, the cat had to be in the original location in order to preserve the proper shielding, etc. In other words, you would have to have a single exhaust like it had from the factory.

I hope they don't start that here in San Antonio.

Sorry, I don't have any suggestions...

Slonaker

[79BIG10]

You can get a Y pipe then a cat to correct the missing cat. Then run duals from the cat. You can get a dual outlet single inlet cat and have it installed with teh Y pipe and be legal then. In Texas it's 84? and newer have to have the cat.

[SCOTI]

Don't do anything. Well, what I mean is give it a good tune-up & change the oil immediately before getting tested. Don't drive anywhere but to the testing facility so the oil is as clean as possible. Let them test it & see if they pass/fail it. If they fail it on a visual of no cat, then spend the dough to get it to pass. If everything looks pretty stock on the topside, chances are they wont bother to look under if it's burning clean enough to pass. I passed (emissions) every year w/my 93 5.0 Stang w/2.5 exhaust & no cats & my 79 'camino w/L-82 spec motor, 2.5" exhaust w/no cats.

[tommie]

I work in a dealership in houston, and from experience I have NEVER seen a vehicle without cats pass the emission test.
SCOTI i am not directly saying that you are lying, just that i have never seen it happen. If i saw it i would believe it.


seems that everyone at work always has a vehicle that has no cats, from mustangs to hondas, they just wont pass without a cat.

I think that since the state does emission tests, they should just hook the machine up and do the test, it shouldn't matter if you have cats, the orginal air cleaner, or anything else. If they set a standard for emission levels, it shouldn't matter what you have under the hood.


sam, you should be able to just add 2 cats with the dual exhaust setup, I don't think there is a need to go back to the stock exhaust setup.

later
tommie
70' swb

[SCOTI]

Adding 2 cats is illegal & will get you in the same trouble as no cats @ all. It is considered 'tampering' because the factory never installed 2 converters on these trucks. It has to have the # of cats as equipped from the factory in the factory location. If your subject to face the same penalties, why spend the extra just to fail on a technicality?

Here's the kicker too....since you haven't modified the exhaust yourself, you haven't done anything illegal. But, put 2 cats on (if you can find a shop that would risk it) & you will be breaking the law.

It doesn't cost anything more than the price of the inspection to find out & as long as it's as clean (or cleaner) than original specs call for, that's all that should matter.

No offense taken

[Troy 82]

I was talking with the guy at the muffler shop the other day & he told me that, sometime next year Cat Converters are going to go up triple in price. He said that sooner or later the whole state of Tx is going to have emissions testing. That it's going to be worse then California. He could of just been talking at the mouth, that's just what he told me.

[SCOTI]

They've been testing in Dallas (County)for a while now. My parents live in Collin County (20 mins away)& haven't had to get their vehicles emission tested, but I remember my old man mentioning recently he got something in the mail about it. I don't know if it will ever be as bad as Cali though. They seem to lead the changes.

[tommie]

I have never seen anywhere in the manuals and papers that the state of Texas gives an inspector to go by when testing a vehicle, anything about it being illegal to dual out a vehicle that was originally equipped as a single exhaust. (I can recheck on thursday if someone wants me to)

Some state inspectors are dicks, some are not. I stopped being an inspector about a year ago, because there was too much B.S. in it. It all depends on the inspector his/her self. Thats what they told us when we were in the state school. I just never cared much about the emissions part of it. I looked at saftey related items, (tires,lights,seatbelts,brakes). I passed a lot of cars other places wouldn't touch.

If you really have a problem, let me know, I have access to the machine, and my co worker,friend is an inspector. I only work 3 days a week at the dealer in Humble,tx. and if you wanted to try something it would be later at night 8-10pm.

just a suggestion if you have any problems, Sam, or anyone else on the board.

later
tommie

(not tring to argue with SCOTI just giving opinions)

[79BIG10]

Right now the law is 25 years and older do not have to have emissions testing. I think that's a good thing. Just this year to be tested and I'm home free

On the testing the law says it HAS to have a cat 84 oor 85 and newer. They did not visually check or my cat since it was non-exempt for that itself. I had to retest twice to pass. For some reaon the inspector said he had to put in the odometer reading of 80K and change (what it said) rather than putting in 180K which the truck has on it. I think that BS!!! They should put in what the truck has on it not just what the odometer reads. What if the odometer read only 1K? then they're going to put in 1K not 201K!!! Sorry I had to vent

[mckpaul]

Did a little researh on this recently. I live in Houston and the truck I bought came from out of town, has all the emissions stuff removed and I'm in the process of restoring it all to get through inspection. Bringing a vehicle in from outside, you have to pass emissions and have the certificate with you to transfer the title.

Anyway, after some searching for Texas Vehicle Inspection, found some sites that list all the rules, even found info on one of the "State of Texas" type sites, don't remember if it was Dept of Public Safety or what, didn't save the link but printed some pages. They basically say if it had a cat originally it is suppose to be there to pass. Also says that the cat will be inspected as part of the EXHAUST system on prior to 84 model vehicles, and considered a part of the EMISSIONS system on 84 and later vehicles. Goes on to say for prior to 84 vehicles the cat will be inspected only visually (if present) for leakage. On 84 and later vehicles it has to be there. Different vehicles started using cats different years, don't remember when Chevy started putting them on our trucks.

There's a site out there called AirCheckTexas (www.airchecktexas.com) that has info on the various tests, HC, CO and NOx, and what can cause the amounts to be excessive. There's inspection info out there for Texas and the Houston and Dallas areas that have to pass the emissions if you search around. The State site I found also had info on how to transfer titles, yatta yatta yatta. If I find it again I'll post it.

Hope this helps

[mckpaul]

Here you go

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/vi/publ...les/rules.html