Truck failed emissions

[Lattimer]

Since I recently registered my truck, I had to take it through emissions inspection. I was actually a week or so past the deadline, but they aren't too bad on that.

They only do the sniffer at idle here. Failed on hydrocarbons.

HC reading 1511 standard 700
CO% reading 0.56 standard 7.00

CO2 reading was 12.1, and O2 shows 3.9.

Engine is a 1968 327 with an Edelbrock 1407 carb.

So, I did a little reading and then hooked up my vacuum gauge and timing light. 15" vacuum and timing looks like 2 after TDC. WTF!!!!!!! Damn distributor moved on me. I had it set at 6 before TDC when I put it all together. I had noticed the idle seemed to drop a little on me, and yesterday it backfired through the carb once. Now I know why.

Set the timing back to 6 before, have 18 on the vacuum. Decided to go 8 before TDC and I have 22 vacuum now.

Gonna run it back through emissions in the morning and see what I get. Hopefully the timing out that far is what caused the HC to be so high. From what I read common causes of high HC with low CO would be a vacuum leak or timing out severely.

Anybody have any experience with this and have a guess if this will fix it??



For those who don't know, emissions check is free in NJ at the state facility. Had a couple cool people there.....the guy who ran the sniffer proclaimed my truck "b1tchin!".....LOL.

[Longhorn 70]

In AZ we have emissions too. Mine kept failing just barely.. I got it so close but still no go. Finally got classic plates. No more emissions! They are also only $109 for 5 years.
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[Lattimer]

Originally Posted by Longhorn 70

In AZ we have emissions too. Mine kept failing just barely.. I got it so close but still no go. Finally got classic plates. No more emissions! They are also only $109 for 5 years.
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I thought about doing that, but it looked like a lot of hoops to go through to get the plates here. So I just registered it as a normal vehicle.

[Scott>72-GMC]

Good old small town iowa I don't have to worry bout it
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[Scott>72-GMC]

But it is up to Denver Colorado emissions standards
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[jocko]

5 mothballs in a new tank of gas. Run about half of it out and go back for another attempt. Sounds weird, I know. Somehow, my 57 belair with a tunnel ram and two holleys and glass packs passed IN emissions testing back in the 80's this way. It was recommended by an old timer that I trusted a great deal. No guarantees, but it won't hurt to try.

[TBONE1964]

Drive it to the inspection station in first gear. What I mean is hot, I don't mean overheated hot I mean run it really hard. The hotter it is the leaner it will run when they sniff it again.

I would guess you may have already fixed it with the timing but it is a little extra insurance.

[Lattimer]

Originally Posted by jocko

5 mothballs in a new tank of gas. Run about half of it out and go back for another attempt. Sounds weird, I know. Somehow, my 57 belair with a tunnel ram and two holleys and glass packs passed IN emissions testing back in the 80's this way. It was recommended by an old timer that I trusted a great deal. No guarantees, but it won't hurt to try.

I have heard that trick before.

[Lattimer]

Originally Posted by TBONE1964

Drive it to the inspection station in first gear. What I mean is hot, I don't mean overheated hot I mean run it really hard. The hotter it is the leaner it will run when they sniff it again.

I would guess you may have already fixed it with the timing but it is a little extra insurance.

That would be a long annoying ride.

However, good advice....and I have adjustable thermostats on my fans.

[Lattimer]

Still failed miserably. HC was 1478.

I turned my fans up so they wouldn't come on until 220 and ran the piss out of it on the way there.

Thinking I might need to try the mothballs.

[slikside]

I see you attained improved vacuum by correcting the timing, but how about adjusting the carb? Aren't there some mixture idle screws on the Edelbrocks (I don't have one)? You could just be idling to rich.

Just speculation on my part; something else to think about.

Thanking my lucky stars that I don't have to deal w/ this issue.. Kalifornia is fanatical about environmental issues, but our trucks are grandfathered, no smog required.. go figure.

[James Hart]

HC ppm is raw, unfired fuel, CO% is rich mixture running out of oxygen before fuel is completely burned... how are the plugs, wires, cap, rotor, coil, etc? It has to be missing to have HC that high.

You could try raising your idle a bit to see if that helps.


I'm going through the similar here in Ocean County NJ on my 93 K1500 Blazer (still looking to score a 67-72 Chevy at some point). I just bought it, tried a couple things and still failed (4 trips so far). I'm just going to replace EVERYTHING spark & emissions wise before heading back next weekend. It's got 172k on it and no real service records for the last 50k+ (original owner wrote novels of records for the first 110k+ of it's life)

[yote1234]

Originally Posted by Longhorn 70

In AZ we have emissions too. Mine kept failing just barely.. I got it so close but still no go. Finally got classic plates. No more emissions! They are also only $109 for 5 years.
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i thank god!

[mgkgmc]

Thats weird I have classic plates and I still have to get emmisions done every year with my 1970.

[yuccales]

Originally Posted by slikside

Thanking my lucky stars that I don't have to deal w/ this issue.. Kalifornia is fanatical about environmental issues, but our trucks are grandfathered, no smog required.. go figure.

Don't give CARB any ideas now!

[Lattimer]

Originally Posted by James Hart

HC ppm is raw, unfired fuel, CO% is rich mixture running out of oxygen before fuel is completely burned... how are the plugs, wires, cap, rotor, coil, etc? It has to be missing to have HC that high.

You could try raising your idle a bit to see if that helps.


I'm going through the similar here in Ocean County NJ on my 93 K1500 Blazer (still looking to score a 67-72 Chevy at some point). I just bought it, tried a couple things and still failed (4 trips so far). I'm just going to replace EVERYTHING spark & emissions wise before heading back next weekend. It's got 172k on it and no real service records for the last 50k+ (original owner wrote novels of records for the first 110k+ of it's life)

Plugs wires cap rotor module etc are all new. I did a total tune up on it when I got it since it had been sitting for a couple of years and the PO had no idea how old anything on it was. Seems to run fine and I don't hear or feel a miss anywhere. Starts easy hot or cold, idles fine, seems like plenty of power. When I pulled the old plugs they were all light tan and no signs of internal engine trouble.

I haven't tried to mess with the carb yet. I think that is my next try. It has 2 adjustment screws for idle mixture. I just have to find instructions for how to adjust it.

I raised the idle to 1000 for this test too.

[69GWC]

Glad we dont have to do this here, Also to get antique tags here your drive train has to be within 5 years of the year of the vehicle which my motor is not.
Local guy here got busted for having antique tags with a new drive train. Not sure what the fine was just know he got introuble for it as they make you sign a affidavit stating its all with in the 5yr limit.
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[TBONE1964]

OK, I hate to keep making suggestions that don't help. I did inspections in Michigan years ago and 98% of the time, if your took the car for a nice hard run test drive around the block, it would pass. I also have had luck introducing a vacuum leak into the system to lean out the mixture. I don't know if that would help enough. This is a tough one to guarantee a result in your favor. Do they charge you to retest?

Buy the inspector a 6 pack and have him prob a passing vehicle with your vin number and have a good day.

[blkcorvair]

its amazing that you have to run emmisions on vehicles that had little to none from the factory. In NY which I used to feel was a hard state on emissions any vehicle older than 25 years old is exempt. last I checked upstate NY didnt have any

[James Hart]

Originally Posted by TBONE1964

Do they charge you to retest?

Luckily no... no charge, no limit to tries.

[DesertCat]

Originally Posted by mgkgmc

Thats weird I have classic plates and I still have to get emmisions done every year with my 1970.

That is weird if you have the copper Historic Vehicle plates (like I do and do not have to go through emissions).

excerpt from http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2007...df/E7-5558.pdf

Specifically, we are approving
exemptions from emissions testing
requirements for collectible vehicles in
the Phoenix area and collectible
vehicles and motorcycles in the Tucson
area as set forth in the ‘‘Arizona State
Implementation Plan Revision, Basic
and Enhanced Vehicle Emissions
Inspection/Maintenance Programs’’
(December 2005) and ARS Section 49–
542 as amended in section 1 of Arizona
House Bill 2357, 47th Legislature, 1st
Regular Session (2005) and approved by
the Governor on April 13, 2005; and the
updated performance standard
evaluation for the Phoenix area and new
contingency measures as set forth in the
‘‘Supplement to Final Arizona State
Implementation Plan Revision, Basic
and Enhanced Vehicle Emissions
Inspection/Maintenance Programs,
December 2005’’ (September 2006).

Sorry for the hijack, back to your regularly scheduled progam

[Lattimer]

Originally Posted by TBONE1964

OK, I hate to keep making suggestions that don't help. I did inspections in Michigan years ago and 98% of the time, if your took the car for a nice hard run test drive around the block, it would pass. I also have had luck introducing a vacuum leak into the system to lean out the mixture. I don't know if that would help enough. This is a tough one to guarantee a result in your favor. Do they charge you to retest?

Buy the inspector a 6 pack and have him prob a passing vehicle with your vin number and have a good day.

I wish the old 6-pack would work. I'd even go for a case!


No charge for retest, so I can go back 50 times if I need to until I pass.

Right now I'm busy replacing floorboards, so its not going anywhere for at least a week.

[slikside]

Originally Posted by yuccales

Don't give CARB any ideas now!

LOL, no kidding! That thought crossed my mind (jinx) about the time I finished typing that!

Originally Posted by Lattimer

Plugs wires cap rotor module etc are all new. I did a total tune up on it when I got it since it had been sitting for a couple of years and the PO had no idea how old anything on it was. Seems to run fine and I don't hear or feel a miss anywhere. Starts easy hot or cold, idles fine, seems like plenty of power. When I pulled the old plugs they were all light tan and no signs of internal engine trouble.

I haven't tried to mess with the carb yet. I think that is my next try. It has 2 adjustment screws for idle mixture. I just have to find instructions for how to adjust it.

I raised the idle to 1000 for this test too.

Edelbrock has a lot of info on their website. Wouldn't surprise me if they had a video on tuning your particular carb. They also have a tech support #, I'm sure one of their guys would talk you through adjusting the mixture for idle.

I called them when I was considering buying one. But I decided on rebuilding my R q-jet.

[Lattimer]

Originally Posted by slikside

LOL, no kidding! That thought crossed my mind (jinx) about the time I finished typing that!



Edelbrock has a lot of info on their website. Wouldn't surprise me if they had a video on tuning your particular carb. They also have a tech support #, I'm sure one of their guys would talk you through adjusting the mixture for idle.

I called them when I was considering buying one. But I decided on rebuilding my R q-jet.

I found a pdf manual on their site that has instructions. I haven't touched the carb other than taking it off and putting it back when I changed the intake manifold, and based on everything else I have been finding the PO wasn't exactly a top notch wrench.

I'll mess with it when I get done playing welder on my floorboards. Got the driver's side almost done, just have to patch the braces underneath and put the rocker panel back, then on to the passenger side.

[KrazyRay]

Try putting 8 oz of lucas oil fuel injector cleaner with about 5 gallons of 87 octane and run it hot going in for the test. Ive gotten gross polluters here in tough CA to pass. It makes the valves and upper cylinders seal a bit better and its good for the engine! A board member here in AZ about a year ago tried this and he passed.