Mykedynamics wrote:
Thanks for all the good stuff Griff! I was able to snag one of the EGr's from jersey parts..gave the beast a tune up last night and it's running wonderfully..I'll keep tuning over the next week then smog time!! Wish me luck and any tuning pointers to help with smog would be great!
Eric
You're welcome.
New sparkplugs, distributor cap, and distributor rotor. Check the timing, although the old engines with electronic ignition tended to stay on the timing mark once you set it.
New air filter and PCV valve. If the filter is dirty or the PCV stuck, they sometimes affected test results. Fresh air filter can also improve fuel mileage, depending on the condition of the old filter. A plugged/malfunctioning PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventilation/Valve/Vacuum) can adversely affect engine performance as well as fuel mileage. (The PCV system creates a partial vacuum in the crankcase, which makes it easier to move the pistons on the down stroke, allowing slightly more power to be sent to the transmission instead of being spent on engine operation.)
Fresh oil change and oil filter. Combustion fumes trapped in old oil can re-enter the intake via the PCV and might affect test results. Depending on how worn the piston rings are, small amounts of unburned fuel and combustion fumes leak past the rings and becomes trapped in the oil. These, in turn, combine with moisture to form acids that eat away at bearing and other internal engine parts when the vehicle sits idle. Frequent short trips allow the moisture and contaminates to build up in the oil, creating more acid which leads to greater internal corrosion. Occasional longer trips (20+ miles) at full operating temperature cause the moisture and contaminates to evaporate out of the oil and get drawn out of the crankcase via the PCV system. (Taking 20+ mile run just before the smog test will remove oil contaminates and increase your chances of passing.)
In Alaska, most (all?) test facilities operate on "no pass, no pay" basis. As a result, most IM technicians tend to fix any small problems, such as loose vacuum lines, they encounter during the inspection phase before conducting the emissions test.
