incomplete

so, i fixed the stupid exhaust "emissions test tube" that i forgot to deal with when i put the new crossover pipe on. one 14mm 1.5 pitch lug nut and 30 mins later, the car was up and running...

...after a jump start. the battery magically started dying, and i think i tracked it to a loose negative lead (to the 2nd battery) and "bad" amp in the back. i taped up the lead, unplugged the amp and took the faceplate off. hopefully that should solve that.

the idle is set to around 875 or so. the tach is solid at halfway between 750 and 1k once warm. fuel pressure regulator is set to a hair below 3bar (bigger turbo). boost seems higher, but i put a real shim in my wastegate (instead of a couple of generic washers i found there initially) so i might want to turn down the MBR.

after 20 minutes of idling, and a brisk lap around the block, i noticed a few things.
* yay! no more exhaust leak!
* gets to boost fast, but doesn't seem to have the power that i remember
* there's a hiss somewhere in the AFM area when the car idles. i'm not sure if this is "expected" or not. gonna show it to eric from suspension performance and get his opinion (he knows the 951 well)
* the coolant spilled over for the first time in a few hours of idling and some driving. i guess it was "time"? the engine temp was fine...

now on to the meat of the post, smog!

the car hasn't done much but idle and drive around the block a few times. it's not registered, and hasn't been smogged in over two years.

stuff that can affect smog:
* k27/7 turbo
* 3bar FPR
* chips (tuned to lord knows what)

other than that it's stock.

* i need to fill the tank, should i put some techron in there? (tank was drained, screen cleaned, looked great)
* should i drive it before i smog it? i will absolutely warm it up before it gets smogged, but it's not registered, so i'd like to minimize or eliminate driving.
* one more check for vacuum leaks. gonna look for a guide or something.
* i haven't installed my wideband yet... maybe hold smog off until i get my neighbor to put it in for me?

is there anything else i should do?

SO CLOSE!!!

doabarrelroll

Put the wideband in first man. At least then you'll know if you'll fail miserably because it's running too richly. It takes like an hour and well worth it seeing as how smogs are about $50 in CA.

incomplete

you're right. i am just getting really anxious and need to keep it all in stride and not jump the gun.

/me goes back to reading the emissions posts that litter this forum

incomplete

well, i figured out where the electrical problems were coming from... i jumped the car last night, idled and drove it for about 45 mins and today is was dead again.

i put the car on the lift and felt the alternator. HOT to the touch. guess i need a new one.

cas951

Check to see if it's charging first before changing the alternator. At idle you should see 13-14 volts. Your car won't run if the battery is completely dead and alternator is not charging. From your comments you were able to drive after jump starting. Sounds like you have a bad battery.

incomplete

the battery is brand new. as in 2 months. :\

again, the voltmeter in the car looks good (above 13V), as did a check across the battery leads... ill start it tomorrow on the lift and measure the voltage across the alternator. hopefully won't need a jump.

Tom M'Guinn

The turbo doesn't really impact smog results because it is not tested under heavy load. The chips and fuel pressure regulator will control the fuel mixture and so will have a huge impact. If you have unknown chips, you might want to consider using stock chips and FPR for the test (along with stock injectors). Or if you don't have the handy, install the wideband and make sure you stay in closed loop (14.7:1) at idle and at steady speeds. Also be sure your factory o2 sensor is reasonably fresh, and that your catalytic converter is installed and working well. Most original cats have lost most of their effectiveness by now unfortunately. Make sure te rubber seal in your gas cap is good (they test to make sure it seals) and that you offer no reasons to be failed on the 'visual' exam (e.g., no cone filters, MAFs, obviously non-stock injectors, headers, oil catch cans, capped off evap system hoses, etc.). Make sure your cap, rotor, wires and plugs are all fresh as well as the air filter. Make sure the idle stabilization is working so that it idles at 840+/- smoothly. You should have 17in of vacuum at idle or more when the engine is fully warmed up. The hotter the exhaust when you get to the test, the better. If any doubt, check the tps and Afm per Clark's along with the DME temp sensor.

You might want to watch the coolant overflow. It could just mean you overfilled it, or did not vent the trapped air well enough, but it could also mean your cooling system is not working right or your head gasket isn't sealing.

Good luck with the test!

Tom M'Guinn

Sorry deleting repost

incomplete

wow... lots of great advice in here. thanks tom!

the big thing is that i do NOT have the stock chips nor FPR.

consensus seems to be that putting the wideband in before smog is win. i like win. i will hold off on smog until i'm sure the car is ready.

mtnman82

+1 - that's what I did just recently... Found stock ships that is. Put those in along w/supporting cast (fpr, injectors, afm) and drove down to the smog place. Passed no problem, with my K27 & 3" exhaust. I just don't get on it at all - put around town, and she runs pretty nice (only driven it a couple times and need to get some proper stuff on again).

MG944

Also you can replace the brushes on these alternators. Actually you can even go to the local auto parts store and buy the brushes. Some places even stock it. I think the Oreillys in my town did. $35 I think? It's been three years since I did it.

incomplete

hrm. since i'm not rushing off to get the car smogged, maybe it'll be worth my while to source up a couple of stock chips and fpr...

kev951

no need for fpr, urs is adjustable, stock chips will help , but try to get a baseline test done with what you already have, just turn the fuel pressure back down from when i was in town last. You want what is called a "manual mode" test. A pre test will still send pass/fail results to the VID (Vehicle id database) , just get a manual mode test done . and you will know how far off you are. the 5 gas results are live as you drive with a manual mode test. Going back to the FPR, if your smog tech knows you well, then he just may visually pass the fpr, otherwise , it will fail for a visual mod if the guy is stingy and scared, and plays by the book

incomplete

couple of quick updates:

1) i pressure tested the vacuum system today (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AL3jbcrqY8g) and discovered what sounds like a bad leak. of *course* it's under the intake manifold, and i'd guess it's either the connection to either the heater control valve (two hookups), or the overboost protection thingie (three hookups).

guess the intake manifold is coming off. for the fifth time. at least when i put it back together, i'll be able to properly seat the dipstick tube.

2) my battery was indeed bad. new one went in today, and the car (expectedly) fired right up!

3) i have a very slight oil leak... once i have the intake manifold off i'll investigate further.

other than that, all is good! i won't be around for the next couple of weeks, so that'll give me time to source some stock DME/KLR chips and get ready for smog.