I've failed emissions 3 times now... I've leaned my carb but not the carb idle. I bought all new plug wires, spark plugs, but my HC is extreamly high... here are my stats: HC... 742 loaded... 883 idle CO... .45 loaded... 2.29 idle standard... HC... 400 CO... 5.00 I've read some of the other posts about timing and idle screw adjustments as well as the alcohol do you guys think some or all those would work for my car? also my car usualy operates around 180 degrees sometimes 160. so lower timing means more complete burn??? anyway any help would be apreciated. Thanks.
Make sure your timing is set to factory specs and the idle is set correctly. That should get you in the ballpark. Also a fresh oil change just before going down to be tested helps.
Your carbs a bit rich at idle, lean it down to about 1/4-1/2 trun out from seating the needle. Make sure you don't get a lean misfire! It will run like you got a fouled plug, and it happens when you lean it out so much it can't burn the fuel. Oil changes are good, like mentioned. Old oil can get loaded up with unburned fuel and other volitiles and make your HC's read higher. Lower temps actually mean more HC's, because more fuel on the cylinder and combustion chamber walls won't burn. But around 180 is right for a '74. Leaning it out will make it run a little hotter, but that's no problem if its just to pass the test. My '99 Jeep runs about 195-205, but that's where its supposed to be, newer cars run hotter.
This is what I did. Turn the screw in 1/4 of a turn. Set your timing to 0 degress and boost your idle up to 1500 rpms. Put a quarter of a tank of 91 octane and 4 bottles of alcohol in before you go. When you get there, dont turn the car off. let it get nice and hot. You should have no problem. Here is what my test was with this combo: Hc loaded - 83 Standard - 400 idle reading -59 standard - 400 co loaded - 1.90 Standard - 3.75 Idle reading -0.26 standard -5.00 Let me know if you need help with this, I am here in goodyear.
Are you in pima or maricopa county? If it's pima, all you gotta do is pass the idle test, if you do, they wont even run a load test. They only run a load test if you fail the first idle test, the "clear out" the engine a bit, even though they do take a reading, it really dosen't count for anything.
What kind of alcohol are you talkinga bout here? We dont have emissions here in AR so wouldtn know about this trick
Im in maricopa county. just go to the local walmart or grocery store and get 91% rubbing alcohol. IT WORKS!
Rubbing alcohol is 70% alcohol and 30% water. Denatured alcohol is 100% alcohol and is usually a mixture of ethanol and methanol. It is safer to adjust the mixture leaner than it is to run alcohol. The alcohol will separate out if your gasoline already has the 10% that is required by Federal law during the winter. Here in Washington they use a 10% added alcohol all year so if you add alcohol to your gas it separates out and settles in the bottom of your tank. Thats what happens to alcohol and gas when you add water from rain, condensation or humidity. Any more than 10% and the alcohol and water eill combine and separate from the gas. You may not notice it but eventually it will get full enough to get picked up in the pickup tube and your car will start running like crapola. I did that a few years back when they first started adding alcohol to the gas. Luckily my tank had a drain so I could drain out the alcohol. Looks a lot like water but when you separate it from the gas it still burns. It is just too lean to burn in your car - unless you have dual fuel capable EFI.
Well I failed again and this time the HC went up ALOT for this test I leaned out my idle by a 1/2 turn, set my timing to 0, and used 2 quarts of denatured alcohol, then turned up my idle speed back to 800... I was at around 783 hc and 864 hc now it's around 8## - 9## and 11## hc. but my CO is at .17 an .20 ... a local mechanic said I should probably turn my idle up abit maybe 1 turn or reset it to 2+ turns sents every time I lean my car out the CO goes down and the HC goes up.... I need help BAD I have till the end of the month after that I'm screwed. Thanks again.
You have the carb so lean it is not burning the fuel so your HC is going up. richen the mixture a bit instead of leaning it out. You could always take it to a shop to have them adjust the carb for emissions. Advance the timing too. Timing that is too slow (retarded) will not provide enough pressure for the fuel to burn properly. Don't put any more alcohol in the gas, you are going to have more problems than you have now if you do. At some point the alcohol and gas will separate - if it hasn't already. Then it will suck moisture from the air until your fuel pickup starts sucking it up. Then the car will lose power, run very rough, if at all and only at low speeds. That continues to get worse until it won't run at all.
That's rediculous that they test cars that are as old as that for emissions. Yes turn your idle up to between 1100 and 1400 RPMs at idle. I'd tell you to put a y adapter after the muffler with a gate valve on it and open the gate valve a little before you pull in for the test....BUT if your muffler is in stock location that is a little tough on a Maverick. BTW, if you are putting the alcohol in the tank you do need to make sure that it is around 100% because alcohol will only absorb about 30% of it's volume of water. So if you use rubbing alcohol it could hurt you because it is alreay 25- 30% water and the water in it causes a reaction and releases the carbon from the valves and inside the cylinder walls. In fact old time mechanic friend of the family used to keep an aspirin bottle full of water in his tool box to clean carbon out of your engine. He would take the breather off and run the engine up to about 2500 RPMs and drizzle the water into the Carb and it would blow all kinds of Black smoke out the tailpipe. He would swear it was the water vaporizing in the cylinder and the steam created would cause the carbon to disolve and get blown out.
CO's not the problem the HC is and my tags expire at the end of the month than all I'll have to drive is a '82 kz1000p that has a worsening tranny.
I think your idle has to be within limits for testing. If you haven't tuned the car up in a year or so it is due. Plugs, wires, points (if so equipped) cap and rotor. Set the timing to specs then set the idle to specs - get a Haynes manual and follow the instructions. The specs that they use for the emissions test is based on the FACTORY settings. After that take it to a diagnostics shop (one that doesn't do any work on the car) have them tell you what you need to do to pass emissions from there. You have to start at the beginning and I don't know if you have done that or not. (by the way the diagnostics shop will charge about $50 to tell you what you need to do.)
