I'm going to be moving to a part of Pennsylvania that does tailpipe emission testing. Will my 92 pass without catalytic converters? The shells are there but the previous owner gutted the cats.

The car is stock except for a Hypertech chip, cool thermostat and flowmaster exhaust system.

What are my chances of passing or what do I have to do short of replacing the cats to pass the "sniffer" test?

Thanks in advance for your help an advice.
Brian

 

Highly doubtful... Not impossible - just improbable. Get an inexpensive set of aftermarket cats (or even better, find a used OEM set here on the forum for sale), and be done with it. If PA is like CA, when the car fails emissions, it's reported to the state and ends up on your car's CARFAX report, and in CA at least, causes you more trouble down the road when it's time to smog again.

Best of luck...

 

If you can pass without Cat(s), let the OEM's know - Bill Gates will be jealous of your wealth. Otherwise, hope no one goes here:

http://www.epa.gov/compliance/complaints/index.html

 

Heh, heh, I think you've used that one before! And it's funny because it's sooooo true!

 

depending on how high their allowable are, you have no chance of passing w/o cats...

read my 1st post, and last post, here to see how much a cat affects emissions on a car that is running near perfect.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1457620

 

You're not a tree hugger are you?

 

"If you are experiencing an environmental emergency or are witnessing an environmental event that may lead to imminent loss of life, select the emergency link at the right". i hardley think a gutted cat or two applies.

 

Thanks for putting this in perspective. I was tossing and turning all night thinking the EPA would be knocking my door down in the morning.


On a more realistic note thanks (Perfusion) for the useful advice, I did find a set of direct replacement cats at Summit Racing for $166 per side.

And I hope the EPA knows I'm "just kidding" I wouldn't do anything to increase "Global Warming" or kill a tree!

Thanks Again from somewhere on the Right Coast!
Brian

 

Do you have the link for the cats or Summit Racing? thanks

 

http://www.summitracing.com/

 

This is not so much about killing a tree, it's about messing up the air we have to breathe....

I don't believe the emissions from cars, when properly controlled, really have a hugely negative impact on our collective air quality. But, when not controlled, does have a huge impact on the ground air we breathe, and, an equally negative impact on the overall environment.

Case in point, California researchers have found airborne pollutants intermixed with the local air... FROM FACTORIES IN CHINA.

From my perspective, if we as drivers and responsible enthusiasts do our part by keeping our cars clean, we can do wonders to help the air we have to breathe and that of our children, and their children.

If we don't, I could see just about every hot rod engine trick ultimately outlawed. And I would blame every one of you who doesn't believe in even a small amount of responsibility for it.

We have seen that corporations can build factory hot rods with huge power, yet maintain emissions compliance. It isn't impossible for us, either.

To me, it isn't worth it to build that 650hp monster machine if it's going to pollute so much, and stink up the air around me that it makes my eyes water. I would rather have a more streetable 450hp machine that will burn clean and still run like a raped ape... and not stink up the joint.

Save that killer car for a race track somewhere.

My wife and her family grew up in greater Los Angeles. Her mom grew up in downtown LA, near the Coliseum back in the mid-1960s. Thanks to the unique geographical (and geological) conditions in the basin, the air quality was horrid. She remembers as a teenager walking to the bus, and her lungs burning from the smog.

This is not good for anyone. And if you want to experience this, just take a trip to parts of Mexico, India, China or Russia. Knock yourself out...

And consider yourself lucky we live in a society that has enough wealth and common sense to do something about it.

 

Well said bogus! I've lived in areas with and without emission testing and can clearly see the standards have a positive impact, it may take time but if we don't try to improve air quality our grandchildren may not ever experience the joy our cars can provide.

 

This is the link to Summit's online catalog with the direct fit cats.

Brian


http://store.summitracing.com/egnsea...=KeywordSearch

 

Ever flown across the US in the summer and watched the sky turn brown somewhere before the Mississippi?

 

Sorry but I had to smile over that one
I expect you mean flying east and I always find it scarier flying into San Diego or LA!
No matter, seems we both realize the air needs improvement, and that is the important part.
Like LA Florida has some unique geography that has an influence, only here because we a peninsula the constant air movement improves our air quality. Consequently the EPA gives us good ratings that allows NO emission testing in the state. I know I'll take some flames for this but I believe that is a mistake, there are more junk cars polluting here than up north in the rust belt industrial areas! Even if Florida air tests good no doubt we're killing some poor guy in a third world country. Another factor that makes testing so hard to swallow for many is inconsistancy of testing across the country, to me that should be standardized rather than the patchwork mess in use now.
I'll put on the Nomex now and wait!

 

What county in PA uses a sniffer?

Odd...

 

Check this PDF out, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are on the sniffer list ... and vehicles driven under 5000 miles annually can be exempted.

http://www.drivecleanpa.state.pa.us/...e/brochure.pdf

Sorry guys ... pardon the pun but I didn't mean to make a big stink over this. I just wanted a little advise not a lecture.

Brian

 

I asked that because I passed my PA emmisions with a hollow cat and AIR pump.

I didnt know the big cities did that.

 

Under 5K miles and you're exempt, but what that brochure dosn't mention is that the vehicle is still subject to a visual test, so if you don't have cats you will still fail.

 

My 2 cents on this. I to grew up in the hot rod hey days and also saw the dreaded pollution, however all the sniffing and testing on our cars is a joke. I'd like to see real testing. No real converters that work. Tell me how someone could be coughing on car tail pipes in the past and can breath what comes out of them today. How many of you are at stop light, toll booths etc and CAN NOT BREATH because of the acid being spewed out. Im sure we are improving one type of pollution but are we going off in a whole other direction. Do a littmus test on tail pipe emissions a you decide. We still have a ways to go.