Emmissions Woes, is toluene the answer?

kdog_x

kdog_x

Founding Member
Nov 12, 2001
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#1
I'm gonna have a couple of cats welded in this week to try and pass emmissions before they suspend my plates, my main problem is that I dont have the air tube that connects the smog pump to the h pipe. I tried getting a couple of shops to rig something up but they all tell me they can't do that and that I need to go buy the pipe. Ford wants $140 for it :notnice: -- bastards

and there aren't any selling on ebay at the moment. Went to about 5 boneyards but cant find any 5 ohs in there. Guess I gotta wait till somethin pops up ebaywise.

Anyway, I was reading a post by jrichker and I saw that you can use toluene to boost your octane up to that of racing gas. Would it be a good idea to run a couple gallons of 93 and a gallon of toluene before going? or would that just make things worse?
 
#2
it'd make stuff worse, I've heard. you wanna set timing back to 10, and run the lowest octane you can, I think.. you could probably go to home depot and by some sort of thin walled pipe, bend it however it needs to be bent, and run it down to the h-pipe
 
#3
I think he is talking about the part that bolts to the back of the heads. You need the bolts too. You can probably have one overnighted from stangparts.com, or 50resto.com might have that, but doubt it plus would be expensive from them too if they did.
 
#4
no, 5.0guy had it right, I just need the pipe that runs down to the H. I'll have to go see if I can find some tubing, maybe I can clamp it with a hose clamp and some rubber hose or something. Not really sure how I'm gonna seal up the hole in the h pipe after I take it back off though.

I've read good stuff about that VP racing fuel, I found a distrib near me but they only carry 103 octane. According to their website it contains alot less hydrocarbons than regular gas -- but like I said it's the higher octane stuff. Would I be better off running the VP stuff or low octane pump gas? Anyone know for sure?

thanks
 
#5
I believe most of the products that help with emissions are alcohol based -- it's got nothing to do with octane. The lower you can run the octane the better - it allows the mixture to ignite more easily and burn more quickly. Also, the air pump is an integral part of allowing the cats to work properly -- they need excess oxygen present in the exhaust stream to allow further oxidation to occur. The air pump provides the extra oxygen. So putting the cats on without the pump may not work out like you think.
 
#6
Michael Yount said:
The air pump provides the extra oxygen. So putting the cats on without the pump may not work out like you think.
Click to expand...

The air pump is still on the car, just the tube that runs down to the cats is missing. I am planning to put the tube back on before emmisions time though -- or rig something up. I was just looking for a way to bring my levels down a little further with the gas. As far as the line that runs to the back of the heads, I dont have it anymore but from what I know, once your car is warmed up all the air is diverted down to the cats anyway so I shouldn't need it to pass.
 
#7
Sorry bout that...I did make an assumption. I would think some copper water pipe from Lowes would work with some heater hose to join it. Not sure if the connection at the cats would get too hot for heater hose...in the stock configuration, there is a special little clamp to hold the tube to the cats too if you do find the correct pipe, get the clamp too. But you will need the A.I.R. pump to make it work right, plus the valves.
 
#8
i used a piece of garden hose. if you have enough of a nub to use hose clamps to hold the hose on you are in buisness for the inspection. i have used it twice while in a pinch. just keep it off the h pipe so that it does not lay on it or it will melt.
 
#11
Autozone or Advance Auto Parts should have the tube that goes to the cats. If I remember correctly, the check valve is part of the tube. The price for the tube & check valve was $45 -$54. The funny clamp for the tube is also an Advance Auto Parts item at $9 a pop. Go to Home Depot and buy a piece of threaded rod and some steel angle stock and make one for $3 or less. The connection is right on the H pipe,and gets extremely hot. I wouldn't put much faith in using any kind of hose for anything but an emergency repair.
 
#13
home depot sells all kinds of tubing that may help. thats what sucks about the smog nazi's......it really isn't as much about how clean the car runs as it is making you jump through hoops. i wish there was a way they could amend some of their smog laws so that as long as it passes clean the equipment is secondary.
i have been trying to find a web site that details whats legal and what isnt. i have heard of people buying bolt ons that are supposed to be smog legal but get flunked on visual. unfortunatly, the more nice looking parts you have on your car the harder they look....and some of these guys working at the smog stations i swear......some of them don't even know how to open the damn hood and you'd think after doing it all day long they'd figure it out. i don't even like having those guys touch my car as to them it's just a car and they slam hoods, doors, and always gun it when they take off when the cars on the rollers.....grrrrrrrrrrrrrr...speaking of smog legality are fender well mafs legal??? or does anyone know of a website that details whats legal and what isn't so if the smog station pitches a fit i can prove x y or z is indeed legal? not everything comes with carb exempt numbers.
 
#14
Toluene would be interesting, especially since I work with it by the railcar load in the printing industry. I know it lights off at 40 degrees farenhieght. Saw a press flash coming off a run a couple weeks ago. Pretty blue / orange flame for a second or two before the CO2 system flooded it out.

Jamie
 
#15
Desperado said:
i used a piece of garden hose. if you have enough of a nub to use hose clamps to hold the hose on you are in buisness for the inspection. i have used it twice while in a pinch. just keep it off the h pipe so that it does not lay on it or it will melt.
Click to expand...

:D garden hose? I'm surprised you even made it to the test station before it melted. If it works it works though.

1 said:
so have u taken it to get it inspected and it failed??? or do you know that u will automatically fail?
Click to expand...

Yeah, I went in with no cats or anything and failed pretty badly. The limit was 0.8 and I scored a 3.9 for hydrocarbons, CO2 was just a little over.

jrichker said:
Autozone or Advance Auto Parts should have the tube that goes to the cats. If I remember correctly, the check valve is part of the tube. The price for the tube & check valve was $45 -$54. The funny clamp for the tube is also an Advance Auto Parts item at $9 a pop. Go to Home Depot and buy a piece of threaded rod and some steel angle stock and make one for $3 or less. The connection is right on the H pipe,and gets extremely hot. I wouldn't put much faith in using any kind of hose for anything but an emergency repair.
Click to expand...

I've called pep boys, autozone, carquest, and NAPA and they all said that they don't stock the tube (no advance auto by me). Copper tubing should work without melting though, right? I'll have to head over to home depot and pick up some (not sure how I'll bend it though), as far as connecting it to the H pipe -- I dont really understand what the funny clamp is, can you tell me how I would go about making one?
 
#17
kdog_x said:
Oh, one more question. Anyone know what size copper tubing would be appropriate.

thanks

I appreciate all the help guys
Click to expand...

hey if i send you mine with the clamp will you send me the money for shipping when ever you get it idont want anything for the tube
 
#18
kdog_x said:
I've called pep boys, autozone, carquest, and NAPA and they all said that they don't stock the tube (no advance auto by me). Copper tubing should work without melting though, right? I'll have to head over to home depot and pick up some (not sure how I'll bend it though), as far as connecting it to the H pipe -- I dont really understand what the funny clamp is, can you tell me how I would go about making one?
Click to expand...

The clamp is simple - a 4" piece of 1/4" threaded rod bent in a U shape around the pipe. Use a piece of angle iron & drill two holes that match the U bolt you just made. Cut the angle iron off so that you have 1/4" or so on outside of the bolt holes. Slide the U bolt in place, side the angle iron on & run the nuts down. Trim off the excess threaded rod. If you have a Dremel or die grinder, grind a half circle in the leg of the angle iron and install it facing the tube.

Don't forget there is a one way check valve on each of the air tubes. They prevent hot exhaust gasses from flowing back into the diverter valves & smog pump and doing heat damage to the components.
 
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