New to the board, question about smog pump

[Yellowpnoy]

HI guys/girls, my name is Anthony and i just joined the board, there is so much information here! I recently purchase a 1989 GT with a viper yellow paint w/ metal flake, and custom seats. The car look great, but i have a question about the smog pump. The person that owned the car before me removed the smog pump, i live in PA and emissions are pretty strict here. I need to get the car emissions tested and i am worried that it wont pass w/o the pump. I am thinking about putting another pump on the car but am not sure how all the hoses/wiring are run. Will the car still be ok to go through emissions w/o it? I am going to back the fuel pressure down and install the stock H-Pipe with cats for the test, and maybe pull an injector plug. The tune from the previous owner is extremely rich and i think that is because he was running a 140 deg thermostat and the computer stayed in warm up mode. If anyone can shed some more light on this i would appreciate it because i am at a loss as to what to do, and if the smog pump makes that much difference. Thanks in advance!

Anthony

 

[Roland69]

you might be ok as far as the pump goes but since it's pretty strict there for emissions u could try and see if u can get a pump back on. I think if u changed the t stat to a 180 it would help run a bit leaner when it warms up. Did he leave the hoses for the pump there I dont think there is any wires. And welcome to stangnet.

 

[timewarped1972]

call and ask them if they have a visual inspection to verify smog equipment, if they do, you'll need a pump. you kinda need one anyway with the stock h pipe with thecats on it.

get rid of that 140 t-stat. your car won't pass well at all unless it's warmed up at the right operating temp. get a 180 t-stat.......

as for the rest of it, maybe give some more details about the car.......what heads, cam, injector size, manifold, etc.......does it still have the egr equipment???

i'm sure one of the "brains" in here can tell you where to find a schematic of the smog pump.....

and welcome!

 

[matm347]

I would suggest a 190/192 Tstat as the most efficient combustion occurs ~200 degrees. It's not a pure drag car with 14.5:1+ compression after all.
Getting the temps up there should help the smog test quite a bit.
No need to go lower than 38psi on the fuel pressure, as too lean a condition will fail your smog test as well. Disconnecting an injector will also cause the same problem. A well tuned motor will run very clean. Also make sure your CE (Check Engine) light is off, they will fail you for that as well. Check/change your plugs, change your oil, check your air filter and your TPS setting. A search for TPS setting will give you all the instructions required.

The actual smog pump only has one connection to it, a hose which runs along the side of the passenger side(close to the A/C lines) and connects to a valve, then down to the connection to the H-pipe.

 

[HISSIN50]

Agreed - I would add the pump, though you might get by without it. It just depends upon how clean you run right now and how efficient the cats are that you will install.

Remember that the puter will adapt the injector pulsewidth to the fuel pressure, so a FP change would really have to be made in the parking lot at the emissions place.

I dont even know where people are getting 140* t-stats. That is rediculous. As said, get the coolant temps up as reasonably as you can, assuming your emissions devices can knock NOx down. Tuning for emissions vs performance are completely different animals which should not be confused.

And another welcome to the boards.

Oh yeah, do you have any of the A.I.R. (smog) plumbing in place still?

Good luck.

 

[mbsprinks281]

I would make sure you have a good tune and your cats are in good shape. The smog pump doesnt do as much as the cats do. Put in a 190+ thermostat. Also ad some HEET to the gas tank. You should be alright.

 

[8950HO]

I`ve never heard of a 140* thermostat,probably a type error.

 

[Yellowpnoy]

Wow, thanks for all the replys! As far as the plumbing goes, no plumbing left, smog pump eliminator bracket that was installed. There are some things done to the car that i am not so sure about. I used to have a Lightning that made 635rwhp/760rwtq on the bottle, and this car has me more confused than that thing! There are no lines for the smog pump anywhere. I think i can get through emissions from a "friend." I made a typo, not a 140 t-stat, its a 160*, but the car still wont warm up past 140*, it has an aftermarket radiator in it. As far as details, there are 24# injectors and the guy supposedly has a mass air calibrated for them, but i find that doubtful. The motor is a 306 w/ TFS twisted wedge heads Ported/polished 3 angle valve job, E303 cam, Edelbrock performer intake. It had FMS 1.6 roller rockers, but i have a stud mount conversion with guideplates and TFS 1.6 roller rockers, TFS Hardened Chromemoly Pushrods, 180* t-stat, intrax 2" lowering springs (previous owner has it dropped so low you cant even get a jack under the car). The previous owner said the car was tuned by Laroccas performance, and he said that the car made good power on the richer side, but i checked the plugs and they were sooted up pretty good, i think some of them were even fouled, and i dont think that he ever gapped them correctly. I understand Laroccas is a reputable shop and that they wouldnt have tuned the car to be THAT rich, knowing that would cause problems down the road, so that is what makes me think that the MAF isnt right, and that the thermostat is way too cold. I had a pro-M meter on the lightning and if i remember right, the actual meter had Pro-M written on it, right? This one looks just like a stock ford MAF. All else aside the car with the mods listed above went 12.44@112 at cecil county, and i feel that there is still more power to be made. Sorry for the drawn out explanation, but i really do appreciate everyone's reply's! Thanks!

Anthony

 

[HISSIN50]

Anthony, I am not nearly as good as some of these guys with the mods stuff, but my two cents.

First off, I think there was another typo - I think I saw a 160 and 180 stat both mentioned in your last post. If the latter, that should be fine. If the former, swap it to a 180 (Mr Gasket is my choice of brands. Balanced, bleed hole and opens fully sooner than cheap stuff. 10 bucks).
Your stat regulates temps - you are reaching the stat rating, but that is probably not reflected in the temp gauge (the temp delta at the sender location vs the stat location). A real gauge is a must if you dont have one.

A C&L meter uses the stock electronics and fools the puter via the sampling tube, as I understand it. So that could be a way to have stock electronics but be cal'd for the 24's. Also I know TwEECer guys can 'calibrate' for injectors via the tuner, so perhaps this was done with the chip (I dont know if that is feasible but it seems logical).

If you have not yet, yank the diagnostic codes, just to see what pops up. You should get the Thermactor codes, perhaps a processor code (from the chip), etc. That is the place to start IMHO, since something like an ECT can cause rich issues.

My two cents. Good luck.

 

[jrichker]

How to pass emissions testing:

1.) Make sure all the emissions gear the car was made with is present and connected up properly. That includes a working smog pump and cats.

2.) Make sure that you have fresh tune up with spark plugs, plug wires, cap, rotor, fuel & air filters. An oil & filter change is a good idea while you are at it.

3.) Dump the codes and see what the computer says is wrong…

Here's the link to dump the computer codes with only a jumper wire or paper clip and the check engine light, or test light or voltmeter. I’ve used it for years, and it works great.

See http://www.troublecodes.net/Ford/
OR
See http://www.mustangworks.com/article...c-iv_codes.html

IF your car is an 86-88 stang, you'll have to use the test lamp or voltmeter method. There is no functional check engine light on the 86-88's except possibly the Cali Mass Air cars.

Codes have different answers if the engine is running from the answers that it has when the engine isn't running. It helps a lot to know if you had the engine running when you ran the test.

Trouble codes are either 2 digit or 3 digit, there are no cars that use both 2 digit codes and 3 digit codes.

For those who are intimidated by all the wires & connections, see http://www.actron.com/product_detail.php?pid=16153 for what a typical hand scanner looks like. Normal retail price is about $30 or so at AutoZone or Walmart.

Or for a nicer scanner see http://www.midwayautosupply.com/det...iption.asp?3829 – It has a 3 digit LCD display so that you don’t have to count flashes or beeps.. Cost is $33.

4.) Post the codes and get help to fix them. Don’t try to pass with codes not fixed. Clearing the computer just temporarily removes them from memory, it doesn’t fix the problem that caused the code to be set.

5.) Be sure to do the testing on a hot engine. Drive for 15-20 minutes prior to taking the test to get operating temps up into the normal range. Do not shut off the engine while waiting for your turn on the test machine. An engine up to full operating temperature puts out fewer emissions.

See the following website for some help from Tmoss (diagram designer) & Stang&2Birds (website host) for help on 88-95 wiring http://www.veryuseful.com/mustang/tech/engine

Diagram courtesy of Tmoss & Stang&2birds

 

[rd]

I would put it back on. It should not be hard to find the missing stuff, and should not take very long. I have decided not to buy any more vehicles (for street use) that do not have all of this stuff intact, or at least get a hugh price break if it is gone. Mine are not smog checked here, but the potential if I move 50 miles north or south is strong. Also makes selling a vehicle easier.

It does not hurt performance that I can tell.