308 smog

I've posted this in the 308 section, and I thought it should be here too. I'm working on a 1978 308, trying to get it to pass the California smog test. It is run with the drive wheels on rollers with a medium load applied - 15 mph in 2nd gear and 25 mph in 3rd, so the rpms are in the low to middle 2000's. This car has air injection and converters. The converters were replaced, 1 was empty, and carbs have been gone through and adjusted. All the jets appear to be correct. In neutral, the CO reading is around 0.5 or so, at idle and 2500 rpm, but under a load on the dyno, I get 6 to 8% even after the converters. It needs to be under about 1.5% to pass. Any ideas? I am tearing my hair out at this point. It seems that once the throttle is opened a certain amount under a load, the main jets start pouring fuel in. Anyone have any experience working with the smog test with late 770's 308's? Any ideas would be appreciated, Thanks

 

what sizes are your jets ?
how many turns out on the mixture screws ?
what is the timing set at ?
what are all the readings from the smog test ? ; Nox , HC , Co2 , Co , O2

 

Mike,

I hate to have to tell you this, but you may not be able to smog your car in California. Many of these cars are or have been forced out-of-state over the smog testing. And that's why I waited for a '75.

The tests are not set in stone. And it is my understanding that California has adjusted the requirements on some sort of a curve, by using the test results of other similar cars, and then using the best of those tests as a benchmark for testing all other cars of the same year/type. This devious and unethical practice has (as intended) resulted in tighter and tighter restrictions on the emissions for many older cars and forces many of them to try to perform beyond their original specifications in order to stay on the road. What was a passable car 5 or 10 years ago, may not pass today's ever tightening standards. This is an effort to get the older more smog producing cars off the road. And it's working.

Unfortunately, many of the post-75 cars fall into that category. I have seen several such cars being sold on eBay over the past year or so, that could not pass California emission tests and were being forced to be sold out-of-state.

And the caveate, "This car cannot be sold in California. If you live in California, please do not bid on this car", is often written somewhere in these auction notices.

The lastest one on eBay, (If I recall correctly) was a light blue '78 GT4.

You might consider converting to FI (w/cats) instead. I know it's costly. But it may enable you to keep your car.

Good luck. Let us know how it works out for you. This is important information for all of us.

PS: Welcome to FChat.

BTW: Yes, the main jets dump gas in the carb and they like to run rich.

Check out Birdman's (http://www.birdmanferrari.com/) carb tuning procedures to make sure you're doing it correctly. And take note: the air-bleed is only for balancing the two barrels on a single carb. Therefore, one air screw should always be fully closed.

 

I think PizzamanChris might have a complete K-jetronic system ;-).........just a thought.

 

Pardon me, but if anyone tells you this car is not able to pass in California, they don't know how to tune a moped. As I said in the 308 section, my '76 blew numbers that would allow it to pass in any state in the country with flying colors. That was with no cats, higher lift cams than on your car, 135 main jets (your stock config is much smaller with 125s), and 55 idle jets. Just change the oil, plugs, affix air pumps, make sure it is getting sufficient spark, and get the car hot prior to taking it in and you will be fine. If you want, have the station hook up the 4-gas analyzer prior to actual testing so you know where the numbers stand prior to testing taking place.

 

Question: Of the above list of things I mentioned to do prior to taking the car in for testing, what has been done. I read that the car was tuned etc, but I am curious as to how far you went prior to testing.

 

Do what I did. I have historical plates on my 1976 308 GTB. No smog required!

 

No need to be vituperative. I'm only posting what I have seen for sale on eBay and juxtaposing that, against what I've read about California's ever increasing and restrictive emissions test standards. Having said that however, (and I think this is the real danger) once a car has been flagged, (and I think everyone should be keen to try to avoid that) I'm not sure there's much you can do about it. And it happens quite frequently.

Having the ability to tune a moped has nothing to do with what is happening. If the state decides your car cannot pass smog, I don't think they care about your ability to tune anything.

Now that's a facinating approach!

Since you were able to do it; What are the requirements for having your car declared a hysterical vehicle ?

That sounds like a great idea!

 

I just filled out the paperwork, sent in a few photos, and applied. A few months later everything came in the mail.

 

All you need to do is prove the car has some historical significance. I think the year 76 and word "Ferrari" just about does it.

 

Ba Bam
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Very cool! I wonder if I can get one that says, "308D" (Dino)...

 

Ah... But there's a caveat;
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How many members does your club have to have? More than one? If you keep a record of it, does it become a historical event? If my club meets every weekday morning at the same place where I work, and I keep a record of it, is it then a historical event? If I park it right out front where everyone can see it, is it exhibited?

What about driving it to the mechanic? Or making sure repairs were carried out correctly by a mechanic? What if I do my own work?

Just askin'.

 

What if I have a shop, , , at work, , , and work on it there, , , in preps for a parade, back to my house, every day.

 

You will have to screw the idle mixture screws almost all the way in. The engine will run like crap but will pas the test. You will have to crank the ilde speed screw up in order to get the car to idle.
Some cars require the airbox lid to be removed. If the tester farts around and lets everything get too hot (answers the phone, etc.), it will fail due to excessive hydrocarbons.

 

There are a number of loopholes

 

Such as?

 

If you get these plates then PM and I'll tell you. I don't want to rat myself out,.

 

I went through something similar in IL. Before I got the antique plates, I had to get smogged. Passed the first time, then got headers, new ignition, etc. got an extra few horses out of the engine but failed miserably. The only way to get the car to pass was to detune the crap out of it, and it ran with the power of a 1972 VW Beetle. Luckily the antique plates exempt me from smog testing so I have it back running as it should.

Ken

 

We have the same kind of restrictions on use of cars with historic plates here in NJ. I've had several cars registered with historic plates here and have never been questioned about usage. I've driven with those plates to Tenn., Indiana, Montreal, Quebec, all over upstate NY, New England, and all around New Jersey and NYC. I've been stopped a few times because of no front plate, but under NJ law, historic plated vehicles don't need a front plate, but never once been asked where I was going or what I was doing driving the car. Most, if not virtually all, cops are completely ignorant of the limitation or have no interest whatsoever in enforcing it, IMHO.