[Healeys] Emissions Compliance in New Jersey

[Alan Seigrist]

Bob Spidell is exactly right.  If they aren't testing for NOx or have lax
limits on NOx, then leaning out the carbs is the solution.  Works every
time.  If they are tight on NOx then you need to spend time at a mechanic
with a tester and tune it until all the mixture gets the emissions in the
zone.


On Fri, Jul 26, 2013 at 11:36 AM, Alan Seigrist <healey.nut at gmail.com>wrote:

> Yeah, we've had to deal with this shit in California for years back in the
> 80s and early 90s before they changed the rules.
>
> The easy fix was just to lean out the carbs to where it was just drivable,
> do the test, then adjust them back.  You are very close on both your
> measures, so I think just leaning it out a couple turns should get you
> there.  Find a friendly local mechanic who has emissions testing equipment
> and run a few tests with him before you go to the testing centre, usually
> he can help you figure out where the adjustment and numbers need to be.
>
> Best,
>
> Alan
>
>
> On Fri, Jul 26, 2013 at 6:32 AM, Atkinson, Robert <rca53 at columbia.edu>wrote:
>
>> The State of New Jersey has changed it's regulations so that cars older
>> than
>> 25 years are no longer eligible for "Collector Vehicle" status, a status
>> which
>> requires no emissions compliance but limits usage to no more than 3,000
>> miles
>> per year (which is not a problem for me).  As a result, the Motor Vehicle
>> Commission has refused to renew my Collector inspection sticker for my
>> 1966
>> BJ8.  My status choice now is: 1) "Antique" status, which has no emissions
>> inspection but requires the infamous "QQQ" plates and theoretically limits
>> usage to parades and club events, or 2) regular license plates and
>> satisfying
>> emissions standards.
>>
>> So, as soon as the DVM refused the renewal, I decided to see if my 1966
>> BJ8
>> (with electronic ignition) could pass the emissions inspection
>> (theoretically
>> against some 1966 standard), fully expecting it to fail, which it did.  My
>> questions:
>>
>> 1.  Is it at all possible that an Austin Healey can pass an emissions
>> test in
>> New Jersey?
>>
>> 2.  The "failure" was in the "idle" test with the following results:
>>
>>  *   Hydrocarbons parts per million: tested 1476 versus standard of 1400
>> (seems pretty close)
>>  *   Carbon monoxide (CO) percent: tested at 10.15% versus standard of
>> 8.5%
>> (not sure if that is close)
>>
>> I'd appreciate some suggestions on how to reduce both "hydrocarbons"
>> (which I
>> presume is largely unburned fuel) and CO.
>>
>> My first (only) thoughts:
>>
>>  *   Increase idle speed
>>  *   Adjust carbs to leanest possible mix
>>
>> Any other thoughts?
>>
>> It doesn't cost me anything to retake the emissions test (other than
>> time), so
>> I'd like to be able to go through inspection, make some screw driver
>> adjustments in the inspection station parking lot and go through again and
>> again until I "pass."
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> Bob Atkinson
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