lol, mine had a miss once I got it running, and the cap & rotor took care of it. Is this one teal green also?

 

Snow white, with red interior.

 

The '91 failed DEQ testing. It appears it's either a T stat or EGR sensor. The temp doesn't get over 150 degrees, so we're putting in a new 195 stat, and a new EGR sensor. It blew a 880 hydrocarbon on a 220 std. Hopefully the two simple changes will get exhaust temp up, and clean up the exhaust.

 

Ahh, something I was very familiar with until I went the collector insurance route. I was able to get mine to pass (even way non stock) by:

Retarding timing, changing oil prior to the test, tune up as you said you did, adding alcohol to the fuel, raised the idle to about 1200 and with a new cat. Even then I still barely passed the idle test. Loaded was never a problem, idle is what killed me. One year I had a "vacuum" leak as the lines going from carb to PCV was disconnected. I don't recommend this as its better than a 50/50 chance to get caught. I was just frustrated in that I had done everything I could do to get the new motor to pass. Point blank is that the stock motor should pass without cheating though.

 

This will be his daily driver, so not worth taking the chance on getting caught here in Oregon using collector "special interest" plates. I use them on all three of my old cars, but since I'm retired I can get away with it, as the newest is 1969, and all are used for pleasure and not work.
We've already changed all the fluids, and done everything I can do with a computer controlled car. He stopped by a friend's shop and he told him the readings he's getting don't indicate a cat failure, so not changing the cat. I think he's at the point he's going to drop it at the shop and have our friend tune it to get through DEQ.

 

High HC readings is generally from the engine's air/fuel management running it too rich, or having bad ignition parts causing a weak spark which puts unburned fuel into the exhaust. If he hasn't, it wouldn't hurt to replace everything ignition related; cap, rotor, plugs & wires. Also make sure his timing is within factory specs. You, being a performance minded one, might have tweaked the advance more? That can cause the HC to go up though. Make sure the intake air temperature sensor (that probe thingy in the base of the air cleaner) is in tact and hooked up. Also make sure there are no cracked or open vacuum hoses anywhere. Remember, you're dealing with a computer controlled fuel system. An open vacuum source in the right place can register a "lean" condition, and the computer will then rich up the fuel supply. And yes, a bad cat can cause high a HC reading, but I don't know what his friend looked at.

 

We replaced cap, rotor, plugs, but not wires, or coil. Didn't check the timing or move it yet. Not sure what our friend checked at the garage, but he seemed pretty sure the cat was OK, just not enough engine heat for it to operate properly.
It's going to the shop next week, as I really don't want to fool with it. Not a computer fan, as I know next to nothing about these cars, and wont own one. I'll stick to pre DEQ cars myself, except for our family car, and it goes to the shop when it needs work too.

 

Very strange for the engine not to go above 150 degrees, even with a bad stat. Was that actual temperatures, or just what the gauge was saying, and possibly lying? That's likely to have everything to do with failing the test. The engine and cat wants to be good and hot before pulling it into the testing lane. A cool cat is an inefficient cat.

 

I'm not sure if the temp is accurate, but it sure didn't feel like a hot engine after a 30 min. drive, and still reading under 150 degrees. Since the stat has been replaced it runs 195 all the time, so I think it is an accurate gauge.

 

Finally got the Camaro through DEQ testing by retarding it until it would barely run. It just slipped through, and then we reset everything to run well. It's a very nice running car when tuned to not get through testing, and I don't know why it takes a bad idling car to get through their stupid tests?