LAC Pollution Musings, was Massachusetts 4KTQ owner question

[Dave Glubrecht]

> Actually, the CA law reads such that the level of emissions equipment goes
> with whichever is newer, the chassis or the engine.  If you can equip that
> hemi engine with APPROVED emissions control equipment that matches the
year
> of the chassis, and pass the tailpipe test, you're home free.

I guess that's my point, about the "approval process".  As long as it passes
smog and doesn't put out something else that is new and harmful that they
are not checking for yet, I don't see it as Big Brothers business how the
emissions got to where they are when they come out the tailpipe.

I just think that many regulations, while good-intentioned, are badly
written.  I'm not against clean air.  I actually prefer to breathe it! ;-)

Did I mention a guy out here has a 3B in a 4ksq with no cat(s), and passed
our sniffer idle test recently.  A most beautiful engine bay, I must say.

One consideration about emissions that many do not consider is what will the
engine be putting out in 20k miles with little or no maintance.  Cats are
not generally necessary to pass tests, especially with the generous
allowable emissions on a 80's car.  Just having an engine in propper tune
should pass the test w/o cat, but compare those emissions with those on the
exact same engine with a cat.  Also considered is how long it takes to warm
up enough to be within spec.
As far as putting an 86 MC1 into an 88 car, you need to find out what
changes were made to the emission system and update them to be completely
legal, effectively making it an 88 MC1.  If you want to put the 426 in you
would need to find an approved system for the 426 which there is not one.
But here is where we agree, who wants to put an old outdated engine in a
newer car.  The newer engines are what you want anyway.
      Dave G