Gross Polluter Syclone in CA.

[mtb9192]

Well as my subject line says, my Sy was labeled a "Gross Polluter" today when I attempted to have it smogged in the wonderful state of California. I haven't got a clue how this could happen? In past years of smog tests my Sy always tested way low on the Hydrocarbons level. But this time at an idle it measured at 290ppm and the legal limit is 120ppm. Funny thing is it measured only 30ppm HC at 2500RPM so it looks like my Sy is much cleaner running at freeway speeds?

Anybody had any experience with getting through this mess and recertified in CA?

 

[gjp]

Re: Gross Polluter Syclone in CA.

mods?
I have to do mine quick too.
I was told low FP.
put some of the smog pass stuff in the tank.
Get the cat nice and hot
Even pull the tan timming wire, but that will throw a check engine light but should help.
I have a smog chip for 50#'s too.

 

[mtb9192]

Re: Gross Polluter Syclone in CA.

No mods under the hood, bone stock. No chip, not even an adjustable fuel pressure regulator. Just as delivered brand new except for steel braided hose covers and fake anodize clamp covers for a nice look at car shows. I now know from the original owner that it still has the original cat converter and o2 sensor with 66k miles and 16 years of use. Might have something to do with my troubles?

 

[It's just a six]

Re: Gross Polluter Syclone in CA.

You can also raise the idle to 1000 RPM. Runs smoother/cleaner at that RPM. :2cents:
Also, it seems that adding alky helps.
Make sure your cap, plugs,wires are in good/great shape.

My truck was running great & it failed smog.
I put new plugs, cap, rotor,wires, & a can of guaranty(sp) to pass smog can in tank.
Retesed, & it passed.
I have to smog mine this month also.

 

[Mephisto]

Re: Gross Polluter Syclone in CA.

you shouldn't need to get a smog test done if you drive a car less than 5000 miles a year.

 

[mtb9192]

Re: Gross Polluter Syclone in CA.

As far as I know, that has no bearing in California. Everything of a certain age must get tested bi-annually and regardless of number of miles it is driven in a given year.

 

[gjp]

Re: Gross Polluter Syclone in CA.

As far as I know, that has no bearing in California. Everything of a certain age must get tested bi-annually and regardless of number of miles it is driven in a given year.

X2 I drove mine 1200 miles in a year and a half and I need to get it smoged

 

[mtb9192]

Re: Gross Polluter Syclone in CA.

Yes that's what I'm talking about, in California there are no exceptions...everything must be tested bi-annually as I know. Thanks for your comments and for posting.

 

[djwaggoner]

Re: Gross Polluter Syclone in CA.

THE most important thing is to get the cat hot....they'll burn up most anything; leakey rings & valve seals, etc.
If the oxygen sensor hasn't been replaced, it needs to be. New plugs, wires, rotor & cap...good time to do fuel filter & air filter, too.
If your engine is stock, the fuel pressure will be fine - not adjustable anyway...The guys that turn down the pressure have AFPR's & are running elevated pressures.
These trucks _will_ pass if they're given a tune-up and the cat is HOT....have 'em run it at 2500 for 5 minutes at least, and lower the rpm slowly down to idle - then test it. Mine went from gross-polluter to clean just with that alone.
I used Quality Tune on Los Gatos Blvd and they were helpful - and also very concerned about being legal.
HTH

 

[Mephisto]

Re: Gross Polluter Syclone in CA.

As far as I know, that has no bearing in California. Everything of a certain age must get tested bi-annually and regardless of number of miles it is driven in a given year.

my statement was more of a 'voicing of opinion', not fact. a UPS truck probably puts out more pollution in a week than 5,000 miles in a syclone... plus its just a pain in the ass to take off the KB cold air kit, and hook up my egr... stupid CA. :rant:

 

[mtb9192]

Re: Gross Polluter Syclone in CA.

Well today the GMC dealer on Stevens Creek here in San Jose told me my Sy's engine is SHOT at 65k miles and has an internal failure which is allowing blow by past the rings which is why it smokes like a chimney when I start it. They told me drop off a bottle of that thick snot you add to the crankcase with an oil change which helps reduce smoking. So I dropped off a bottle along with a bottle of that stuff which says gauruntee to pass smog. Hopefully they can clean it up enough to make it pass and then it will buy 2 more years and hopefully I can sell the truck and get something else? I have no interest in rebuilding the engine nor do I have the $$$ since I do not have a job and have been out of work since January.

Any body want to buy a Sy which runs great but burns oil and I guess needs a new engine?

 

[PONYKLR]

Re: Gross Polluter Syclone in CA.

Well today the GMC dealer on Stevens Creek here in San Jose told me my Sy's engine is SHOT at 65k miles and has an internal failure which is allowing blow by past the rings which is why it smokes like a chimney when I start it.

That's a pretty blanket statement: do they have any "hard data" (thank you Arnie!) to back that up, i.e. cyl. leakdown test, compression test, etc.??? "Smokes like a chimney on startup" sounds an awful lot like bad valve seals, no?? Much cheaper fix than complete rebuild. I'd want to delve a bit deeper to see what EXACTLY is wrong before I'd throw the baby out with the bathwater. Have I used enough idioms in this post?? :tup:

 

[SY2455]

Re: Gross Polluter Syclone in CA.

Well today the GMC dealer on Stevens Creek here in San Jose told me my Sy's engine is SHOT at 65k miles and has an internal failure which is allowing blow by past the rings which is why it smokes like a chimney when I start it. They told me drop off a bottle of that thick snot you add to the crankcase with an oil change which helps reduce smoking. So I dropped off a bottle along with a bottle of that stuff which says gauruntee to pass smog. Hopefully they can clean it up enough to make it pass and then it will buy 2 more years and hopefully I can sell the truck and get something else? I have no interest in rebuilding the engine nor do I have the $$$ since I do not have a job and have been out of work since January.

Any body want to buy a Sy which runs great but burns oil and I guess needs a new engine?

Like the guy before me said, You can't trust the stealership with anything on these trucks. It sound like you have bad valve seals that you can change out yourself. There are alot of guys in the bay area that may be able to help you with wrenching on our truck. I would see if you can get help with a posting like. HELP NEEDED IN SAN JOSE, CALIF

 

[mtb9192]

Re: Gross Polluter Syclone in CA.

Thanks for those last two comments and you are more than likely right as I was a bit taken by the verdict they gave me.

But on the other hand I really have no interest in working on my Sy myself. Those days are behind me. I have built 3 complete chevy engines in my day and it was fun at the time. However it doesn't seem like fun anymore. I'm okay with day to day maintenance, but engine teardown and repair? No thanks. If I could find a SyTy owner locally in the bay area who didn't mind doing this sort of thing? I'd pay them over taking it in the shorts from the dealer.

 

[gjp]

Re: Gross Polluter Syclone in CA.

I would not mind helping you out Mike. However I have never done the valve before. I just bought a complete set of L35's and bolted them up. If I remember corectly this is your truck? I will be willing to help out if you can find another guy with the know how to do the work.

 

[mtb9192]

Re: Gross Polluter Syclone in CA.

Very nice picture of my Sy at Toms. She is a sharp looking truck I'll grant you that! Which is why it will be hard to let her go at some point in the future.

I got it to pass smog at the dealership on Friday after doing many different things to try and lower the hydro carbons. But it wasn't until the dealer installed a new Cat, that the levels dropped low enough for it to pass very respectively at 70ppm compared to 290ppm when it first failed as a "Gross Polluter". Final cost to make the repairs was over a thousand...ouch but at least now I have two years to figure what I'm going to do with my truck? The dealer still claims the engine needs replacement and I'm not totally convinced at that? But right now I'm thinking the best direction to follow is to sell or trade it for another ride ASAP. Like Tom I too feel it is time to move on. So I will be actively trying to sell it over summer and if it isn't sold by winter I will let it sit until Spring.

I'll be up front with everyone this truck isn't flawless, but it runs great among it's surface problems which are...

1. non-functional A/C compressor, front seal went bad and leaked freon
2. no heater, now by-passed bad unit, too lazy to remove it but I have a brand new replacement which will be sold to new owner along with many removed O.E.M parts
3. after market Pioneer indash head unit is flakey
4. Dealer says has bad rings and blows by oil especially in #4 and #6. Hard to believe with only 65788 original miles and two owners

 

[crazy151drinker]

Re: Gross Polluter Syclone in CA.

$1000....ouch

im too late. I was going to say to just undo the exaust. The Cat is too shallow for the smog probe to fit in right so it doesnt read properly. Thats how I got some magic smog numbers. Good luck with the engine Truck looks great!

 

[bezerk]

Re: Gross Polluter Syclone in CA.

what's with the fish on your rear window? nice truck btw

 

[It's just a six]

Re: Gross Polluter Syclone in CA.

I do not think they(the techs) are supposed to crawl under your vehicle to insert the probe.
But, whatever you can get away with,right?

 

[mtb9192]

Re: Gross Polluter Syclone in CA.

Well, I got my Sy to pass smog today. I took it out on the freeway and ran the crap out of it for a little more than an hour and got it good and hot then head over to the smog test only facility who had failed me a little more than a week ago. They had me leave it with the engine running and it sat there idling for more than 30 minutes. But after they ran it through the idle test and the 2500rpm measurement test here where the measured hydrocarbon levels...

At idle they measured a reading of 1ppm out of an allowable 120ppm, I thought this way a type o?

Then at 2500rpm it measured 22ppm out of an allowable 180ppm

Seems changing out my Cat was the solution? Now I'm good for another 2 years before I have to do this again, but I think I will sell my Sy before then.

Anybody want to buy a clean low mileage Sy with 66k miles and 2 owners? I have 90 days to sell it before it would need to be smogged again for a change of ownership. First $10k can take it away along with a lot of stuff laying around my garage. Including the stock rims mounted on brand new Goodyear Eagles. Rims are not bent, and have all center caps. Presently on the truck are Corvette Grand Sport gloss black ZR-1 wheels. 9.5x17 in the front and 11x17 in the rear. Tires are Goodyear Eagle GSC P245-40 17 in the front and P345-35 17 in the rear. Plenty of tread left on the rears but the fronts are pretty worn out.

If wanted by the new owner I will throw in a 1987 small block Chevy crate motor partially built. Complete with bare 2.02 valve heads (no valves) plus 350cid cast iron 4 bolt main LT-1 block with crank and pistons. Rolling engine stand comes with it.

While reading through some of your more recent comments. The techs did not get under my truck, they just stick the exhaust measurement probe up the tailpipe for a sample of my exhaust during the emissions test. California I believe has the most strict emissions standards of anywhere in the United States.

Also to answer the question about what is the fish logo on my back window? It is a symbol most Christians display on their cars to show other Christians on the road they are believers in Jesus Christ.