Help with a Pennsylvania Inspection

[JoshMcMadMac]

I got my cars registered in PA last week. Now I am running out of time to do the inspections, as the guy that was going to do all three cars flaked on me. The truck and the wife's car I am not really concerned about. However, my car is catalytic and smog-pump free, which fails the visual inspection. I have no real issue with putting catalytics on there, but the smog-pump is a paperweight that contributes nothing, beyond seizing every two years and blowing the belt. Can anyone help? Or know someone who can help? I am willing to run all three vehicles through them, and I can guarantee that they will have a costumer for life after this. I just need this done by the end of the week.

P.S. - I am going to the FFL after work to pick up two Christmas presents!

[knight0334]

Was the car equipped with them from the factory?

Just about anything after 1975 other than the 3/4 and 1 ton truck had cat's. And removal or disabling of a catalytic converter or other emissions control device on vehicle licensed to operate on public roads is a federal offense starts at either $2.5K or $25K fine and goes up to a stiff $100,000.00 and up to 5 years in prison.

The smog pump actually does something, it pumps fresh oxygen rich air into the exhaust to assist in the catalytic conversion/reburn process.

The smog pump maybe robs you of 1-5hp, if that. The honeycomb catalytic converters built these days are not a performance robbing part like the old pellet cat's of the 60s, 70s and early 80s, and can actually help with low end torque.

All I can say is, put the devices back on.

[Fraggle09027]

I got my cars registered in PA last week. Now I am running out of time to do the inspections, as the guy that was going to do all three cars flaked on me. The truck and the wife's car I am not really concerned about. However, my car is catalytic and smog-pump free, which fails the visual inspection. I have no real issue with putting catalytics on there, but the smog-pump is a paperweight that contributes nothing, beyond seizing every two years and blowing the belt. Can anyone help? Or know someone who can help? I am willing to run all three vehicles through them, and I can guarantee that they will have a costumer for life after this. I just need this done by the end of the week.

P.S. - I am going to the FFL after work to pick up two Christmas presents!

What county do you live in? Some counties in Pa do require emissions. If you do need emissions I would recommend finding a independent mom and pop shop and hope they pass it.

[Bmarshall91]

reinstall the parts, have it inspected, take them off again.....



not saying that's what I do.... just sayin.......................................

[JoshMcMadMac]

Was the car equipped with them from the factory?

Just about anything after 1975 other than the 3/4 and 1 ton truck had cat's. And removal or disabling of a catalytic converter or other emissions control device on vehicle licensed to operate on public roads is a federal offense starts at either $2.5K or $25K fine and goes up to a stiff $100,000.00 and up to 5 years in prison.

The smog pump actually does something, it pumps fresh oxygen rich air into the exhaust to assist in the catalytic conversion/reburn process.

The smog pump maybe robs you of 1-5hp, if that. The honeycomb catalytic converters built these days are not a performance robbing part like the old pellet cat's of the 60s, 70s and early 80s, and can actually help with low end torque.

All I can say is, put the devices back on.

Thanks for the help, but that is not the point.

I bought the car with the exhaust done. Moving to PA has actually motivated me to get the catalytics on there, and I do intend to do so. I do not know how soon, however, and that still leaves the smog pump. The smog pump does NOT help anything. There is a reason you do not see them on new cars anymore. All it does is "dilute" the emissions with fresh air, it does not in any way affect the operation of the catalytics. It does, however, have the propensity to seize every few years, pitching the serpentine belt and leaving me to toss a shorter "bypass" belt on there until such time as I can get yet another one, plus a new belt, and swap it out. That is just stupid.

What county do you live in? Some counties in Pa do require emissions. If you do need emissions I would recommend finding a independent mom and pop shop and hope they pass it.

Franklin; no emissions, but I do still have to pass visual.

[knight0334]

Thanks for the help, but that is not the point.

I bought the car with the exhaust done. Moving to PA has actually motivated me to get the catalytics on there, and I do intend to do so. I do not know how soon, however, and that still leaves the smog pump. The smog pump does NOT help anything. There is a reason you do not see them on new cars anymore. All it does is "dilute" the emissions with fresh air, it does not in any way affect the operation of the catalytics. It does, however, have the propensity to seize every few years, pitching the serpentine belt and leaving me to toss a shorter "bypass" belt on there until such time as I can get yet another one, plus a new belt, and swap it out. That is just stupid.



Franklin; no emissions, but I do still have to pass visual.

Actually it does do something, it adds oxygen to assist in the reburn process. It doesn't just dilute the exhaust.. Depending on the catalytic converter and it's location, it may not reach the critical temps required to burn the unburnt fuels, fresh oxygen assists in that process for a clean reburn and the catalytic chemical conversion. Regardless though, if the car came equipped from the factory with a smog pump, by law it has to be in place. The only legal way around it is not to register it or operate it on public roads.

[JoshMcMadMac]

Actually it does do something, it adds oxygen to assist in the reburn process. It doesn't just dilute the exhaust.. Depending on the catalytic converter and it's location, it may not reach the critical temps required to burn the unburnt fuels, fresh oxygen assists in that process for a clean reburn and the catalytic chemical conversion. Regardless though, if the car came equipped from the factory with a smog pump, by law it has to be in place. The only legal way around it is not to register it or operate it on public roads.

I will not sit here and argue about it, but I have had countless discussions with plenty of folks more expert then either of us that ALL say the same thing: catalytics do not need smog pumps, and they do nothing beneficial for the system. As I said before, there is a reason they do not come on new cars. Catalytics get extremely hot, that is the nature of how they work. No air coming from the front end of the engine will be even remotely hot enough to come close, so any air pumped into it will actually lower the temperature of it. EGR works; smog pumps do not. My EGR functions just fine.

[Bmarshall91]

yeah, on my old car i took the egr off, the cat off, and no mufflers. (boy was she loud) and ANY emmissions equipment was stripped by the wayside! haha! all except for that pesky engine control unit.. couldn't bypass that without spending BOOKOO dollars for a stand alone......

baaaaaaaaack on topic....
had a buddy i'd slip some loot too to pass the vehicle visual... i no longer have that car.... so that's not a problem anymore. but pretty much, unless you find someone in your area who just doesn't care, and trusts you, you're pretty much screwed. sorry.

[mauser]

The way I read the opening post is that the OP is looking for a mechanic to reinstall the required components to make the car legal, and inspect all 3 cars by the end of the week. I don't think he posted to start a discussion about what the function of each component is even though he did mention his opinion of one of those components and gives the impressions that he would forgo the smog pump if possible.
He needs to find a reputable mechanic ASAP who's not going to rip him off.
Can anyone help him find one local to him?

[RandomTask]

Just put a cat on it. If you go to a small shop that's not looking to make money skimming repairs off an inspection, it should fly through and they won't even notice the smog pump issue.