Adventures In New Smog City - 09/26/2011

Well, the car didn't pass smog despite fixing the carb. It failed due to NOx emissions. That means the EGR was likely not functioning. Turned out to be true. The EGR backpressure transducer had failed. The purpose of this device is to only allow the EGR valve to open a certain amount based on the pressure that is produced by the exhaust (hence why a free-flowing catalytic converter is not the best for an EGR car that expects to pass smog).



The old valve. The diaphragm failed as they are wont to do after 30 some years attached to an engine. Nobody makes this part either. So I had to talk to my smog tech Stan and he recommended I give a guy a call who is out in Visalia, CA...



And there it is! $175 later I had a new one (overnight even). It won't open by revving the engine at idle, you have to put it in gear and power brake it to build up the exhaust pressure. That's a scary proposition solo despite a good parking brake and chocked wheels, but it worked flawlessly!



Oh yeah. A registration sticker means it's legally mine and I can drive it anywhere! I scraped the old stickers off and the oldest sticker in the 3/8" thick stack was from 1985...

Registration wasn't fun. It was supposedly non-op'd at one time. It wasn't. THOSE back fees sure were fun to pay... 2000 up to 2012... But no matter, it's mine now. Next on the list is a new windshield, new driver's side mirror, new power steering pump (bent shaft on current one), new heater core, and new tires. These are all such easily accomplished items I'm pretty proud.

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Last updated September 26th, 2011