Cats or not?

A 400i tuned to the factory specs will fail emissions in almost every state in the US.
The factory specs call for CO levels to be in the 1 to 2% range. Way too high for most states standards.

 

The federal law as well as most states' law requires that whatever emissions equipment a car came with cannot be removed...EVER. So, even if a car is exempt from emission's tests or requirements, the emissions equipment that came on the car OEM or part of a gray market conversion still cannot legally be removed. Of course if the car is old enough to be exempt, the chances are you would not likely be caught...but, it is still illegal.

 

This is a fact. At idle, yes it will pass but not loaded, CO is way to high if it is running right.
By year the car will fail the visual inspection in AZ with out Cats.
My "friend" just went through this here.

 

In Pa., if a vehicle 'registers' under 5,000mi/yr., it is exempt from emissions.
In Fl., the state stopped emissions testing because over 95% passed from yr. to yr.(5 yrs. ago).
Some states exempt emissions testing on vehicles 25 yrs.+(figuring that for its age &/or collectability, it won't be driven enough to make much diff. or burden owners of the expense).
If you have cats, & can get around the emission exemptions w/o cats, 'save the cats' for a future owner who would have to get the vehicle tested.

 

In NJ if you register your car as historic it does not have to pass ANY inspection, emission or safety, but their are restrictions on driving it. Cars with historic plates do not have inspection stickers in NJ. Go to a show and check them out.

In NJ at a private inspection station will enter all the parameters but the primary one is year of manufacture. Based on that year it must pass a hydrocarbon (HC) and CO test. As other posters have stated, even in tune a 400i will not pass. An early 400 might because of looser regs.

My '74 Lotus Europa with Stromberg carbs came real close to passing. It needed to be below 300 ppm and it would miss by 20 or 30 ppm but "we have the technology" to get a sticker.

ON the other hand my '69 Lotus with a Cosworth BDR and 45 mm Dellorttos, passes the 300 ppm test by raising the idle to about 1200 ppm and going a 1/4 turn lean on idle screws. The '69 is exempt but we test it anyway.

My 400i has an air pump which I reconnected. I will let you all know how much difference it makes even without cats. I will set the idle mixture to spec without the pump connected and then retest with it connected. The exhaust gases are hot enough to burn off some of the CO which is a very reactive chemical. (I'm a Chem Eng.) My exhaust is set up in such a way that I could install a cat' if and when needed. There are some specialty vendors that can supply a good one with low back pressure at a "reasonable" cost. Modern cats do not need air pumps in most cases. They have a dual catalyst system and low back pressure.
Ken
p.s. Hopefully, we are all friends out here reading!

 

Did somebody say cats?
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if i could i would murder that cat

 

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I don't think that you would absolutely HAVE to do this. It is true that if you are going to run K-Jet without Lambda with cats you need to make darn sure that the mixture is not tweaked overrich and everything related to "fuel delivery" is working OK, but prior F models do this (e.g., '83 US 308QV). The added complexity of Lambda functionality wouldn't be a plus for a 400i IMO.

 

As I said, 1983 US 308QV is one example with cats that has an open loop fuel system, so is 1983 US MondialQV and 1980-82 US 308i-2V. Also at WOT, even the F models equipped with frequency valves run "stupid" (and a little rich intentionally). Sounds like you know what you're doing so not trying to dissuade you -- just noting that usually on resale, less deviation from stock is an easier sell, and I'd have to guess that most 400i and BB512i in the US with added cats didn't have Lambda functionality added.

 

The center muffler section that came on my '84 400iA has the cat replacing the front 2 mufflers leaving only the last muffler. It also had a closed loop system with O2 sensors. I've replaced them with OEM from Ansa. No emission checks in FL

Al

 

Here's what mine looked like when it was on the car. Sorry I don't have an actual photo but they're burried in the garage where I can't get to them. On each side there is a single cat with 2 inlets and 2 outlets that very closely match the headders and mufflers. I recall when I first looked at them long ago they were manufactured by a German company and I've seen the same name on mufflers/cats on recent Ferraris (360s). Of course this cat was acquired back in the '80's when the car was federalized. The O2 sensors were hooked up to Bosch electronic boxes, one for each sensor, that were under the rear seat cushions. All in a box now.

Al
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Hello everyone just new here hope to stay long. Thanks


By the way I need help. I was confused if the magnaflow catalytic converter is pretty good?and also where to buy? I do searched and I tried it here for some queries Magnaflow Catalytic Converter. Anyone tried it here.? Any suggestions, please let me know. Thanks.

 

Hello everyone just new here, hope to stay long. Thanks

By the way I need help. I was confused if the magnaflow catalytic converter is pretty good?and also where to buy? I do searched and I tried it here for some queries Magnaflow Catalytic Converter. Anyone tried it here.? Any suggestions, please let me know. Thanks.

 

Hello everyone just new here, hope to stay long. Thanks

By the way I need help. I was confused if the magnaflow catalytic converter is pretty good?and also where to buy? I do searched and I tried it here for some queries Magnaflow Catalytic Converter. Anyone tried it here.? Any suggestions, please let me know. Thanks.

 

Welcome aboard Kevin,

I recall reading that some of the 308 guys have built up exhausts using Magnaflow mufflers but I don't recall any mention of their cats.

Do you have a 400 or a 412?

Regards,

Art S.