[Supras] NJ inspection

Tue Apr 15 19:37:08 CDT 2008

Dear Craig and Group:

    Yeah, I can understand the implications of a plugged connection.  I 
do have a couple of new accordion hoses, but will try the gas station 
first with present mods assuming I still have a guy I know with a 
Pantera who has his inspected there.  It's a year away, but I tend to be 
a worrier.  If I do need to go to the state, the exhaust concerns me 
more because the Random Tech cat is so small, and the rest of the system 
is 3". 

    I got the '91 from Houston and had it inspected the next day.  It 
passed but just barely on NOx.  At 100K miles, I was going to just lap 
the block, do the head and install a Cometic gasket, but found that #1 
piston did not come up to the deck, so it must have had a BHG (also 
evident from buggered bolts) and hydrolock before.  So in went a 
refreshed JDM and all the other mods which I wound up with.  At this 
point I do not know if the high NOx was because of cat poisoning from 
glycol, or if the EGR system is not functional (still have the original 
front exhaust assembly in storage).  Both the power and boost were way 
down as compared wtih my '90, so the cats must be partially plugged.  If 
I absolutely need to, I could gut the precat, install a new main cat and 
temporarily reinstall the stock front exhaust section. 

    I guess one thing I don't understand is that the ECU controls a 
solenoid valve which "digitally" applies manifold vacuum to the "vacuum 
modulator" for the EGR valve diaphragm.  I have half a mind to connect 
the diaphragm to the charcoal purge port in the throttle body for 
inspection, the way it is done on most other cars (through a thermal 
vacuum switch).  From other cars, I can pretty much tell when just 
enough EGR is used, so would bleed off vacuum from the port connection 
to set it right as a guess for the 15 MPH dyno test.  Alternatively, 
I'll scrutize the TSRM and/or will install a vacuum gauge in the car to 
see if/when the EGR diaphragm gets vacuum. 

    As always, any hints would be appreciated.  Thanks.

    BernieK

cthommes at adelphia.net wrote:
> Black paint is your friend.  :)
>
> But-- I know that anything capped or plugged is generally a huge red flag on this coast... I'd suggest even an unmodified accordian if your mod is that apparent.  They aren't expensive even new (just don't fall for the $90 used ebay ones), and you can keep it for next time too.
>
> -Craig
>
> ---- berniek at technicaldevelop.com wrote: 
>   
>> Dear Craig and everyone else who wrote back:
>>
>> I'll get the engine compartment as stock looking as possible, but will
>> still have a piece of curved 2-1/4" curved pipe coming through the fender,
>> which I can paint black.  I'll take off the Raptor, but I have a 1-1/4"
>> copper ell (1-1/2" OD for Raptor recirculation) with one end permanently
>> installed in the AFM end of the accordion hose.  I guess I can plug the
>> end, paint it black, and hope that no one complains.  I'm also hoping the
>> convex mirrors the inspection police use to look under the car do not
>> recognize the 3" exhaust.  The Random Tech cat is small too, about half
>> the width of the stocker.
>>
>> Before I sold my '90T, the inspection police tried to get the HKS LET-T16
>> exhaust to sound loud, which seemed to be touch and go for a moment
>> because of the boominess inside of a steel building (with bay doors open).
>>  They are supposed to use decibel meters but do not.  I have the same
>> exhaust now on the '91 with the mods described in other postings.  Also,
>> I'll paint the top tank of the IC black.  But in all the years I've taken
>> cars to NJ State inspection I've never had a hood opened, and had never
>> seen one opened.
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>> BernieK
>>
>>
>>
>>     
>>> Hi Bernie,
>>> I don't know about New Jersey, but in CA smog inspectors have never once
>>> balked about the precat being missing.  This is over 12 years of smog
>>> inspections between my turbo sups and the old CA spec n/a sup.  (To those
>>> who want to discredit this point: please look into the differences in the
>>> CA spec n/a cars before you try to tell me n/a sups didn't have a precat).
>>>
>>> Never had anyone balk at the stock airbox replaced with a FIPK either.
>>> Even without the CARB EO sticker on the FIPK...
>>>
>>> Nowadays when I smog, I replace the upper hard pipe, 3K pipe and BOV with
>>> stock items and the engine bay looks completely stock.  It's a 10 minute
>>> job to save hours of headache.
>>>
>>> -Craig
>>>
>>> ---- "berniek at technicaldevelop.com" <berniek at technicaldevelop.com> wrote:
>>>       
>>>> Although next inspection time is some time in the future, I'm curious
>>>> about experiences anyone has had with NJ inspection at a state
>>>> facility.  I's rather go to a small private place and pay $100-$150 just
>>>> to get the damn sticker, if anyone knows of one.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> If I'm forced into going to the state, I'll take off the Raptor BOV
>>>> temporarily, but will leave the hard piping stating that the plastic
>>>> went to polymer heaven.  Aside from the polished aluminum intercooler
>>>> and hardpipes, the engine bay will look stock (well, maybe I'll put back
>>>> the plastic piece feeding the 3000 pipe hose).
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I guess the biggest concern is the single cat, part of a Random Tech 3"
>>>> downpipe assembly.  There is no precat, but I don't know if the
>>>> inspectors with their convex mirrors know enough to look for it, since
>>>> the Supra is old and not too many of them exist now.  Just wondering if
>>>> I should reinstall the stock airbox.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Any and all opinions would be appreciated.  Thanks.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> BernieK
>>>>
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>>>>         
>>>       
>>     
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