Hey all!

After being a Firebird fan all my life, I finally have the car of (one of my many) dreams!

I found an excellent '89 Firebird which was modified to look like KITT (yeah, I'm sure you guys are so sick of hearing about KITT replicas), which I found in CT.

I just had it shipped to LA, and I want to start the process of getting it registered here. It's an '89 with the 305, stock except for an Edlebrock air cleaner and KITT nose and scanner, blacked out rear taillights etc.

I just came back from the mechanic to put the OE cat back on, and took it for a SMOG check next door.

Well, it seems that the previous owner removed much of the stock SMOG equipment, and rightfully so, so it did not pass visual.

Can anyone help me with which parts I'd need to get to pass visual? Does anyone have any smog stuff lying around they'd like to get rid of?

I hate this smog stuff!

 

Post up some pictures of your engine bay and we can start to point you in the right direction. There are a few thirdgens in a couple pick aparts right now in the socal area.

 

Thanks for the reply and for the help! Here's a pic...

 

Looks like the only thing you need is the stock air cleaner set up like this. It has a heat riser on it and the filter for the pcv system. Make sure your timing is set to 0 and pressure test your fuel tank for leaks before you go for smog again. You will have a problem with your tail lights when you go to chp for the vehicle inspection since they are tinted.

 

It probably wouldn't hurt to change the A.I.R. check valves since the car lived in a non-emissions North-Eastern state for so long. They're cheap and easy to swap out. Does your car have a working charcoal canister w/correct vacuum check valves?

 

So I'd basically need this assembly?

Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.com/itm/112396866913

I see the black canister at the very front drivers side of the engine bay, with hoses attached. Didn't pay too much attention to it but I'll snap a pic tomorrow

Thanks guys!

 

Yeah thats what you need.

 

Cool, thanks! Looks pretty easy to install and remove.

So what mods can we make to these cars, while keeping them legal? Or at least enough to pass smog?

 

You can do alot to them. There are cali legal hop ups made for them.

 

cool, I'll check around. Thanks!

 

What part of LA are you in?

 

I'm in West LA. You?

 

quick question, in my pic, what is the white rectangular object thats to the left (passenger side) of my air cleaner? It's kinda just hanging there.

I'd assume that should be inside the bottom of the stock air cleaner assembly?

 

Welcome!!

 

Im in West LA too!

PM me your phone number if you have any questions or need parts or just want to talk f body.

 

Thats the pcv breather. There is a hole in the side of the air intake assembly that the white part goes into.

 

Got it...thanks Tealman

So I installed the stock air cleaner housing etc, took the car for a good one hour highway drive to get the CAT nice and hot. Took it in for SMOG today...and it did not pass. In fact, it failed with flying colors!

I'm at DOUBLE whats legally allowed! Ugh! Whats the first thing I should be looking at?

 

They should give you info on what exactly failed.

Hydrocarbons (HC) are a sign of misfire. Passing is in the 100 or 150 range maybe? 49-state numbers for 87-down is 220gm/ mi or something like that.

Nitrogen oxides get bad if combustion temps are high. Last time I had bad numbers, the intake manifold EGR passage was clogged, so EGR wasn't working (to cool combustion.)

There are others but those are common. So ask CA for the details, and troubleshoot from there.

 

Post a picture of your failed test paperwork. We can trouble shoot from that.

 

Cool...I'll do a scan today. Thanks guys!

 

Here it is....

HC and NO measurements are way high! CO seems OK

 

CO is way high, too. Should be .01 or .02 if everything is working OK. Always is on my tests anyways.

What steps did you take to prepare for smog?

You should always do a full inspection of all vacuum related items. Then, on cars I am not familiar with (like a new purchase,) I will do plugs, wires, cap, rotor. Check and reset timing.

The EGR passages do get dirty, especially if the car isn't super maintained on basic tune-up items over the years. I am mainly familiar with the TPI lower manifold so can't give best direction there.

 

probably gonna start with swapping out the EGR and the O2 sensor (just from reading a few threads on the subject here).

I'm running a can of Seafoam thru it right now too, might help to clean up some deposits etc

 

You need a new CA compliant catalytic converter and swap your EGR and O2 out and you'll pass. When you swap the converter out make sure you drive it at least 100 miles to get the converter hot and activate it.

 

Do a full tune up and oil change.
make sure all your filters are new as well.
Replace the 02 sensor, pcv valve, egr valve and verify your egr solenoid is working by checking for vacuum on the egr vacuum line. Replace the cat. Your numbers will come down significantly with those items replaced. A few hundred bucks but she will pass

 

Don't forget about the fuel filter as well.

 

The high NO reading is probably because you have a bad catalytic converter. I bet you have a strong smelling exhaust especially when it's cold. I have a friend named Louie with a exhaust shop on La Cienega and Venice. He can hook you up with a Magnaflow ca compliant converter for an amazing price installed.

 

this is what you need. I just changed mine out to this in February and put an AC Delco egr valve on and a full tune up and made sure my timing was set correctly. Passed with flying colors.

 

When you change your EGR valve you'll be able to clean out the passages too. It'll be dirty in there.

 

Suggestion: after you pass, put a BB in the vacuum line going to the EGR valve. That way it will not open. You will most likely get a check engine light going down the highway by doing this, but as long as you know this is the cause and not something else, then the EGR passages in the intake manifold will not clog. Be sure to remove the BB when you have to go to emissions again.

 

I just can't see that being a good idea no matter how you slice it.

EGR isn't robbing you of power, and it won't hurt to clean the EGR passageways every 50k miles...

 

Just ordered a Walker CA compliant cat, new EGR, PCV and O2 sensor from RockAuto (sorry 1992 TA, I read your message too late!, but thanks, I will keep that in mind!)

Should get it next week and put it all together. Air filter is brand new, I'll get the oil/filter changed, maybe new plugs too.

1992 TA, got a good recommendation for a mechanic? I know, its all easy stuff to do...I just have ZERO time these days

 

Do you want something very local who's decent or do you want someone a bit away from WLA but who's really good?

 

That's awesome you got all of that stuff ordered. I can probably help you with some of that though if you don't want to take it to a mechanic. For the cat install and o2 sensor install take it to my friend Louie at 3c exhaust on La Cienega and Venice. He does extremely good work and is very reasonable with his prices, especially if you tell him you know me and you pay cash. 310-839-2442

 

Maybe both! One for easy every day stuff, and one for more specific fbody things

 

Trash mileage and run hotter combustion chambers because it's a hassle to have EGR passages clog up every 100k? How about no, Scott. No one needs a 21mpg hwy loser machine.

 

Your mechanic is an idiot or a bs'er to even try and smog it with that air cleaner he knew damn well it would fail before he took it there Id call him on that one!

 

No no, I changed it to the stock setup before I took it for smog (like tealman said)

 

Thanks dude! I should have all the parts by the weekend....I'll do the cat with Louie for sure, but if you'd like to help with the EGR and stuff, or come say hi and check out the car, that would be cool!

 

So I changed the EGR valve and pcv (small one on the drivers side) . Got the cat and o2 sensor and will take it to Louie soon to install.

Now a few questions about the stock air cleaner

-the air temp sensor that was installed on my air cleaner looks like this, the one in my hand is the one that came with the car, in a hole drilled in the edelbrock air cleaner. What's the difference?



What's supposed to be connected here? A vacuum line?





At the bottom right side of my TBI, there is a small vacuum hose which is blocked off with a screw. Any idea what that's for?

 

I can look at my 95 GMC truck 305 TBI tomorrow.

 

Hello.... I see your having issues getting passed smog. I just did smog on my 92. The most famous issue of failing is the EGR. I have a TPI 305 with a cat back exhaust kit. I did a full tune up and the EGR is always the issue. The EGR was not working with the rest of the vacuum so I replaced it and there was no issue. If you can't pass this time around I can help you. I live in Hollywood and your welcome to come to my friends shop so we can really detect the problem. Just message me if all else fails.

 

If I'm right that hose might of connected to the air cleaner. It also looks wrong. They might of replaced the original hose when they added the Edelbrock air cleaner on.

 

Air temp sensors vary in style. Try and run the one in the air cleaner for now.

 

Thanks everyone! And special thanks to 1992 Trans Am and Tealman for helping me out over the weekend!

So along with the EGR and PCV changed over the weekend, I ordered the following:

AC Delco RapidFire platinum spark plugs, AC Delco wire set, AC delco coil, MSD dist cap + rotor, plus the new Walker CA compliant cat, and new Denso O2 sensor.

Hopefully after all that, it'll pass smog!

 

I took some pictures for you, but my 95 is different than your setup. Let me know if you need them.

 

I think I figured it out....just supposed to be a vaccum line from the closed port on my TBI unit, up to the empty vacuum port on the air cleaner housing. Thanks!

 

Woohoo! Finally! After changing the distributor cap, rotor, ignition coil, plugs, wires oil and filer, egr, CA compliant cat and new o2 sensor, she finally passed smog!

 

Congrats buddy! Glad you got her to pass and by good numbers. Go check out the socal board there is a bbq coming up next month.

 

Nice update! You'll get better mileage and drivability because of something you had to do anyway. Win-win.