I am looking for a place to "hot tank" ?? my TPI intake. Any ideas on where to go or the cost??

I read a few post and the most common reason our cars won't pass the smog test is due to carbon build up in the intake passages. I installed a new (AC-Delco) EGR, but the car still won't pass. The inspection folks suggested a new cat, but that would cost me a good deal of $$. I want to try and give the intake a thorough cleaning before making any investments on the exhaust.

 

Most engine rebuilding shops have hot tanks, but that sure seems like a lot of trouble, and IMO probably won't fix the problem as far as passing inspection.

What would not pass the inspection? Do U have the numbers from the first inspection attempt?

 

it was called Nox. It failed miserably. I seems like alot or work to remove the intake just to clean it (thoroughly), but the time and effort it would take to clean outweighs the cost of buying new cats. I found the catco dual set-up at Sumitt for $300.00 (direct bolt-on) so I don't want to replace the cats unless I know for certain that it's not the intake passages.

BTW, when I took the car to get the EGR installed, by bro-in-law hooked me up with the intake vaccum cleaning. He said it cleans the complete intake system with out having to dis-assemble the intake peices. My car has about 162k on the clock so I am sure that carbon build build up could be an issue. As far as I can tell, everything on the car are the original stock peices, including the cats.

 

I was going to suggest the vacuum cleaning method too, but since you did that already you might me good to go....
OK if it was excessice NOx, then..... NOx is caused by excessive combustion chamber temps, which could be caused by carbon buildup in the combustion chamber, not the intake (and the TPI system is a dry plenum meaning only air goes through it not fuel so there shouldnt be much carbon in it anyways), and a defective EGR (since the EGR is used to add inert exhaust gases into the comb chamber to cool it down), if you replaced the EGR valve then you know that that is good to go but that doesnt mean the whole EGR system is working, you need to check it out on a scan tool or diagnose it some other way, check out the Haynes manual for instructions, because the EGR valve is controlled by the EGR solenoid and by a vacuum source from the intake......

hope that helps, if you need any further info or help PM me I have a multimeter and other tools to diagnose stuff

 

Hitman--question--have U done any mods to the engine--if so, it may have thrown the chip tuning/computer off.

Get my PM?

May I suggest that U post a question describing all this on the TPI board and ask what area of the engine U might want to look at!!! Or do a search for "excessive NOX"--I'm sure U are not the first person to be in this situation.

 

Here start reading:

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sea...der=descending

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sea...der=descending

 

https://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/t...diagnose.shtml

 

there is a EGR passage in the plenem that can get clogged up. there are 2 openings right behind the throttle body, this is where the EGR gets mixed into the incoming air & the openings are what
normally get clogged. i don't remember for certain, but you may be able to check them by holding the throttle wide open & looking into the plenem, i know you can see them with throttle body off,
to clean them the TB needs to come off anyway. if they are clogged you will also need to pull the runners that has the small tubed runner on it off & blow compressed air into the port in the plenem after cleaning the 2 openings with a small screw driver.
if i remember i'll try to get a picture of it.

*edit*
i can't find the cable for my camera so no pics, sorry.
the 2 ports are on the bottom of the plenem, they are about half an inch back from the TB & they are about half an inch in diameter.
i couldn't see them with the TB on so you'll need to pull the TB to check them.

 

Thanks Denn-Shah

I'll have to give a good look over on the week-end. Luckily I have access to a small compressor. I will fiddle around with it and post questions if I come across anything weird.
Hopfully this will help in passing the sniffer.
I haven't driven my car in a few months