Need the answer BEFORE TOMORROW!

Last day I had brand new High-Flow cats (2) hooked up to my car (5.7l v8 350). They only hooked up 1 airtube to one cat because the other airtube was broken off from the car and they claim the second airtube was not needed (trying to pass aircare).

I have read in multiple places that without the second airtube hooked up that I would likely fail aircare (emissions here in BC) because that cat is not burning the excess fuel like it should.

Is this true?

Correct. For both cats to function properly, they'll need the AIR system connected to pass an emissions test especially if there is a visual component to the inspection.

Dual exhaust or are the cats in series on a y-pipe?

factory placement.

Headers (replaced for the manifolds) to 2 cats then y-piped to one intermediate pipe, to flowmaster muffler, to dual exhaust tips

why did you go 2 cats onto a Y-pipe? Usually the only time 2 cats are needed is if, you run straight dual pipes. then you would want a cat on each side. If they are leading into the same pipe, the one with the air tube ( if it's the last in the series) should burn fine.

are the cats back to back before the muffler or are they connected just after the headers on each side?

In 89-92 the factory offerd dual cats (rpo N10) on the TPI 305 5spd and 350 auto cars.

Here is a not very good pic of factory cats (how ther are placed) and aftermarket headers.

That is the factory setup.

Well from the factory (5.7L v8 350) it's two manifolds to 2 cats to y-pipe to 1 intermediate pipe, to single muffler, to 2 outlets.

Note: they only hooked up one of the airtubes and to me, I am pretty sure the cat was supposed to be turned the other way so the airtubes are on the OTHER side. Now how are they going to put the airtube to the one on the other cat??

you're right. they needed to hook up the second tube in that configuration style.
You might get lucky and pass inspection but I know here in California it costs around 50 bucks for our smog checks and, that is about how much it would cost to get that second tube on. I'd take the small ding and get the tube ran.

Car looks nice. I have to ask, where did you get your hood from? I'd like a cowl but, I refuse to get rid of the louvers.

I immediately went thru aircare after coming from the muffler shop (20 mins away) and FAILED. Failed by 0.05!

1992 Camaro Z28 5.7L (rebuilt as of 1 1/2 years ago), brand new injectors, brand new ignition, wires, distributor and cap, as well as plugs.

Car was tuned up by the dealer 3 months ago) and getting the best gas miliege i've ever received on my car.

I normally drive WITHOUT cats (Comes factory with 2 cats with airtubes). Yesterday I went to muffler shop and had BRAND NEW High Flow (3" reduced to 2 1/2 installed with flanges) as I only want to pass emissions and then will pop back the straight pipe after passing.

The muffler shop only installed 1 of the airtubes to the cat and left the other cat's airtube unconnected (the line from the car was taken off due to it rattling against the frame of the car when the straight tubes were there and the tubes were just hanging there.

They claim the car only needs the 1 airtube hooked up and would still pass

[EMMISIONS TEST]

Drive 30 mins to aircare facility. Car was not turned off and the engine temp was showing around 60-70degress (Assume Farenghiet due being in Canada?).

I was SHOCKED to see that I failed?? With all new stuff, how would I fail??? But I only failed Hyrocarbons and by 0.05!

[FAILED stats]


HydroCarbons (Max Allowable: 0.5000) FAILED at 0.5501
Carbon Monoxide (Max Allowable: 9.3200) PASSED at 4.6974
Oxides of Nitrogen (Max Allowable: 1.2400) PASSED at 1.0977


[PASSED: 2010]

HydroCarbons (Max Allowable: 0.5000) PASSED at 0.3287
Carbon Monoxide (Max Allowable: 9.3200) PASSED at 2.2016
Oxides of Nitrogen (Max Allowable: 1.2400) PASSED at 0.8603

Unfortunately because I already failed once. I now have to go to a mechanic who is ICBC certified and spend up to $600 to fix whatever is causing the problem.

I would hate to think that I failed ONLY because of that one tube!!!

You probably did. And, now also have an exhaust leak. I'd go back and tell the nice man at the muffler shop to do it again, this time correctly positioning the cats so they are both connected. If he refuses, inquire if he would like to purchase insurance for the windows in his building. Just sayin'...

That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard of "spend $600 to fix whatever is wrong? what if it was just a vac line that poped off??? what a crock! glad I don't live in **** ville!!!

I think he means he'll need to spend up to $600 before they would issue him a waiver and that doesn't include what he just spent at "Pipes 'r Us".

Yes. Once you fail ONCE, you now have to go to a certified ICBC mechanic who will diagnose what caused the failure. You can spend UP TO $600 and if after $600 and you still fail, you can get a conditional pass for 1 year.

Since I failed once, I now have to get the exhaust fixed the right way (not included with claim since they are not icbc approved and flanging cats is pretty obvious why ;-) )

I then need to take the car to a icbc approved mechanic to see if ANYTHING ELSE failed it. O2 sensor will likely be the first thing since the engine is tuned up, running perfectly fine (that I can see) and new exhaust ;-). New ignition, wires, plugs, distibutor, injectors.. I mean.. what else is there..

the cats will normally work better with AIR injection.
the front stage in a 3 way cat is for NOx, the bed does better with a slightly rich fuel mixture.
the second bed is for CO and HC, it works better with a slightly lean mixture, which is the reason for the AIR injection.
but not all 3 way cats have/use AIR injection.
on a good day my car has passed tail pipe emissions with empty cats.

your so close that retarding the ignition timing by 1 degree would probably make it pass. but the only way to know for certain would be to pull timing and run it on a dyno again.

looks like they are going to need to add a tube from the right cat to the left cat.
the reason they put the cats on like that is the heat shield. few if any of the universal replacement cats have a heat shield on both top and bottom.
if you were to turn the left cat over so the AIR tubes were next to each other, it could cause a fire hazard. at the very least it would cause the passenger floor board to get even hotter.

with equal mileage on each, the universal cats will never work as good or last as long as factory cats.
many of the universal replacement cats need a break in before they will work at full efficiency.
after a cat replacement, i always asked my customers drive at least 50 miles non-stop and then let the car sit over night with another drive of at least 25 non-stop miles before getting a reinspection. if they could do a couple of hunderd was even better.

i hope that 60~70 degrees is acutally in C because if its in F, that is way too cold of a temp for the motor to run at.

a side note, cats increase CO2 emissions along with greatly increasing N2O(something like 100 times worse than CO2) emissions from gasoline burning vehicles.

Without the airtube from the car (broke off at the seam near the starter (there is a part that holds it to the frame of the car. The tube goes thru it but broke at the other end of that), is it very hard to add a tube to it without having to get a new whole airtube running from the airpump/header?

no it's not to hard. The tube is very soft metal so you can use a heavy duty hose clamp to mesh them together. The amount of pressure coming down to those tubes are very minimal. The Clamps look like little U bolts or, shackle bolts. Works like a champ. The only thing to be careful of is, not to over tighten and pinch the tube shut.
Other than that, it's a 10 minute job.

the bracket that holds the air tube should be welded to the exhaust down near the cats and bolted to the motor/transmission toward the top. there should be a slip joint between the top and bottom
just need to tie both air tubes on cats together with a something like a "Tee" fitting of around 1/2~5/8 inch. i would go over the top of the cat like in the pic.

going up to the air pump other than copper, almost any metal tubing close to the right size should work as long as in has a check valve put on it.
without a check valve, exhaust from the cats will flow back to the diverter valves and burn them out.
you want the check valve up under the hood.
from the check valve to the diverter valve/air pump, you can use some heater hose.



from what i've heard of emissions testing/inspections from most every where else, i still like what we have here in Texas the best as far as emissions go.

here, all safety inspection stations in emissions counties do the emissions testing.
if you fail here, you can take your vehicle to any shop of your choice or do the work yourself. doing it yourself or going to a shop that is not state certified for doing emissions repair, only emissions related parts count toward the waiver.
the shop i used to work at we did inspections and we were state certified for doing emissions repairs, meaning parts and labor the customer spent on emissions repair counted towards the waiver.
we were also an Air Check Texas shop, meaning that for qualified people, the state would pay up to $600.00 in emissions related repairs.

one time i even replace a set of motor mounts that were covered under state paid for emissions repairs. every time you got on the gas the motor would shift and break the O2 sensor.

Get this!!

NO ONE has the Air Injection Pipe. And the muffle shop won't touch it anymore saying that I need to find it. I called dealer, pick-a-part places, and wreckers and no one can help.

I can't even find one myself online! I was told to go thru aircare again changing nothing but running on the freeway longer.

There is one place on ebay that has it but won't ship to Canada.

AC Delco 219-75 Air Injection Tube

Went there and my ratings are WORSE.. Even nearly thru the roof!

Hydrocarbons went from 0.55 to 4.0+
and Carbon monixide from 4.69 to DRUMROLL... 39.6!!!!!!!!!?????????? (Avg. car is 3.2)

In 1 day without doing anything different????

Car is now at the dealer (ICBC approved) and should have an answer tomorrow. Sigh

Problem FOUND!

Turns out that everything that would NORMALLY cause problems with aircare are perfectly fine, as I would so think seeing how they have all been replaced 1 1/2 years ago and a brand new set of cats.

Turns out that my FUEL was leaking above the fuel tank which is how they explained was the reasoning behind why the LONG drive on the freeway which would have normally reduced ratings INCREASED the rating literally off the charts!!

He said he noticed a very strong gas smell when the car was hot (I too noticed by assumed it was because I was at the time before running NO cats). He took a sniffer and discovered fuel vapor spitting out of the top of the gas tank at a hose or something..

I also am ordering a brand new ACDelco A.I.R Injection Line and thinking I may put threads on the end of the elbow AIR tubes off the cats and thread the airlines into them when it comes time for aircare rather than welding, cutting, welding..

Camarosource, for my two cents worth, I wouldn't mess with threading those tubes, I would just get some high temp hose and hose clamps and do it up like that. I have my air tubes connected to my cats like that. No issues so far, and much easier to work with.