Hey all

I have been pondering my brain over this issue for a while now and would like some input.

My 83 v6 Camaro went to the shop recently to get "fixed" for emission related problems. They also fixed (replaced) the Choke pulloff on the carb. Well, my emissions got worse the first time around. They re-routed all of my vacuum lines to some weird configuration. I took it back and they fixed it but they did something that raised a question.

They relocated my PCV Valve to the Passenger side VC. Originally it was in the drivwers side. They said they accidently set the car to CA specs. Question #1: Do you CA guys have the PCV in your passenger side VC? Question #2: Anyone have a 1983 CA V-6 vacuum diagram?

All that got me thinking... Since our 60* V-6 have the passenger side as our forward bank (as opposed to the V-8's), is there a benefit to moving the valve to the passenger side?

Finally, I'm getting some blowby going back into my air/breather filter. It goes through them pretty quick (3-4 tiimes a year). I was wondering if running two PCV's (one on either side would route the fumes back into the intake and save my filters. Would it increase emissions?

 

ttt...

 

I'm not from california, so I'm not all that familiar with the emission laws but I do believe that you are getting fed a line of . If they put the PCV valve on the passenger side valve cover, where did they locate the line for the breather valve. If they put it on the drivers side that would explain the blow-by. Putting two PCV valves on there would not help your case but would make it worse. When they put the PCV valve on the passenger side did they re-route the hose also or just swap the PCV valve and the breather valve and leave the hoses as they were?

 

When they re-routed the PCV, they ran a hose around to the stock inlet on the back of the carb. Currently, the breather filter on the air cleaner is not in use. On the drivers side, they have the former PCV hole venting back to the Charcoal canister ( ). That makes no sense to me.

Could you explain how two PCV's would make the blowby worse? From the vapor diagrams I have seen, the passenger side breather simply sends the oil vapors into the the air cleaner and back throufgh the carb. If I re-routed both PCV's through the PCV port on the carb, am I accomplishing the same thing?

 

Does the car still run good?

Are you failing emmsion test???

 

Simple, the PCV valve works on a vacuum principle where it uses a vacuum source (the carburator) to draw oil fumes from the crankcase to ventilate it while the breather valve draws fresh air into the crankcase from the air cleaner and forces the fumes to circulate over to the drivers side. BTW, the Former PCV valve hole is not venting, it is drawing the gas vapors from the charcoal canister.

 

The shop that you took it to is on crack. You should have the valve on the driver side, with a tube going to manifold vac. Then the breather should go into the air cleaner from the passenger side. To set up the vac. lines correctly, look at the label under the hood, it'll have a diagram of where everything goes. Also, find a new shop, those guys are horrible if they don't know how to look at a vac. diagram.

 

Gumby -- Haven't had it tested since they made some corrections (after I failed the first time). Car still runs okay but MD is more strict than OH. I have an extension until 2/05.

2.8 Boy -- That shop will never see me again. BTW my emissions label is looooong gone but I have been using the diagram from Autozone.com. They are correct when I compare it to what's left of my label.

Trickster -- Thanks for the continued info. Next set of Q's -- With the PCV on the passenger side and being hooked up to the carb, is it still drawing the oil vapors back into the Crankcase? The drivers sid is not hooked up to a vacuum source so is it venting oil vapors into the CC rather than drawing fuel vapors in?

Also before all of this happened I had a catch can for the oil vapors set up. I was told that this increased emmissions. Any thoughts?

 

Ok, then, nevermind on the label...lol

As long as the PCV system has the valve side going to a manifold vacuum source and the other side going to the air cleaner, then it shouldn't matter. It'll still suck all the HC's out of the crackcase and life will be good.

If you had the PCV system modified in any way, your emissions will go up because the PCV system is a metered air leak. If you mess with it, you will run ever so lean.

hope that gives you an idea on how it should be set up.

 

Well looks like I need to track down some original parts and get this backto stock. Once that's done and a new cat, all should be :lala:

Hpoefully I'll be done by the re-test date

 

If they hooked up it according to Cal specs you should be good to go. I don't think anyone has stricter rules the Cal on emissions.

 

Yeah but I don't think they did that either. However, I don't have a label for an 83 CA equipped car (neither does AutoZone)

 

Going by the way your engines and cars are listed in your profile. Here is the schematic showing the vacuum routing for an 83 2.8L engine standard emissions.

 

Yep that's the one I got

 

So nobody's got any California '83 V6 smog sticker?

Hell if it helped emissions I'd swap the PCV valve to the passenger side and put the other tube on the driver's side... damned NJ dyno crap...