My 87 FJ60 was labelled "gross polluter" and is really dogging between 1600 and 2500 rpm. Any diagnosis from the following symptoms appreciated. Gotta get this thing legal.

1. Dogging acceleration as noted above.
2. Brand new plugs/wires/rotor/cap
3. Rebuilt Chenoweth carb about 6 mos. old
4. Dead cat
5. Fully choked, engine revs to 1500 rpm, no more.
6. Smog readings:

@ 2500 rpm as follows:
HC= 132 (passed)
CO%=3.41 (failed; max allowable 1.2)
CO2%=12 (passed)
O2%=1.3 (passed)

@ idle (822 rpm) as follows:
HC=430 ppm (failed; max allowable 150 ppm)
CO%=2.12 (failed; max allowable 1.2)
CO2%=13.2 (passed)
O2%=.7

Anyone who can figure this puzzle gets big kudos; Toytech - Whaddaya think?

Too much CO at 2,500 and too much CO and HC at idle? Most likely you have a fuel leak in the carb. Either the fuel level is too high or the vent holes in the top cover for the jets and idle circuit are clogged. Can you see fuel dripping from the nozzles at idle? Not good.
You may also have a miss at idle because of the high HC, but it could also be really rich.

Hey Pin Head - Thanks for the thots. You know any shops around LA or South Bay area you'd trust? I'm hoping it's not the carb, as it had such a recent rebuild, but it could be the richness.

Hey Creaky,

First off, that dead CAT isn't helping things. Is it dead or gutted? If it's dead from a rich mixture, that will have to be fixed first.

Next up, I'd say the air pump and related systems aren't working judging by the high CO and HC. If Jim C recently rebuilt the carb. I don't think it would be a real concern. It's not like he doesn't know what he'd doing :D

Do you have any major vacuum leaks? The poor performance (and smog check numbers) leads me to believe that your intake/exhaust manifold gasket is toast and the intake may even be cracked below the carb., a pretty common problem.

What your rig needs prior to any smog diagnosis is a good once-over by a shop that knows these engines. Get it to where its stamped with a clean bill of health, then go back for your smog.

I know of several good smog shops in the area, but they'll either turn you away until you get the problems fixed or charge you an arm and a leg to do the repairs.

PM or e-mail me if you have any more questions. Maybe we can arrange a quick look-see at your rig.

Do you know the Cat is dead for sure? If not, call around, some shops can test them.

EGR:
If the engine is falling on its face at about 1500-2500... it is most likely the EGR. These EGR valves are designed to open and close slowly. When they are old, they slam open and shut, causing a huge vacum leak. Very easy to check... pull the actuator off the top, and plug it with a screw. Now see if it still sputters at 2500. If it doesn't, then you most likely will need to replace the EGR.

Smog Pump:
Generally, if the pump spins, it works. But, that's just the pump. After the pump, there is a maze of switching devices which send the fresh air into the injeciton rail along the head up till 2500 RPM, then injects it down stream into the exhaust. When the engine is cold, the routing devise send the fresh air back into the air filter. this is bad. we want fresh air injected into the head. to check this, heat up the engine to normal temps... and pull the the two hoses that run from the airfilter to the air pump. One sucks, the other is return. Make sure it is NOT returning that fresh air to the air filter. If it is, you need to check the related switching devices (too complicated to explain per email).

Thermostat:
This seems basic, but if you have a bad themostat, old, or not there at all... that's bad. See, you need the engine to run at 185 degrees to "turn on" all the smog stuff.

Vacum leaks:
obviously check all the vacum lines for cracks. take your time, don't get over welmed. IIRC, there are about 22 feet total of vacum line. the diagram for this is onthe passenger inside fender, on a sticker. if you just replaced the carb, retighten those nuts... very commmon.

if all else fails, email me direct and I'll explain more thoroughly. B_Sulli@yahoo.com.

-B

I'll check all those suggestions. EGR probs sound tempting, tho I replaced it w/new Toy part this year. But I'll check it. Thermo seems to work ok too, acts normal leastways. About six months ago, I went through the Toy emissions manual step by step and replaced all the valves that didn't conform to specs. But who knows. I'll check again. Keep you posted on this small mystery. Thanks again.

Give Rich a call at K&H Imports, 818-594-0088.He'll help you get it passed and his prices are fair. He's up on Ingomar which is a left off of Canoga Ave. Good luck.

What town is he in? Just moved down here and don't recognize 818 area code. Thanks.

Dead cat?

Sheesh, I thought you meant:
<img src="http://www.cats.org.uk/images/fun2.jpg">
:D

Smell of burning fur gave it away.

That would be Canoga Park, 405 North, 101 West (Ventura), exit Canoga, left on Ingomar. It'll be on your left. I'm heading up there on Friday in the morning if you want an intro.:D