1995 FJ(Z?)80 Catalytic converter

[toadshade]

First post, first Land Cruiser and a lot of questions. I am scrambling to get this thing emission ready. I have failed twice. But just barely. I just replaced the plugs, air filter, and found that the rubber manifold going from the air filter to the carb was cracked in half. I taped it up really tight with Gorilla tape just to see if it would pass but with no luck. Right now I have the tank full of premium and sea foam and some other cleaner gunk that I hope I did not go to far with, but it actually sounds great right now. My next bet is the cat. Are there any good cats out there that would keep me from buying the $650 OEM? I have seen some Magnaflows out there cheap, but I am skeptical of the aftermarket ones. Also, there are two on mine. Do I just need to replace the rear one? Or at least start with that one? And as you can see from my thread post, I still have no idea if mine is an FJ80 or FJZ80.

 

[inkpot]

US 95's are OBD II, but test as OBD I in most locations. What are you failing for? CO? NOx? Do you have a check engine light on? Go to almost any autoparts store and they can read out the ECU for codes.

 

[toadshade]

OK. I was under the impression that it was an OBD I and it was tested as such. No check engine lights. I am failing on CO and HC ppm. HC ppm fail at Idle. There is something else I am not sure of with CO+CO2%. It says "Allowed" 6.0 but the reading was 15.4. After that it just says "min". Not pass or fail.

 

[inkpot]

Does your Check Engine light come on briefly when starting engine?

 

[mercedeezel]

does the truck have a history of not passing due to CO and HC? also, have you changed the oil and tried running it hard on the highway for at least 20-30 minutes to get the cats nice and hot before taking it in for a test?

 

[toadshade]

I have not noticed if the check engine light comes on briefly. I will make sure of that tomorrow. But I don't think so. As for running it hard, I took it on the highway and brought it to red line in second gear for about 10 minutes or so before going in for the test. But I think I have to wait until the gunk I put in the tank burns everything out. Right now I put about 10 gallons of premium gas, about 2 quarts seafoam, and a quart of this stuff called "guaranteed to pass" or something that the guy behind the counter recommended. But it was also recommended that I run all of that through the engine first and then fill up again before going back for another test.

 

[Tedward]

To add to your confusion....you may not be able to have an auto part store read the codes. I have a 95 and it's OBDI. So be prepared for that possibility.

 

[retrofive]

To add to your confusion....you may not be able to have an auto part store read the codes. I have a 95 and it's OBDI. So be prepared for that possibility.

You can, obliviously missing a lot of info, but the vatozone here has a scantool with a bunch of various dongles, We found one that fits the diag port on the firewall US PS and was able to pull the codes and clear them. (This is was years ago before I learned the paper clip method and better now with the Wits End tool

 

[lazy]

to answer you question about the cats, Walker also makes Cats that have a solid reputation at a more affordable pricepoint. Both Magnaflow and Walker have the same warranty for emissions - 2yr/25k mi for EPA cats and 5yr/50k mi for california (carb). Prices for Walker cats on summit.

Walker Universal Catalytic Converters 93237 (rear) - $77
Walker Universal Catalytic Converters 93238 (front) - $80

Walker Exhaust 81922 (front & rear, CARB) - $139 each

 

[toadshade]

Perfect, thanks. And they DO work? I have heard all kinds of stories that the cats might get you through your first inspection and that's it.

 

[Rivman1243]

I would run all those additives out of your tank before I spent money on new cats. Do do some research on here about getting emissions to pass. Seams like sea foam helps you fail more than pass

 

[retrofive]

Gut the cats.

 

[toadshade]

I have been reading around the posts and getting some good ideas. Before I gut the cats, I am going to try and send as much crap through the engine as safely possible to see if I can knock anything loose. Right now I have some cleaner in there and sea foam. I agree. It looks like sea foam actually hurts as long as it is still IN there when I am doing the test. It seems to me that that might be a good sign that crap is burning out of the engine. I was debating adding some Heet. Any suggestions on that? Where do I cross the line on adding too much stuff at once? I am just trying to avoid the cats if I can. I still have not gotten any real good answers on aftermarket cats. That is, ceramic vs. platinum. Do those cheap ($200) cats really work? And do I need to just replace both or one at a time?

 

[DancesWithMutts]

I can tell you through my own experiences that having seafoam in your tank during the time of inspection will skyrocket your CO readings. Make damn sure it's all burned up before you test again.

 

[Rivman1243]

I can't really be much help. I'm a new Cruiser owner. I'm just passing along what I've read over the last few months

 

[toadshade]

Cool. I am definitely going to burn it out before testing again. Everything was just so barely out of whack. But with exception to the HC ppm (Which I am not really sure what that is yet). At 2500 rpm, I passed 202 reading out of 220 allowed. But at idle, I failed 409 at an allowed 220. That seems to be one of my bigger issues. What are the possible suspects responsible for bad HC ppm issues?

 

[Rivman1243]

Is your charcoal canister sys working? Does your fuel tank have a large vacuum or pressure on it when you take the cap loose?

 

[toadshade]

The charcoal canister system is something I am not yet familiar with. I will have to check that. As for the pressure, I have only added fuel once since I got it. It was very empty and there was quite a vacuum when I opened the tank. But my experience has always been that way with most of my cars when I am empty.
BTW, I passed my cap test.

 

[toadshade]

I have been reading around for all of the tricks and advice for passing my emissions test. I have been back to get tested a few times since I have 30 days to test for free in Georgia. My last test was so damn close I could not believe it. But this next time I am going to go through this routine: I would appreciate any input or additional advice if you think it would help. For this last tank of fuel I added about 1-1/2 quarts of sea foam and a product called "guaranteed to Pass" I know, it is probably not much of anything but why not? I am going to remove my air filter and unplug a couple of vacuum lines since I think I am running a little rich (suggestion from my mechanic). I am going to put a quart of Marvel Mystery Oil in the oil and run it for a couple of days until my fuel tank is empty, then change the oil with "G Oil" (supposed to be hydrocarbon free) As soon as my fuel tank is empty, I plan on filling up with premium gas and driving hard for about 20-30 minutes to get everything good and hot before taking it in to get tested. I wanted to see if anyone would think it was a bad idea to fill up with something like Techron or any other fuel with a detergent by that point since I really do not want any more "cleaning" going on by the time I am going to take the test? Or if it would still be better since it would make the engine run (negligibly) smoother? If none of this works, then I will just have to break down and buy new cats, distributor caps/wires and maybe some new injectors. But I figured this last ditch effort might allow me to do that over a year of more free time. Wish me luck, and any suggestions are more than welcome! I still need to do research on the charcoal canister though. I forgot about that.

 

[decoco]

Not an expert here, but All these snake oils you're putting in are great and all but are they addressing the real issue?