Fj60 Won't Pass CA Smog (1 Viewer)

[SFSurfer]

Hey folks I'm new here. I an owned a pre-smog fj40 for years and decided to get something bigger (fj60) as the family grows. I bought an out of state fj60 without doing much homework on the difficulty of passing smog. Long story short, the truck is a gross polluter, everything is there smog pump, catalytic converter and visually everything passes. The attached picture says it all. Any suggestions or any Volkswagen engineers available to help!

 

[2mountainfish]

Looks like it needs a carb tune and a new cat. I'm not an expert, but it seems like older import stuff with carbs eat up catalytic converters.

 

[whitey45]

Running way too rich, co% at 4.0!! Probably turned up to compensate for vacuum leaks. Other numbers look good, try leaning the mixture screw, run it in till it idles rough then bring it back out till the idle cleans up.

 

[megolfer]

If u need a cat, i have one for sale that is a stock replacment. Bolts in where the stock one goes. Its about $330 new. I would sell for $220 shipped. Its brand new in box with warrenty card.

 

[SB Closer]

X 2 for too rich. My '85 60 had more or less the same issue. Backed way off on the mix screw and it helped. This made it run a little rough though - I also had a lot of vacuum leaks. Went through and fixed them all and ran great.

 

[FordFascist]

It's running too rich and likely needs a catalytic converter.

 

[Dynosoar]

You have very good residual o2. your air injection system seems to be working fine a new ct and a carb rebuild will do wonders for those numbers. You can try to do no repairs and add maybe a 1/2 gallon of denatured alcohol to the tank and retest.

Dyn

 

[Spike Strip]

If you want to get it running right, you need to baseline and fix any vacuum leaks, first. Get a vacuum gauge reading. Do or have done a VALVE ADJUSTMENT, if the vac gauge readings indicate low vac or flutter.

If no leaks, then as stated, carb and CAT. And as Dynosoar noted, it's a good thing your AIR inj system is working well as that usually is an issue and difficult to diagnose and repair.

There's a NEW Kaif CARB-compliant CAT in the for sale section for a hell of a price.

 

[Cruzerman]

There are other alternatives. When my FJ40 wouldn't pass smog, I packed up the bags and moved to Oregon.

 

[Spike Strip]

There are other alternatives. When my FJ40 wouldn't pass smog, I packed up the bags and moved to Oregon.

The sanest reply I've ever read ....

 

[SFSurfer]

I might try the Oregon move! We'll see. To date I've had the valves adjusted (by a professional mechanic) and I've given it the weekend warrior tune-up, plugs, oil, filters etc... I'll start with the carburator and see what I can do, but I have a feeling I might get over my head quickly. I'll give it a shot though. Are there any landcruiser mechanics in the San mateo area that may be able to bail me out if / when my limited weekend warrior mechanical skills gets me in trouble. And also, thanks for all the advice, I really appreciate it all the help.

 

[DFXR]

There's Mudrak, up in Sonoma. Or Georg at Valley Hyrids in Stockton. Both are gurus. But prepare yourself... diagnosing problems in the emissions system is time-consuming, even for a pro. You'll reach a point where you might just want to do the denatured alcohol treatment and get it through. It will bring down your C0 which is the big problem. As said, your other numbers are not so bad considering.

Take a look underneath and see if you've got the original cat. If so, a new one will most likely be in order. The CA-compliant Magnaflow is the most popular replacement.

Also, in Spike Strip's sig line above, there the emissions manual in PDF form. Download and give it a look - you may want to dive in, or you may get a splitting headache. Either way it's important to have for reference.

 

[db3]

Call Troy at the Smog Station in Dublin. 925-828-9119. He has done the smog on my 60 for 25 years, and is one of the best techs in the area.

 

[SFSurfer]

Call Troy at the Smog Station in Dublin. 925-828-9119. He has done the smog on my 60 for 25 years, and is one of the best techs in the area.

Great, thanks for the info. I'll definitely give Troy a call if I can't figure thus out. Really appreciate the help.

 

[vipergrhd]

I would hold off om the Cat converter for last until you get all other components under the hood working properly,i would suggest get a vacuum gauge and see what kind of readings are you getting check your compression if you could to see if you have any excessive blow by or compression loss. Your carb is the heart of your engine if it's not working properly all else could look bad,i would call Mark. (Mark's Offroad) in Burbank how long is the wait for a carb rebuild i had my carb rebuilt a few years ago and it was worth every dime,EGR valve could be partially clogged and not flowing causing the rise in NOX it should also open at the correct time. Check out the Emission FSM @Spike Strip got.

 

[db3]

I will second all of vipergrhd recommendations. I had a vacuum gauge permanently mounted under the dash of my 60. There are many articles about using it for diagnostic purposes and what abnormal readings (if any) might mean. Further, the emissions manual is a must have, along with the FSM's for the engine and body. The 80's vintage cruisers have numerous vacuum operated smog systems, using a lot of tubing, which will cause you grief if something is not working, mis-routed, or leaking. What you do not want to do is have some shop blindly start throwing parts at your problem. I've seen this too many times, usually costing a lot of money, and sometimes not even fixing the problem. You need a long time smog tech (like Troy) who routinely works on, and understands the old school vacuum systems and carbs. As for Mark, super guy and highly recommended, but a few months ago he posted he was so swamped he wasn't taking on new work. As for smog parts, Georg at Valley Hybrids has everything and more. If you do need a cat, let me know as I have a used one I think is okay. You can have if it looks like you need one. When you get things sorted out and your cruiser passed, I can recommend a simple EGR system mod (from Troy) which will vastly improve drivability.

 

[Pin_Head]

X4 on running rich. This is one of the easier things to fix. Too much fuel or not enough air. A bad cat won't make 4% CO, although a better functioning cat might work as a band aid for a rich condition. The easy things to check are a clogged or dirty air filter and too high fuel level in the bowl. I would also rebuild the carb in case one of the air metering holes is plugged. If you need help, I would recommend Georg in Stockton. Some others are not so good at smog issues.

 

[SFSurfer]

I believe this forum is the greatest thing I have ever found. Before I posted about my smog issue I was beginning to feel I had purchased a new decoration for my driveway. My hope is has been restored. Really appreciate all the great advice.

 

[db3]

I have been chasing this for a few years now...
here's what I've got:

'85 fj60 failing california smog check
33" bfg mt's (dyno test in my area)
h55 5 speed
rebuilt engine 1000 mi. ago with brand $new$ toyota head
new $toyota$ carb
2 year old cat
perfect compression
18+" manifold vacuum at idle
matched / machined intake exaust
factory spec advance on distributer
timing set to spec.
new plugs, wires, cap and rotor at rebuild
all smog equipment working according ot the manual
new egr valve and modulator


from what I can interprept from my dirty dog eared factory emission manuel the egr system is designed to flow more air at high exhaust pressure and high advancer port vacuum. from what I understand this would occur at high load conditions. with everything set to factory spec. it feels sluggish... is this right? I am pretty sure I have had the egr vacuum line plugged since I bought 6 years ago except for my bi-annual california smog check (this used to be a rpm test but I was just upgraded to the dyno) I have been honestly trying to get this truck to pass and run the way it is supposed to. I am at the end of my rope and looking at tacoma prices (somewhat serious) I am looking for any help possible... thanks
my test score:
________________co________o2_______hc________co_________no
_________rpm
15mph___1682___12.9_______2.6______117_______.02________406
25mph___1521___13.5_______1.8______109(fail)___.03________417

Some interesting reading from years ago.

 

[Bear Lake Cruiser]

I will second all of vipergrhd recommendations. I had a vacuum gauge permanently mounted under the dash of my 60. There are many articles about using it for diagnostic purposes and what abnormal readings (if any) might mean. Further, the emissions manual is a must have, along with the FSM's for the engine and body. The 80's vintage cruisers have numerous vacuum operated smog systems, using a lot of tubing, which will cause you grief if something is not working, mis-routed, or leaking. What you do not want to do is have some shop blindly start throwing parts at your problem. I've seen this too many times, usually costing a lot of money, and sometimes not even fixing the problem. You need a long time smog tech (like Troy) who routinely works on, and understands the old school vacuum systems and carbs. As for Mark, super guy and highly recommended, but a few months ago he posted he was so swamped he wasn't taking on new work. As for smog parts, Georg at Valley Hybrids has everything and more. If you do need a cat, let me know as I have a used one I think is okay. You can have if it looks like you need one. When you get things sorted out and your cruiser passed, I can recommend a simple EGR system mod (from Troy) which will vastly improve drivability.

What is the the simple egr fix?