Bill :
I'm not entirely sure it's a case of overzealous inspectors.
California's smog test includes, in addition to the sniffer test, a
visual inspection of some 50 points, and an EGR valve function test.
(Well, at least it used to. I still haven't tried to get a car past the
new inspection this year, which involves a chassis dyno. It's possible
they've lightened up on the EGR function test, but I'll bet they still
have the visual.) Which is another point : the EPA has put new rules
into effect (I believe as of Jan 1, 1999), which may explain why you've
passed before but not now.
If you think about this a little, it makes some sense. The smog laws
(if you can call them that) specify a great number of tests that a car
must originally pass, far more than can be reasonably tested in 15
minutes at the local garage. So even if a particular "unauthorized
modification" does not affect the tailpipe sniffer test, it may
adversely affect any of thousands of other tests.
In particular, the EGR valve is used to control NOx (oxides of nitrogen)
emissions, which are greatly affected by engine load, and so can only be
accurately measured while the car is being driven.
Of course, to actually convict you of tampering requires that they prove
you did it. The only cases that I'm aware of where a private individual
has actually been prosecuted for tampering were 'sting' operations,
where there was a witness to the tampering. However, CA has a 'hidden'
penalty, in that once a car is labelled as 'tampered', there is no limit
on the cost to repair it. (IMO this is illegal, but so are many things
these day, and the ACLU has shown a disinclination to fight the EPA.)
So, my suggestion would be to fix the obvious visual problems (missing
hoses, devices, etc.) and make sure the engine will stumble when the EGR
valve is actuated. California's inspectors used to have a list for each
car that named each device to be found on that car (but usually without
pictures), so some substitutions were possible.
Also, at least to some extent, cars are not required to be retrofitted
with smog equipment, so if you have evidence that the car was not
originally equipped with an item (and met the import requirements at the
time it was imported), by all means present it to the inspector.
Chances are good he won't have any idea of what to do with it, so will
either pass you or refer you to his supervisor. His supervisor also
won't know what to do, so will either pass you or refer you to a
referee. The referee will either pass you or be able to explain why you
are wrong (in which case you start over). But at least you'll have had
a few shots at getting passed <g>
I don't think this happened much in the 70s, but in the 50s and 60s many
cars were titled with their 'first sold' date, which for Triumphs could
be a year or two past the 'manufactured' date that is supposed to be
referenced for smog laws. (My 59 TR3A was actually made in 58.) So, it
might be worth checking that your 76 TR6 was actually made in 76.
See http://www.dmv.dot.state.nc.us/emissions.html for info specific to
NC.
Randall
Bill Swinehart wrote:
>
> Barney Fife is alive and well!!! He moved from Mayberry to Raleigh, NC
> and is now employed as a state inspector for the NC DMV.
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