Forerunner

Everyone has emissions testing where they live - namely, your lungs the the lungs of your children. Catalytic converter is there for a reason.. It takes care of some nasty stuff.. or would you rather have it in your and your children's lungs? Emission testing isn't just there to piss drivers off. Look up statistics on how many thousand tons of pollution is produced by car tailpipes each year... Alternatively, go visit Mexico city and try to breathe.. and then you will kiss the ground and thank the stars that we have emission standards here in the States.

If you are not convinced, go to www.howstuffworks.com for factual examination of catalytic converter function. I, for one, think that cutting out the cat is pretty much the same as dumping used motor oil down the drain.

mikedog

Forerunner,

I think you've misjudged me.LOL! I run all the emission equipment my truck originally came with. I've passed my recent Cali emissions test with flying colors. Remember, this is with a 400k+ all original motor too.

The only things I do to my truck between emissions testing is run a 180* stat and advance the timing a little from "stock" specifications. When smog time comes due, I slap in the 195*, back down the timing to factory specs and change the oil before bringing it in. That's all I do.

I'm just as concerned about the environment as you are. In fact, I'm very sensitive to the air quality here in So. Cal. They say the air quality is getting better here, but my symptoms (coughing, hacking, burning eyes, sore throat) just keeps on getting gradually worse as the years go by.

I'm in no way advocating the removal of the cat converter. In fact, I think everyone should replace their cats with newer more efficient ones after so many miles. I just made a "sarcastic" remark about the stinky cats we have to suffer from on our Toyota's and how it would be just "another" reason to remove them in non emissions testing areas. However, I'm in no way seriously suggesting anyone really do this. I do agree with you. It's bad for me, you, the environment and for the vehicle. I should've seen this coming though.LOL! I think there was a long thread posted on this board not too long ago about the "bad aspects" of removing the factory emission equipment. It got pretty heated in that thread too.

You know this can be a double-edge sword too. What if we had a system in place like some countries that made it increasing difficult to own older vehicles. People who own these older vehicles would be subject to increased taxation, inspection and emission testing to the point that the older car/trucks would be almost "guaranteed" to fail. That way, people would be "encouraged" to buy newer vehicles that naturally pollute less.

Is it gradually getting this way over here in this country? I don't know. However, I do believe that the smog tests here in So. Cal are getting somewhat stricter for older vehicles. People who purchase a new vehicle don't have to get them smogged for 4-years. I think of this as sort of a "reward" the state gives you for buying a new vehicle that pollutes less. People who have older vehicles like me have to pass the IM 240(?) dynanometer roller test which they didn't have to pass just a few years ago. As the tests get stricter, there's eventually going to be a failure somewhere down the line in an older engine.

I'm very fortunate that the little 22r is pretty simple and equipped with relatively few emission devices from the factory. I don't even have an air pump. Not much to go wrong really. If there is a problem, I can easily track it down. That's why I like the 22r. Pretty simple to diagnose, fix and maintain. It doesn't take a Phd to diagnose a problem on this engine. LOL!

Does that mean I'm gonna go ahead and buy new Tacoma because it pollutes less? No, probably not. I kinda like this old truck. I'm attached to it in a way. It's got personality to it. I'm just going to keep on fixing it and customizing/modding it until I decide to get something else.

Flamedx4

Mikedog, Doesn't CA allow you to refit engines as long as they are the same year or newer? When the day comes, a new(er) Taco motor might be the ticket for keeping your "classic" on the road. I've been tinkering with the notion of retrofitting new ULEV engines into classic cars. How cool would it be to cruise to work in a 67 Cougar convertible with a nice 200hp V6 and super low emmisions? Or that 59 Caddy with the huge fins and a modern environmentally friendly engine and a high tech automatic to make it cruise nice and smooth? Plus, better gas mileage than they ever could have gotten before! I think there would be a market for this service.

Forerunner

Mikedog,

I agree with just about everything you wrote in your last post. In my previous post I was just addressing that blanket statement about removing the cat, where sarcasm or your specific views were not clear, because what you wrote was so brief. I also do not see a problem with keeping an old truck on the road. I wish my current truck had 22R in it, 3VZE is getting on my nerves. Incidentally, as Massachusetts pretty much follows California when it comes to emissions and inspection, so we have dyno tests here too.

A few older trucks with 22RE are hardly a drop in the bucket. What makes one pause is that overall vehicle fuel efficiency was higher in the 80's than it is now. I see all these people with Chevy Frailblazers, Dodge Derangos, Ford Exploders, Excretions and Exhibitions sitting in traffic with their V8's on their way to work and back. Those trucks never see a day of work or off roading in their life, just commuting.

At the same time, you can no longer buy a diesel VW Jetta that is this years model because pollution standards changed. Under new standards, a little car with 1.9 liter diesel engine that gets 50 miles a gallon is considered a polluting vehicle and you cannot buy a 2004 model here in MA. Yet you can get a huge pickup with a huge diesel and drive it to work every day. Does that make sense? Not to me..

Speaking of diesel, I wish we had diesel choices here in the USA. Toyota sells diesel 4Runners in other countries, but not here. I would buy a 4Runner with a diesel engine in a heartbeat. There are just no diesel SUVs here in the states, unless you want to buy something size of a bus... and not made by Toyota.. I think I saw an occasional very old Land Cruiser for sale with a diesel engine, but thats about it.