Well I didn't burn a drop before the desmog. I was thinking that maybe it was the rings tho.

 

Burning oil AND white smoke? The burning oil I would say is not desmogging related - could be valve stem seals or rings. The white smoke could be desmogging related though. I know you put an Offy on that thing so the first thing I would check would be the gasket between the intake and the head. Water runs through the intake so if you didn't get a good seal (or reused an old gasket) you could be dumping and burning water in your cylinders. There is also the possibility that when you replaced the intake that you had some coolant run down into the head - not a big deal, it'll burn off soon (hopefully this is your problem)

 

I'm no expert here, but I have heard of rings getting "washed out" by too rich a mixture, so if the carb was adjusted improperly, I guess it is a possibility... Are you carbed or injected? And if you are carbed, did you adjust the mixture?

 

While I'm here... I just thought of something. My muffler is rotten and I am going to be replacing it soon. With the desmog done, is there any reason to keep the catylitic converter? I know that a certain amount of back pressure is good and that the cat may provide this. I have heard some tell me to delete it, others to keep it. Just wondering if anyone has any opinions on this.

 

You can keep the cat if you are a tree hugging hippy, otherwise, I'd ditch it. LOL Before I started my build, I had a straight 2" exhaust with a generic muffler and no cat and it it ran well. On my build I am using a Rock Ripper header to a 2.25 stainless flex pipe, with 2.25 OD piping and a Thrush Welded muffler dumped behind the rear wheel. Most performance guys with any kind of aftermarket carb and headers will recommend a 2" to 2.25" exhaust.

 

How would I check that gasket. I don't have any vac leaks around there. Also if the burning oil is due to bad seal on the valve or rings is the damage already done. Or is it just gonna burn oil and I'll just keep an eye on it till I can fix it. Can I still drive it without doing any major damage.

 

Oh and about the cat. I used a LCE direct fit header and was told to cut the one piece to make it all fit but I was able to remove my cat and not cut the connecter piece. It does. Seem to snap crackle and pop from time to time. Mainly when using the gears to slow down. Runs great tho. Defiantly can feel a huge improvement in the power overall.

 

For the oil consomption, did you block off the pcv port on the valve cover or the breather port?

 

As for burning oil, as long as you don't let it get too low it won't destroy anything short term, it just makes a mess and is nasty. If it is valve guides, it is not too bad of a fix, just remove the head and do a valve job. My local machine shop did mine for about $120. Next time I want to do it myself, just to learn how... The rings are a bigger problem, usually an engine rebuild is required. Although, I have a friend who is an ace mechanic and makes his living fixing things some how replaced rings on one piston from the bottom, but for most of us I think that's out of the question. You can perform a compression test and possibly a leak down test and if those are good, then it is probably just the valve guides... I'm not an expert though. Just a shade tree...

 

I have the pCV hole(rear of engine) run to the intake just like kawazx. And the front hole I was originally running a breather filter but now have it running to the air filter on the weber.

 

Before and after shots. Really cleans it up under the hood. Still have some stuff to titty up but will do that since I have the remove the head because I broke a bolt off on the egr crossover plate. Was able to still put it all back together with the help of some gray rtv. Haha.

I've also since removed the small breather filter from the valve cover and routed a hose to the airbox to try and reduce the loud sucking noise that is produced at certain throttle position.

Truck does run much better now. I am actually able to accelerate now not just going down hill. Still doesn't like the 8000'+ passes but defiantly a huge improvement.

Overall it wasn't too bad of a job. And I'm as shade tree as they come. Working under a huge tree in my condo parking lot. I would not put a time limit on it. There are always gonna be little snags and what not of different stuff that you may not have gotten. It is hard for me also since the closest auto parts store is an hour drive one way.

But I would say anyone could do it. Just gotta have to courage to start ripping it out.

Cheers kawazx and everyone else thanks for all the help.

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Hope the pics work. I always have a hard time getting them to work.

 

Nice work Taco! That LCE Air Cleaner is on my wish list too. Are you going to tackle the wiring next or just leave it as is?

 

For those of us keeping the heater what DOES NOT need to be blocked off and or removed?

 

I still have my heater. I didn't block off any of the water. Didn't block the stuff behind the timing cover and the one in the middle of the head on the intake side. If you call LCE and talk with one the techs they helped me a great bit.

 

I ran my heater hose from the bottom of the intake (using the LCE intake manifold plate) to the heater core and from the heater core to the hard coolant pipe down near the driver side motor mount.

 

Desmog Questions
Kawa and Pumkin,

I have read both of your threads several times and I have a few specific questions relating to what I have in mind.

I am wanting to desmog and still keep the Aisin carb due to $$ and the fact that I have a decent one ready to go. My questions are:

1. To keep that auto choke, what do I need to leave attached on the intake manifold? Do I leave the underside of the intake manifold as-is or use the block off plate? Which electronics?

2. Do I need to put that block off plate on the rear of the head that's so hard to reach ? In other words, can I get everthing off while avoiding this?

3. Has anyone used a manual choke conversion on their Aisin?

I may end up going to a Weber at some point but I want to try to clean things up and use the stocker I have now and see how it pans out.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

The plate on the back of the head is egr block off plate. It's defiantly something you wanna block off if you're going for a desmog. I believe it recirculates exhaust gases back through the engine. Mine was caked solid with carbon build up. Yes it is hard to do while the motor is still in but doable. Make sure to use lots of pb buster on those screws and all of them for that matter. I found you can get on the bolts with a box end wrench. To avoid breaking se bolts like I did work the bolts back and forth little by little till you can get a full revolution.

Spend the extra and get the weber. Sell the good Aisin to help fund it.

 

1.) This picture shows everything you need to leave hooked up for the auto choke to work.



The plate under the manifold has a heater on it to help warm the coolant up on cold start. I currently do not have it on but its probably good to leave it on.

2.) Yes it need to be blocked off. It is a PITA but it can be done. Just be sure and scrap off all old gasket material on the back of the head.

3.) Never seen one.

I am probably one of the few pro-stock carb guys. Granted I have never had a weber but my stock carb ran alot better after my de-smog.

 

Ive ran two de-smogged engines one a 20r and my current 22r, without blocking it and everything works fine. But the bling on the back of the engine is cool i guess.

Yes you CAN put a generic manual choke on the carb, but you would be doing some drilling and jb welding, not so clean and easy as other carbs. Before my weber i considered this option and read a thread on IH8MUD, where the process is described in just slightly more detail.

 

Well I bit the bullet and went ahead and ordered a Weber too. It seems the only way to get as much crap out from under there as possible is to go with the weber. I had one ob my FJ40 and it always worked well.

Kawa and Taco, as for the heater issue. So, I can block off everything and run the heater off the underside of the intake OR not block any of the water and leave it as it? I have the LCE kit coming so I will have everything I need to block it. Are there any advantages either way?