re: I have sinned or more horsepower please?

["Eric H." <ejham@domain.elided>]

Steve Silverstein writes in regard to Alfas without cats...

<< Ironically, I have lived in two states that require emissions
testing and I always pass>>

I believe that Alfa engines are essentially very
clean-burning...possibly moreso than most others. At the beginning of
the year I almost got my 16-year-old GTV6 through testing (220 ppm HC
MAX) in Florida with what turned out to be a hollow shell of a
catalytic converter. HC tested at 320 ppm and CO at a legal .2 % with
only mild retardation of timing. Had I been in many other states, she
would have passed.

After the installation of a new, $90 welded-in converter and the
addition of a new $20 O2 sensor the readings fell to 25 ppm HC and no
detectable CO emissions. (For the purists, a PO mangled the exhaust
system with non-Alfa parts, not I! My budget did not allow for
complete, off-the-shelf replacement of all the parts from the headers
to the rear, so a local shop fabricated a 3" pipe system made from
aluminized steel for <$300 including the cat.)

Why am I sharing this info? I haven't a clue...except that it might be
valuable to someone else. To complete the picture: the car has Sperry
Stage 3 heads, possible hot cams, 125K miles, and, to the best of my
knowledge, is virginal below the heads.

- - Eric H., Clearwater, FL

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