Re: ihc-digest V5 #214 cats vs no-cats

[Steve Stegmann <stegmann@domain.elided>]

Remember this about pollution fighting.  You decide which pollutants you 
dont' want and pass that law.  Gasoline is a stew of chemicals.  When the 
govt required cats all that they do is convert illegal pollutants into 
legal pollutants.  If you want your eyes to water just get by the exhaust 
of a GM with cats.  

The cat uses the natural sulphur in the gasoline to make hydrogen sulfide 
and raw sulphuric acid.  This is what makes the cat stink and the reason 
the factories have gone to stainless steel exhaust.  It just keeps you 
even with plain steel on a non-cat vehicle.

BTW my '77 345 with MSD/Mallory ignition almost passes the '98 standards 
without cats or air injection.  Unburned HC passes, CO misses by 0.01%

The cats aren't necessary for the most part any more but they are the 
law.  A **lot** depends on the quality of maintenance given to a 
vehicle.  This is why CA just allowed 25 year old vehicles to skate on 
pollution tests.  Any that last that long are usually someones pet and 
don't pollute that much because they are will cared for.

Steve

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Steven A. Stegmann
     _/_/_/    _/      _/_/_/ "'Necessity' is the plea for every 
   _/    _/   _/_/   _/    _/   infringement of human freedom.  It is the 
   _/        _/ _/   _/         argument of tyrants; it is the creed of 
    _/_/    _/  _/    _/_/      slaves."  
       _/  _/_/_//       _/    
 _/    _/ _/    _/ _/    _/          William Pitt, 1783
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