HELPPP 4.3 tbi engine that wont pass emissions

turbopwned · 12-26-2008, 09:45 PM

Can someone help me? I have a 1985 monte carlo with a 4.3 tbi engine in it that wont pass emissions. I think i failed o2 for the test. I got a new egr valve, new distributor, new cap and rotor, new wires and cleaned the entire throttle body and manifold with carb cleaner. The engine smokes from behind the distributor but the distributor is cranked down with a gasget. It had an oil leak problem from the dome covers but we solved that problem but its still burning a little oil from behind the distributor. Whyyyyyy is it smoking??? Its very aggrivating and the cat is smoking but the whole exhaust is new too. Lots of money in the car that did nothing someone please help. took to emissions and failed 3 times. new gas filter air filter and pcv valve too and all vacum lines are clear and hooked up. Engine is timed perfectly with a timing light and plugs are brand new too

geraldabey · 12-27-2008, 01:17 AM

Just some possibilities to consider before spending more money:- If it's starship mileage, could be cylinder bore wear causing burnt gas to leak past the pistons into the sump, both pressurising the crankcase and also allowing burnt gas to come from any possible gap (when you say 'burning a little oil from behind the distributor" I presume you mean exhaust fumes). If you meant oil is still leaking past the distributor, pressurisation could have been the cause of your previous oil leak past the header gaskets, and now from the next weakest seal at the distributor. With the engine idling, carefully take off the oil filler cap and see if fumes (or worst case smoke) comes out. Do not rev it with the cover ofd or you can get oil all over the place. If it is smoking you may need a rebuild. A compression test with a compresion gauge will give the necessary confirmation. Best of luck. G

turbopwned · 12-27-2008, 11:11 AM

Thanks a lot dude but the car has 139,000 miles on it and im pretty sure the compressions fine. All i can see is smoke coming out somewhere behind the engine and it smells like burning oil. Where else could it be coming from?

cardoc · 12-28-2008, 10:33 AM

Look at the oil presure sending unit ,its back by the distributor also the rear of the intake gasket could be leaking.Both are very common on that engine.Try cleaning the area then watching it carefully possibly with a small mirror.As already metioned make sure your PCV system is working. As far as the E test try positng your exact results,it may give us something to work with.
Cardoc

turbopwned · 01-06-2009, 06:49 PM

k everything passed with flying colors except nox it got a 946 yesterday and i believe legal is 814. Were gonna change the cat and keep our fingers crossed and the smoke was the vaccum line to the egr melted to the engine lol

**lcurle** · 01-06-2009, 10:08 PM

I heard sticking a wet cloth in the exhaust pipe will help remove some fumes. Just make sure you dont plug up your tail pipe, make it like a filter

Or you could just add some dumps to the exhaust and let some of the gases dump off before the tail pipe

turbopwned · 01-12-2009, 08:12 PM

new cat and it failed again....... thx for the tips idk what it could be

12-26-2008, 09:45 PM	#1 (permalink)
turbopwned Registered User Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 5 OS: xp	HELPPP 4.3 tbi engine that wont pass emissions Can someone help me? I have a 1985 monte carlo with a 4.3 tbi engine in it that wont pass emissions. I think i failed o2 for the test. I got a new egr valve, new distributor, new cap and rotor, new wires and cleaned the entire throttle body and manifold with carb cleaner. The engine smokes from behind the distributor but the distributor is cranked down with a gasget. It had an oil leak problem from the dome covers but we solved that problem but its still burning a little oil from behind the distributor. Whyyyyyy is it smoking??? Its very aggrivating and the cat is smoking but the whole exhaust is new too. Lots of money in the car that did nothing someone please help. took to emissions and failed 3 times. new gas filter air filter and pcv valve too and all vacum lines are clear and hooked up. Engine is timed perfectly with a timing light and plugs are brand new too

12-27-2008, 01:17 AM	#2 (permalink)
geraldabey Registered User Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 14 OS: Vista	Re: HELPPP 4.3 tbi engine that wont pass emissions Just some possibilities to consider before spending more money:- If it's starship mileage, could be cylinder bore wear causing burnt gas to leak past the pistons into the sump, both pressurising the crankcase and also allowing burnt gas to come from any possible gap (when you say 'burning a little oil from behind the distributor" I presume you mean exhaust fumes). If you meant oil is still leaking past the distributor, pressurisation could have been the cause of your previous oil leak past the header gaskets, and now from the next weakest seal at the distributor. With the engine idling, carefully take off the oil filler cap and see if fumes (or worst case smoke) comes out. Do not rev it with the cover ofd or you can get oil all over the place. If it is smoking you may need a rebuild. A compression test with a compresion gauge will give the necessary confirmation. Best of luck. G

12-27-2008, 11:11 AM	#3 (permalink)
turbopwned Registered User Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 5 OS: xp	Re: HELPPP 4.3 tbi engine that wont pass emissions Thanks a lot dude but the car has 139,000 miles on it and im pretty sure the compressions fine. All i can see is smoke coming out somewhere behind the engine and it smells like burning oil. Where else could it be coming from?

12-28-2008, 10:33 AM	#4 (permalink)
cardoc Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Ct. Posts: 189 OS: win xp sp2	Re: HELPPP 4.3 tbi engine that wont pass emissions Look at the oil presure sending unit ,its back by the distributor also the rear of the intake gasket could be leaking.Both are very common on that engine.Try cleaning the area then watching it carefully possibly with a small mirror.As already metioned make sure your PCV system is working. As far as the E test try positng your exact results,it may give us something to work with. Cardoc

01-06-2009, 06:49 PM	#5 (permalink)
turbopwned Registered User Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 5 OS: xp	Re: HELPPP 4.3 tbi engine that wont pass emissions k everything passed with flying colors except nox it got a 946 yesterday and i believe legal is 814. Were gonna change the cat and keep our fingers crossed and the smoke was the vaccum line to the egr melted to the engine lol

01-06-2009, 10:08 PM	#6 (permalink)
lcurle TSF Gearhead (Audio) Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Newton, Kansas Posts: 600 OS: Xp Pro SP3	Re: HELPPP 4.3 tbi engine that wont pass emissions I heard sticking a wet cloth in the exhaust pipe will help remove some fumes. Just make sure you dont plug up your tail pipe, make it like a filter Or you could just add some dumps to the exhaust and let some of the gases dump off before the tail pipe __________________ Lee - MECP Certified "Any advice given on this forum is intended for helping and assisting the end user with their issue at hand. Personal saftey is important when working on any vehicle."

01-12-2009, 08:12 PM	#7 (permalink)
turbopwned Registered User Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 5 OS: xp	Re: HELPPP 4.3 tbi engine that wont pass emissions new cat and it failed again....... thx for the tips idk what it could be