Just finished installing the new Lucas CEI distributor with vacuum retard
unit -- my old dizzy was missing the retard unit. So now I may have a better
shot at passing the emissions test. I failed with 3.4% CO -- I need 2.0% CO
at idle. With the vacuum retard, my timing is moved back from 10 degrees
BTDC to 2 degrees AFTD at idle, which should help my CO levels since they do
the test at idle.
But here's an observation I need advice on. I checked the emissions sticker
on the inside of the hood, and it says the nominal CO% should be 5% --
leading me to believe that this engine wasn't designed for 2% or less CO.
So, do you think that I can argue that I should be "grandfathered" in terms
of CO readings, since this car was sold in 1980 in North Carolina, and should
only have to meet the emissions level it was designed for at the time? Let
me know if you have any suggestions on this approach.
One more question. My Bentley manual doesn't show which vacuum source to
plug the Lucas 45DM CEII vacuum unit into. I found a vacuum line underneath
the front carburetor -- it was plugged with a screw, so I used that vacuum
source. Let me know if there is somewhere else I should be connecting the
dizzy vacuum to.
Later!
Bruce
1980 Inca Yellow TR7 5-speed convertible
Chapel Hill, NC
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