1975 280Z catalytic converter heat shield ?

[Zed Head]

My Federal 76 didn't have it.  And the 75-76 Federal intake manifolds are popular because they don't have it.  Cleaner looking.

Edited January 31, 2022 by Zed Head
+word

[Captain Obvious]

I just took a quick look at some FSM's and it makes sense that your federal 76 didn't have EGR. According to the manuals, EGR was only included on teh CA versions in 75 and 76, but by the time they got to 77, everything had EGR.

I suspect the OP's car is a federal 75, and in which case, there really isn't much in the way of emissions equipment on it and getting through the "visual only" PA inspection would be a piece of cake (as far as emissions are concerned).

[Captain Obvious]

I just took another look at the emissions requirements, and registering it as a classic WOULD get you out of the tests. So what I said earlier about having to register it as an antique was incorrect. Registering as Classsic would work as well.

This get's you out of the visual test:

":In addition to the exceptions under § 175.4, this subsection (the visual inspection of emission system) shall not apply to vehicles registered as collectible or classic motor vehicles as defined in 75 Pa.C.S. § 102"

And this gets you out of the enhanced emissions test (the one-speed idle test, gas cap test, etc)

(b) Other exempted vehicles. Other exempted vehicles include vehicles operated or registered as one of the following:
(4) Classic, antique or collectible motor vehicles.

So that "One-speed idle test" can be an issue. That's supposed to be the running on a dyno test where they stick the sniffer up the tailpipe. The reason it's murky though is that as soon as OBD2 (1996) came out, they stopped requiring that dyno test. Not every station ever installed a dyno, and many of the ones that did... The dyno doesn't even work anymore. Not official, but I had heard (rumors?) they were having trouble enforcing the dyno test because of the lack of availability of working dynos.

My Z has always been exempt from anything other than the visual test because of the mileage threshold... If you drive less than 5K miles per year, you are exempt from the "enhanced emissions" and that's what I have always had. I suspect your Z will be the same. Only complication is they probably won't give you that exemption on the first year of ownership because you don't have a baseline mileage from which to claim exemption.

The issue is If they really require you to take the dyno test, you will have to find a station that even HAS a dyno and your car will have to pass the sniffer test.

[SteveJ]

51 minutes ago, Captain Obvious said:

I just took a quick look at some FSM's and it makes sense that your federal 76 didn't have EGR. According to the manuals, EGR was only included on teh CA versions in 75 and 76, but by the time they got to 77, everything had EGR.

I suspect the OP's car is a federal 75, and in which case, there really isn't much in the way of emissions equipment on it and getting through the "visual only" PA inspection would be a piece of cake (as far as emissions are concerned).

And this is what I was hinting at with my first post. An emissions station cannot ask you to add equipment to your car that does not conform to how the car was equipped when it left the factory.

As an aside, California took that to the extreme. I remember seeing newspaper automotive help columns that pointed out that you couldn't put fuel injection on a car that left the factory with a carburetor, even if it lowered emissions. It wouldn't pass the visual inspection. (I hope that has changed.) And aftermarket parts would need a C.A.R.B sticker, otherwise you would fail.

[Captain Obvious]

Right. And about that sniffer or test... As I suspected, it's a little murky.

 

The documentation still says you need it, but PennDOT's website says gas cap and visual only. No dyno and no sniffer.

I found a list of inspection stations in the Philadelphia county and there are maybe ten on the list with a sniffer and just two with a dyno. It just seems unachievable that they would be forcing everyone in that entire are with cars between 75 and 96 to go to just those stations. Either I'm missing something, or they have given up and aren't enforcing the details as written in the regs.

[Captain Obvious]

So here's a link from PennDOT:

http://www.drivecleanpa.state.pa.us/info_se.htm

On there are other links to things like the list of stations in the area and "what emissions tests will your vehicle require?"

https://www.ahs.dep.pa.gov/aq_apps/emissions/

Following the link to what tests are required says gas cap and visual only for 75 to 95. But the actual documentation says it needs the one speed idle test too. typical right?