Lean-burning engine... (what vehicles have them?)

[texanidiot25]

The EPA isn't terribly worried about emissions test results, and also the standards are different between states and even counties.

But for that small amount of time your car is in lean burn mode, the EPA is worried about that...

Strangely enough, CVCC's design actually reduced emissions compared to the conventional head design, and allowed Honda to go with out a Cat-converter for many years.

[sid]

I left Chrysler back in 1979. But even back then, the EPA testing required to get a vehicle model certified for production was far, far more extensive than the quickie tests used by local authorities to permit your vehicle.

We haven't had emissions testing here in Florida for about ten years. But for the decade or so when we did have emissions tests, I never had a vehicle flunk one and passed all the tests by orders of magnitude. I always found that to be ironic when I thought back on all the hell we went through to certify a vehicle at Chrysler. But that is probably why we went through all that hassle: So the consumer could breeze through any local tests, which, as mentioned above, aren't consistent across the country.

[bgd73]

Originally Posted by sid

When I worked for Chrysler as a design engineer back in the late 1970's, we were working on lean burn engines. But we were having a lot of problems getting them to pass emissions tests. Nitrogen oxides (NOXs) were the big problem. They also tended to burn up catalytic converters if we tried to add them to cars. They may have fixed those problems after I left. But I also think the Feds tightened pollution standards since then, too, which effectively killed all lean burn vehicles in the US.

One reason the same cars in the US get poorer fuel economy than in other countries is that we have different pollution standards. Our standards are optimized to reduce smog and carcinogens. Other countries tend to optimize for minimum greenhouse gases. Optimizing for minimum greenhouse gases usually gets much better fuel economy than optimizing for minimum smog. It is hard to get the EPA to reconsider their pollution requirements, especially since some places in the US still have occasional smog problems.

I am there now, with a carbed subaru. Been there for 23 years...
the most drama is the second catalyst, a honeycombed resonator on the sube.. I made my own very heavy guage. The original melted. I saved my last one, because it is the last time I will ever see such a thing.

a good sign for lean burn is crazy hoses all over the engine. I cannot even switch into it without may-september...I could unhook the switch that allows it, but do not.

The NOx stuff is a real mystery...my machines do the opposite when going towards lean. New engine measurements, lack of study and insanity...I do not know where they got this NOX theory...bizarre backwards.. much like EGR and the dangers it creates. Lean Burn= perfect. I blame lack of manly materials surrounding perfection.

another sign of it is looking for a hybrid label or "PZEV" somewhere on the car...and word of mouth of no BS owners.

the real lean burn does have anomolies.. it even adds to the demise of anyhting less than 18 gauge steel on a body. Very powerful..very worth it.

[rmay635703]

Actually any OBDII vehicle can be reconfigured to have lean burn, too bad there isn't any step by step simple way of getting the ECU image off, modding the maps and putting it back on.

Also all Euro GM vehicles had lean burn, if you can find an ECU rom image from the euro version of your paticular motor you can gain lean burn, too bad no europeans have the tuning fixation americans have as I have never found a new gm/buick 3800 euro tune rom even though I know that powerplant ended up in europe under different names certain years.

If I had the mind to do it I would have all my vehicles running lean burn on the highway.

Too bad its not so easy.

[ChopsQube]

Originally Posted by sid

We haven't had emissions testing here in Florida for about ten years. But for the decade or so when we did have emissions tests, I never had a vehicle flunk one and passed all the tests by orders of magnitude.

As long as I've been in FL, since 1980, I've never known my parents having to take a vehicle in for inspection/emissions testing. I've been driving since '93 and know for a fact that I've never had to go through an inspection/emissions test.

[sid]

Only certain counties in FL had emissions testing, as dictated by the EPA. But then a certain governor couldn't get one of his cars to pass emissions tests, so he used his influence to eliminate emissions testing.

I'm staring at the final report for my last emissions test, which was performed 6/11/99, at 8:29 in the morning.

[RobertSmalls]

Originally Posted by rmay635703

Actually any OBDII vehicle can be reconfigured to have lean burn, too bad there isn't any step by step simple way of getting the ECU image off, modding the maps and putting it back on.

Also all Euro GM vehicles had lean burn, if you can find an ECU rom image from the euro version of your paticular motor you can gain lean burn, too bad no europeans have the tuning fixation americans have as I have never found a new gm/buick 3800 euro tune rom even though I know that powerplant ended up in europe under different names certain years.

If I had the mind to do it I would have all my vehicles running lean burn on the highway.

Too bad its not so easy.

I've never heard of lean burning Opels and Vauxhalls. A quick google search was unable to find any info on it, either. Got a link?

[texanidiot25]

Originally Posted by rmay635703

Actually any OBDII vehicle can be reconfigured to have lean burn, too bad there isn't any step by step simple way of getting the ECU image off, modding the maps and putting it back on.

Also all Euro GM vehicles had lean burn, if you can find an ECU rom image from the euro version of your paticular motor you can gain lean burn, too bad no europeans have the tuning fixation americans have as I have never found a new gm/buick 3800 euro tune rom even though I know that powerplant ended up in europe under different names certain years.

If I had the mind to do it I would have all my vehicles running lean burn on the highway.

Too bad its not so easy.

Suppose you could go a little nuts, and have a stand-alone ECU that's programmed to run a lean burn mixture safely. Leave the stock ECU in for inpection reasons, and plug the stand-alone back in later.

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by RobertSmalls

I've never heard of lean burning Opels and Vauxhalls. A quick google search was unable to find any info on it, either. Got a link?

Lean burn is a dirty secret but yes its there, its just not considered a feature or something to tout apparently, I always see it mentioned in passing

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Every time I see lean burn mentioned but rarely emphasized. The fact is any engine can run lean under certain engine loads safely and most cars sold in foreign countries by the big 3 have lean burn when they can get away with it, but they don't say much about it either.

And I know GM has been doing lean burn since OBDII came out in foreign cars and trucks.

Cheers
Ryan

[Phantom]

Originally Posted by rmay635703

Also all Euro GM vehicles had lean burn, if you can find an ECU rom image from the euro version of your paticular motor you can gain lean burn, too bad no europeans have the tuning fixation americans have as I have never found a new gm/buick 3800 euro tune rom...

I have also been looking for a copy of the ECU and I cannot find one I am able to read and edit the US ECUs for the 3800 but no luck with finding one for a Holden Commodore. I guess that the next step is to source the whole unit from a junk yard and work it from there.