things I can unhook to make my 88 Fest run better?

[erikandelman]

Hi,
I have an 88 Festiva, carbed, stick shift.
I have unhooked my AC, and somebody had previously unhooked the smog controls.
I've always had a terrible time with hesitating/stalling/running rich, until I just now unhooked the o2 sensor, and it's running much better as of the initial test-drive.
Is there anything else I can remove or unplug from the engine to make it run better?
Thanks,
Erik

[Nerd Racing]

Umm, you should replace that o2 sensor and then plug it back in, it will run better!

[88festiva1.3l]

sound like your egr is jamed and u might need to replace it if your running rich check your vacumme lines to as well

[25Horseplay]

Alittle off the subject, but is this the same Erik that has land in Tenn and was hoping to build a community? Had the website Wandering star?

[jglutz]

Not familiar with 88 carbed....but...can tell you, it is almost imposible to disconnect immission devices and get the car to run better. Cars are tuned (optimized) at the factory with these devices in place....just disconnecting them requires some skill and better understanding.

[batstiva]

^^Watch the language, it'll probably get edited out and you'll be warned.
Just a tip. :wink:

[FB71]

got by the sniper...

[WmWatt]

When the engine warms up the O2 sensor starts sending a signal (it has to be warm to work) and the computer starts advancing the timing to burn the fuel more efficiently. The car runs better. As the engine gets older and the parts wear the computer stores information about it's performance and uses that to make it run better too. Every time the battery is disconnected the computer memory is erased. It takes about 20 miles of driving for the computer to reset the numbers in it's memory from the factory default. When the O2 sensor is not working the car just runs on old fashioned mechanical timing where the spark is advanced by the vacuum hose and spinning weights inside the distributor. It doesn't run as well that way.

It would do no harm to clean the EGR valve. No need to replace it as suggested. For info on cleaning the EGR valve on the carb'd Festiva look here www.ncf.ca/~ag384/Cars.htm

[jglutz]

Who me???? What language?????

[phantorn]

you used that (O) word lol

[batstiva]

There was one after yours. But, no more. :wink:

BTW, which O word is the bad one. Thought I knew all the bad words. :lol: :lol:

[IL4Festiva]

run a straight pipe, than it'll run better

[stexch]

The confusion on emission systems comes from those of us who remember the smog pumps of the late '60's, early '70's. Silly as it sounds, the only function of these was to pump clean air into the exhaust to dilute the toxins, so that it would test better. Obviously there was no reason for anyone to keep these in place (in the days before annual state emission testing), so it made sense to either disconnect the belt or even unbolt the whole pump and chuck it. Fast forward to modern engines with computers. These engines are designed to function with the inputs from various sensors. If you try monkeying with the emission system, you'll only hurt performance.

[FB71]

Silly as it sounds, the only function of these was to pump clean air into the exhaust to dilute the toxins, so that it would test better.

wrong

Secondary Air Injection (introduced in California in 1966), called 'Thermactor Air Emissions' by Ford, injected fresh air into the exhaust ports of the cylinder heads. The purpose was to allow continued combustion of any remaining hydrocarbons outside of the cylinder. Rich mixtures, needed by the era's engines for performance, left unburned HCs in the exhaust gases, but no oxygen. Without O2, combustion cannot occur, therefor, the exhaust gases were composed of high concentrations of HC and CO, but little NOx and no O2. By injecting O2 into the exhaust port, the still hot exhaust gases are given a shot of O2 to restart the catalytic reaction (burning). HC's were significantly reduced as was CO, NOx was not affected, and remaining O2 would also be present. This helped to reduce ground-level ozone, what we refer to as smog, which can be seen as a grayish-brown haze. Since very few people understood exactly what those pumps were for, they were thought to be 'evil contraptions put there by some government conspiracy'. Incidentally, the California Clean Air Commission (now Board; CARB) was formed in 1945 to address the growing pollution problem. The air quality measurements taken in California in 1970 were better than they were in 1965, and there were more registered vehicles and drivers in 1970 than 1965. So, I can only conclude that those 'useless' smog pumps actually did do something.

[jglutz]

^^Glad I read your post...the previous almost sent me into a ..................
Some air pumps also replaced...or ran parallel to .... the PCV circuit.....an early version of the EGR.
Sure they sucked HP....anything that moves besides the wheels does. However, taking the belt off some times reduced HP even more.
I've seen alot of pump belts taken off....and within a couple of K miles...enough crankcase pressure over time blew out seals.