I need tips (or advice) about restoring my 400 engine

[alfaitalia]

Nothing is impossible.......just depends how much cash you have to throw at it !!......but yes....its old school tech trying to achieve new car values.

[ppaavvss]

Nothing is impossible.......just depends how much cash you have to throw at it !!......but yes....its old school tech trying to achieve new car values.

You were right the HCR is : 200ppm

[c00nhunterjoe]

I dont see how you will get a vintage big block chrysler to meet those numbers, even if it were rebuilt 100% stock origonal. Those are modern car criteria that have variable cam timing, egr, direct fuel injection and 3 way cats .

[ppaavvss]

I dont see how you will get a vintage big block chrysler to meet those numbers, even if it were rebuilt 100% stock origonal. Those are modern car criteria that have variable cam timing, egr, direct fuel injection and 3 way cats .

It is hard but last year an other person did it!, I know because he is in a facebook group and I saw his post showing that his car is now with RTV (RTV is the test).

[ACUDANUT]

Your government is worried about a 50 year old car killing them.
We have the some problem here in the USA Called the EPA.
Yet it is ok for 90 percent of the world to flush raw sewage into the Ocean.

[alfaitalia]

We have the same here ...also called EPA. I read that the worst 10 percent of cars (when it comes to emissions) cause 50% of the car derived pollution. Interesting and prob correct based on how clean the latest cars are. Mine will cause about 5% on its own!

[440]

Do you have local testing stations? If so can you go straight to the source and ask about what is required to pass?

[ppaavvss]

Your government is worried about a 50 year old car killing them.
We have the some problem here in the USA Called the EPA.
Yet it is ok for 90 percent of the world to flush raw sewage into the Ocean.

Yes man, that is a real problem.

On Weekend I was doing research about how to pass, and I found that here in Costa Rica there is an Antique car club, they told me that if my car will be stock and I join the club they can send a proficient to check my car and if it pass they could give me a letter that I can present on the Ministry of public works and transport, and then they could evalute my car in a different way that for the test.

but doing this (join the antique car club) has a restriction, I just can use my car once a week.

I am thinking about it, I would like to use it more that once a week, at least for the first year after restoration.

[ppaavvss]

We have the same here ...also called EPA. I read that the worst 10 percent of cars (when it comes to emissions) cause 50% of the car derived pollution. Interesting and prob correct based on how clean the latest cars are. Mine will cause about 5% on its own!

I believe that it is very important to reduce emissions, I was thinking about a mod to pass the test (even if I have "choke" the engine temporary) and build a special exhaust system with catalytic converters (this could be permanent), but I do not have the experience to reduce emissions, I know in modern cars the O2 sensors and Catalytic converters most of the time do their work, but with this Charger I believe that I have three options:

1. try to join the antique car club, and if I achieve that, restrict the use of my car just to one day per week.

2. buy a fuel injection system fot it (I do not know if it exist) with catalytic converters.

3. Modify the engine to use LP gas.

[ppaavvss]

Do you have local testing stations? If so can you go straight to the source and ask about what is required to pass?

Hi, I was able to contact them.

Now I have the complete manual to pass the test, I could share it with you, but it is in spanish!

reading the manual I found this:

1. there are two tests
    a. Engine at minimum:

         CO ≤0,5% in volume
         HC ≤125 p.p.m
         CO2 ≤10%

   b. Engine at 3000 RPM

        CO≤0,3% in volume
        HC≤100 p.p.m
        CO2 ≤ 12%

2. For cars using LP gas

CO % Volume (Ralentí): ≤ 0,5
CO % Volume (3000 rpm): ≤ 0,3

[alfaitalia]

No chance...even with injection. Even the combustion chamber shape and basic architecture of the motor wont help you as far emissions is concerned. Your only chance is to fit a modern engine....which would be a pity. If you know someone that achieved this with one of our engines then I think a lot of money must have changed hands!!! LOL!

[ppaavvss]

No chance...even with injection. Even the combustion chamber shape and basic architecture of the motor wont help you as far emissions is concerned. Your only chance is to fit a modern engine....which would be a pity. If you know someone that achieved this with one of our engines then I think a lot of money must have changed hands!!! LOL!

Hahaha I tried to contact the man that claimed to pass the test, but with no luck yet! I know he has a 73 Charger with a 440 engine!.

[flyinlow]

Back in the  mid 1970's I worked at a Chrysler dealership. We had Sun scopes with exhaust analyzers and I would use it on my 440 Charger.  Mild build 10.5 CR ,Crower street hydraulic lifter cam , Offenhauser 360 intake , Thermoquad and headers. I was thinking the carbon monoxide levels where around 2-3 % at idle and maybe 1% at 2500rpm (no load). Unburnt hydrocarbons where around 1000-1200 PPM at idle and would go down significantly at 2500rpm. Sorry I don't remember those numbers. We could not test for Oxides of Nitrogen or Carbon Dioxide. CO2 is a product of complete combustion along with water vapor. I am not sure if that can be reduced?

Proper ignition timing, a 195 degree thermostat, and speeding the idle speed up can help make the numbers lower.

Cams with larger overlap make the idle numbers harder to reduce.

I installed Fuel Injection on one of my current Chargers. It idles a little smoother and doesn't burn your eyes as much.

[ppaavvss]

Back in the  mid 1970's I worked at a Chrysler dealership. We had Sun scopes with exhaust analyzers and I would use it on my 440 Charger.  Mild build 10.5 CR ,Crower street hydraulic lifter cam , Offenhauser 360 intake , Thermoquad and headers. I was thinking the carbon monoxide levels where around 2-3 % at idle and maybe 1% at 2500rpm (no load). Unburnt hydrocarbons where around 1000-1200 PPM at idle and would go down significantly at 2500rpm. Sorry I don't remember those numbers. We could not test for Oxides of Nitrogen or Carbon Dioxide. CO2 is a product of complete combustion along with water vapor. I am not sure if that can be reduced?

Proper ignition timing, a 195 degree thermostat, and speeding the idle speed up can help make the numbers lower.

Cams with larger overlap make the idle numbers harder to reduce.

I installed Fuel Injection on one of my current Chargers. It idles a little smoother and doesn't burn your eyes as much.

Do you know a fuel Injection system that can be installed in a 400 engine? I have read that using it alongside with O2 sensors could lower emissions.!

Thanks a lot!

[c00nhunterjoe]

The most popular fuel injection is the throttle body style setups which is 1980s technology. It couldnt pass standards then and was replaced with multiport injection, which also failed to keep up and has now been replaced with direct injection. The fuel i jection alone is not enough to drop emmissions. The large bore of our engines is a problem, coupled with cubic inches. Then add the 60 year old cylinder head design and you can forget about it.

[ppaavvss]

The most popular fuel injection is the throttle body style setups which is 1980s technology. It couldnt pass standards then and was replaced with multiport injection, which also failed to keep up and has now been replaced with direct injection. The fuel i jection alone is not enough to drop emmissions. The large bore of our engines is a problem, coupled with cubic inches. Then add the 60 year old cylinder head design and you can forget about it.

Thanks a lot, that means that I do not need to buy one of those, So I need to try different options!

[alfaitalia]

As said above.....there are no options (that I can see) to make such old tech come up to new car emissions standards. Without spending a fortune on ECU controlled and (closed loop) catted multipoint injection (also controlling ignition) and serious lightening of the internal rotating mass, reshaping of combustion chambers (probably with four valve heads!!), a redesigned exhaust with better scavenging .....its NOT GOING TO HAPPEN......even then it might not! And by the time you have done all that you will have pretty much built a new modern engine......which you might as well buy and fit in the first place!!!

Cant help thinking that the emissions figures you have been given are wrong......there would be nothing older than about 1990 on your roads if it was the case. Over here anything older than 75 is subject to no exhaust gas testing at all......because they simply would not pass!

[ppaavvss]

As said above.....there are no options (that I can see) to make such old tech come up to new car emissions standards. Without spending a fortune on ECU controlled and (closed loop) catted multipoint injection (also controlling ignition) and serious lightening of the internal rotating mass, reshaping of combustion chambers (probably with four valve heads!!), a redesigned exhaust with better scavenging .....its NOT GOING TO HAPPEN......even then it might not! And by the time you have done all that you will have pretty much built a new modern engine......which you might as well buy and fit in the first place!!!

Cant help thinking that the emissions figures you have been given are wrong......there would be nothing older than about 1990 on your roads if it was the case. Over here anything older than 75 is subject to no exhaust gas testing at all......because they simply would not pass!

What you say is true, I believe that my only option is to join the antique car club to register my car.

[alfaitalia]

Sounds like a plan !

[ppaavvss]

Here are some pics of the carburetor I have, Do you think it's worth it to restore them or buy a new one, I'm thinking of one that improves the power.

What would be the best way to improve my 400 engine? (more HP and torque)

[randy73]

When was your car imported into CR, because the car is a lot older than 1999. As you stated the requirements are for cars imported AFTER 1999.

[ppaavvss]

When was your car imported into CR, because the car is a lot older than 1999. As you stated the requirements are for cars imported AFTER 1999.

Hi Randy, I imported my car this year on january!

[alfaitalia]

.......and its definitely imported after 99....rather than built after 99? 

[ppaavvss]

.......and its definitely imported after 99....rather than built after 99? 

Correct, that is the trap, and I believe that for next year we are not going to be able to import classic cars, they wanted to ban those cars since 2014.

I had a hard time importing mine because the law about importing classics was on debate!

This government pay attention to another topics and delay that to next year, just fun because next year will be the elections here, but the future about it is unclear, but it is by law that the test is for all cars by imported date, so I am against the ropes with emissions test.

[randy73]

Then my suggestion would be to get a modern engine and put it in place of the 400. There are plenty of kits out there to convert a 5.7 hemi or 6.4 if you want that extra little boost.