[psychopathicdude]

I own a faded blue 87 GL sedan. It has the electronic feedback carburettor (slap the engineer that thought THAT was a good idea). Its a little low on the options list, it doesn't even have power steering....or power windows, or power locks....but it DOES have power mirrors!! woohoo!! Anyway, it does the basic transportation bit pretty well, and has even survived a few off road excursions (or as I prefer to call it, "prairie surfing"). This car has run solid for the 3+ years that I have owned it, except for some annoying issues with the computer-controlled part of the intake system.

The car had no muffler when I bought it (rusted up and fell off). So I put on a simple flow-through glasspack muffler. Wasn't loud anymore, but you could still hear a good tone, and I figured it was a good idea for the exhaust pipe to exit behind the car, not under the back seat. Every so often, the car would adopt a rough idle, back-fire more, and the ECS (emissions control system) light would come on. This meant that the poor computer could no longer adequately "fix" the imperfect air/fuel ratio from the carburettor (probably crap built up in the "duty solenoids" that mess around with the carb). Blast some carb cleaner through it, drive it a bit, and it would clear right up.

Everything was fine...until a few days ago, when little pieces of my catalytic converter came flying out my tailpipe. Then big pieces, and the more pieces that came flying out, the louder the car got! It now has quite a rumble at idle and roar at full-tilt-boogie (WOT). Anyway, i'm not complaining, i rather like it loud (haven't listened to radio since....just roll down the window and listen to the "engine music").

Yesterday, the ECS light started coming on again. Now, the only reason the computer was screwing with the air/fuel ratio was to keep the Catyl'verter happy (whole lot 'o' good THAT did). With no more 'kitty-Cat', whats the point? I think the car would run stronger (and be simpler) without all the computerized shenanigans going on in the intake manifold. The plan is to: (A). either remove all extraneous solenoids and valves from intake manifold and plug the holes, or swap the carb onto an efi manifold. (B). Remove ECS light (C). Tell the computer to go to hell.

If anyone's done this and has wisdom to share (or is simply smart enough to know something I don't already) please let me know. Don't tell me not to bother, I shall not be swayed...so don't bother. If you think I'm crazy for undertaking this project, you don't know the half of it. After the carburetor is liberated from its electronic restraints, I plan to mount it at the mouth of a turbo.....draw-through style! But that's a project for another day. One step at a time....

p.s. i realize that driving a car with no cat and removed/disabled emission controls is illegal...it will be for OFF-ROAD USE.