Just got done installing brand new:

AEM Short Ram Intake
DC 4-2-1 One-Piece Ceramic Header
NGK/NTK O2 sensor
High Flow Cat
GReddy Evo2 Cat-Back
NGK Platinum Plugs (installed a few thou ago)

...other than that, the car is stock with 205k miles, but still runs like a champ. Before the exhaust, I did notice that there was a little smoke coming from the exhaust... black, like she was running a little rich. Now that the exhaust is not restricted by a 200k exhaust, its become much more evident. In the week that the exhaust has been on the car, the bumper area around the tip has become black... and when I took it to the track this last weekend, I let my GF run the car a few times for fun and I noticed that it had a signifigant amount of smoke coming out of the exhaust... once again, black ...running very rich, even friends noted how rich it looked like the car was running.

After the exhaust, I disconnected the neg terminal of the battery to let the computer reset for the new O2, and exhaust.

I know its better to be running rich than lean, but I think its just running TOO rich and is most likely hurting performance... at the track I could only coax a 16.2 out of it with a 2.2 60', in complete street trim (18s, full tank of gas, sub in trunk) ...but that just seems slow for an I/H/E GSR imho.

Is there anything simple I can do to try to lean her out a little? I was wanting to go with ITR/CTR or Skunk2 Stage 1 cams soon because I want to change the timing belt and figured I might as well do something for a little extra spunk while I'm in there, wouldn't changing the cams and not messing with the fuel help lean it out a little? Or should I get an AFPR and bump it down a point or two?

Not really sure what to do, I know its not hurting anything... but at the same time I would like it to run less rich for better performance... and probably better gas mileage.

Any help would be much appreciated,
Adam

 

when was the last time u got new o2 sensors, that could b the problem

 

Like I said, just did a brand new NGK/NTK O2 sensor when I did the complete exhaust last week...

 

make sure they r on right,
other then that just take it to a mechanic

 

is there black stains around the bumper where the xhaust is? if so and u see smoke it could the fact that your burning oil....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">make sure they r on right,
other then that just take it to a mechanic</TD></TR></TABLE>
Thank you for the complete sentence *rolleyes* ...but that's not the type of answer I'm lookin for

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by davejj40 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">is there black stains around the bumper where the xhaust is? if so and u see smoke it could the fact that your burning oil....</TD></TR></TABLE>
There are black stains around the exhaust tip, but the smoke I'm seeing is black, not blue... ?

 

If your burning oil it looks blue. If your running rich, it looks black. Of course this is a broad way to look at it as you may have more than one thing going on....

 

Simple as this. Check the oil every X amount of miles to see it drops. If it doesn't you have one hell of a 200k motor lol

 

I know that it is burning a little oil between changes, but it sure seems like it was a lot of smoke to me... and the smoke was definately black, so I just don't think it was all oil that I was seeing.

 

VETC Engines burn a little oil anyway, not enough to worry about though. I'd say that you should take it to a mechanic and see what he says.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by microsoft_sux &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">VETC Engines burn a little oil anyway, not enough to worry about though. I'd say that you should take it to a mechanic and see what he says.</TD></TR></TABLE>

mine doesn't.....

using alot more gas than usual too then? pull your spark plugs and look at them, that'll give you an idea...

white=lean (i think)
black=rich or blowby (i think)

someone correct me if i'm wrong

 

Go to a dyno and check your air/fuel ratio and find out for sure if your running rich.