What is the scoop on E85 and catalytic converters?

I assume that an E85 car should easily pass a sniffer test without the need of a catalytic converter. Is this the case?

However, the cat is most likely needed to pass a visual inspection, right?

 

I pre smog'd my car using a high flow cat with E85 and it passed with flying colors. Not sure if a car will pass Smog running catless on E85... Note, the RPM's were handwritten in since the smog machine was unable to pickup the RPM signal from my OBD II port for some strange reason.

 

What a great question! I have been searching a couple different sites for specific answers as to passing emissions. One picture answers everything. E85 and a catalytic converter it shall be...

 

Here's Cali's emissions cutpoints for pass/fail:
http://www.smogcheck.ca.gov/80_BARRe...M_Ave_Ph43.pdf

FOr 2004+ passenger cars:

ASM 5015
HC 16.8
CO .29
NO 260

ASM 2525
HC .50
CO .23
NO 547

 

The cat still is effective with the E85 as far as mish is concerned alot of people report NOX levels being a little better as well as HC.....havent heard of anyone failing with straight piped evos on E85 however but every state is different.

In one instance a buddy ended up switching back to gasoline and detuning the car to get it to pass in Denver......its all about the tune in the end.

 

Oh, smog machines have some sort of "Ethanol" settings. I didn't tell the smog guys that i was running E85, so they had the "gasoline" settings on.

 

If I remember correctly what I read last, NO and CO form when the cylinder temps are high so I'd guess you have less NO and CO with E85.

Skiracer had no CO and 1/10 the limit of NO. Not bad