Engine modifications and the law in Ontario

6

67HEAVEN

Regular
2 You're 10
Aug 23, 2010
603
9
Southcentral Ontario
VetteCoins
624
Car
1967 BBC coupe
You've wondered, haven't you? What is the law pertaining to engine modifications and Ontario emissions? Sure you have....at least you hotrodders have. :D There have been plenty of rumours about what is required.

Here it is, chapter and verse....
=================================================

Understanding Emission Requirements for Hot Rods in
Regulation 361/98 under the Environmental Protection Act

You have a duty to maintain your vehicle
 
In the first post, you'll see references to visible emissions. What does that mean, according to the law in Ontario?

Vehicle cannot legally operate if there are visible emissions for more than 15 seconds in any five-minute period (s. 3(1) and s.6)

:agree:
 
Also in the first post, there are references to 1980 and earlier emission standards.

Here, once again, is chapter and verse form the Ontario government website.

1980 and earlier light duty vehicles - maximum emission standards:
  • 600 Hydrocarbon (parts per million - ppm) by volume
  • 5% CO by volume
  • 5 seconds of visible emissions in any one minute period

(tests to be conducted at both idle and 2,500 rpm)

SOURCE - See Table 8 at this link http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/stdprodcon...sources/documents/resource/stdprod_080001.pdf
 
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We sold our 1969 L78 Chevelle to a guy in B.C. When you register a car like this there, it has to pass an emissions test once. First time the car failed. He took it to a garage with a tail pipe sniffer and adjusted the carb and timing as best they could. It failed worse than ever. What to do? He took the car to another emissions centre and it passed with flying colours. It makes a person a little cynical. I would also think that our MOE guys had better take a course regarding the above regulations and understand them. I heard so many stories about what was going on that my head was spinning. Our MP gave me the phone number of the MOE go to guy and he really didn't know what he was talking about either. I spent over $3K on emissions equipment for our Chevelle and when a good offer came along, the car was gone. The MOE can play their games with someone else. I'm still convinced that this is all a provincial money grab. If not, they would have put out a warning that 40+ year old emissions standards were once again going to be enforced.
 
Keith Tedford said:
The MOE can play their games with someone else. I'm still convinced that this is all a provincial money grab. If not, they would have put out a warning that 40+ year old emissions standards were once again going to be enforced.
Click to expand...

I carry three essential items in my glovebox.
  1. copy of car's window sticker indicating RPOs on car when new
  2. copy of emissions standards as noted in the first post in this thread
  3. my lawyer's phone number for any MOE inspector who can't understand MOE regulations

:rofl:
 
what then is their reasoning behind the 87 and under drive clean exemption ? they have even moved around the test dates on newer vehicles. in 2011 when i bought out the lease on my 07 tundra i had to get the test and now it doesn't need another till dec 2014. to me not much about the entire program makes much sense. when i bought my 76 s'ray and i was prepping it for the safety cert i discovered there was no cat on it. i asked the fellas at the local garage if i needed one for the safety. was told yup you better put one on doesn't have to work can even be hollow just has to be there. weird ,weird, weird :confused:
 
buckhorn76 said:
what then is their reasoning behind the 87 and under drive clean exemption ?
Click to expand...

That is an "exemption" from formal testing every two years, not an exemption from spot checks.

buckhorn76 said:
when i bought my 76 s'ray and i was prepping it for the safety cert i discovered there was no cat on it. i asked the fellas at the local garage if i needed one for the safety. was told yup you better put one on doesn't have to work can even be hollow just has to be there. weird ,weird, weird :confused:
Click to expand...

As can be seen from the information I posted earlier, it not only has to be there if it was there when new, it has to work.
 
The great thing about this car hobby is that you can turn any issue into an examination of the history of these fine cars. For example...

The last year for a road draft tube on Chevy engines was 1962, except for California-delivered, which got PCV valves in 1962.

Starting in 1963 ('62 California), Chevy engines no longer used the old road draft tube that basically dumped engine gases into the atmosphere, except for one Corvette RPO in 1967. Care to guess which one did NOT get a PCV valve? (Hint, only 20 were built).

This link will show you what one looks like. Careful. If you haven't taken your heart pill yet today, maybe you shouldn't look at the price.
1967 Corvette L88 Crankcase Vent Road Draft Tube | Crankcase Vent Tubes & Elbows | Corvette Parts and Accessories

It plugs into the driver's side big-block valve cover where the PCV normally sits, and simply points the tube down beside the oilpan where it dumps the unburnt gases. That was the reason why, technically, 1967 L-88s were not legal for the road, and why they did not appear in Corvette sales literature or order sheets. There are other reasons for why they weren't mentioned to the public, but this is certainly one of them.
 
Pretty expensive tubing!

I really hope this does not prove to be a money maker otherwise it's only a matter of time before that comes here!:banghead:

Sounds like Crate motors are the best way to go if I ever want to update the engine in my Chevelle. It could never make the 600 Hydrocarbon (parts per million - ppm) by volume limit as you can smell the raw fuel immediately on start up. Nothing smells like a lumpy cammed old v-8 and I love it! Now before I'm told how terrible I am, the car only drives 500 - 1000 miles a year which is why it doesn't make sense why the gov targets old cars that barely put on any miles.
 
you would think so riley,however it appears that here in ontario,the powers that be seem intent on destroying the collector car hobby. they are starting to come down hard on historic plate enforcement as well. the fines are outrageous and you feel paranoid about going for a cruise. to me the whole thing is just a mean spirited tax grab that makes a person enjoying a harmless hobby out to be a law breaking social pariah. wow,just occured to me what a great rant for rick mercer!!! :D
 
buckhorn76 said:
you would think so riley,however it appears that here in ontario,the powers that be seem intent on destroying the collector car hobby. they are starting to come down hard on historic plate enforcement as well. the fines are outrageous and you feel paranoid about going for a cruise. to me the whole thing is just a mean spirited tax grab that makes a person enjoying a harmless hobby out to be a law breaking social pariah. wow,just occurred to me what a great rant for rick mercer!!! :D
Click to expand...

Your right about the use of historic plates, down our way these have been getting pick on also. It was a real lively discussion at one of the cruise nights this past year.
I wonder if the powers to be realize just how much money is raised for their favorite charities through this hobby. Just think of all the shows cruises etc are ran each week with almost all proceeds going to one needy group or another.
Sad really.......
 
yes brian it was a hot topic at cruise nights in this neck of the woods too. sadly our elected officials talk a good game but in the end don't really care and allow bureaucrats to have free rein to run roughshod over people. :swear:
 
I've heard of this sort of thing before. Could this be what they mean when they are referring to the "Alberta Advantage"? Maybe when the RCMP or Sherrif pulls you over in Alberta you just glance toward an crude oil upgrader and give him a "are you kidding me, you stop my vehicle but allow that to go on" kind of look and they'll sheepishly drive off instead.

I've never heard of this sort of requirement before in Alberta, but certainly was aware of this sort of nonsense in BC and Ontario (and in Cali for member CollenD.......). Some of the old farm vehicles can often be located on the horizon by the trail of emmissions rising into the sky.

You guys have my condolences. I can't imagine with all the other stupidity for stopping some person enjoying their vehicle this pops up as a reason to harrass someone.

Cheers,

Garry
 
Speaking of helping the needy, Warsaw is a small town with a small cruise night. They have one special night of the year and the park is filled. For the special night, they raise money for someone in the area who has fallen on hard times, usually due to health problems. Last year they raised over $34K for a family and this year over $43K for another. Add that up with all the other cruise nights and car shows and it is a lot of money that won't be there if they kill the old car hobby. Someone in government had better wake up.

CaledoniaBrian said:
Your right about the use of historic plates, down our way these have been getting pick on also. It was a real lively discussion at one of the cruise nights this past year.
I wonder if the powers to be realize just how much money is raised for their favorite charities through this hobby. Just think of all the shows cruises etc are ran each week with almost all proceeds going to one needy group or another.
Sad really.......
Click to expand...
 
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