BREATHE DEEPLY

[HCS]

California's new marine-engine emissions
standards start national trend
As of December 31, 2002, only
marine engines meeting strict new
emissions guidelines can be bought
or sold in the state of California.
However, the US Enviromental
Protection Agency (EPA) is
expected to institute those
California standards nationally.
Although the marine industry
accounts for less than .1 percent of
the total exhaust constituents in the
state of California, the California Air
Resourses Board has implemented
stringent requirements for the
amount and type of allowable
emissions. An official economic impact
study from the state is forthcoming.
The state has made it pretty
easy for consumers and retailers to
identify engines that meet the
guidelines: A rectangular hand-tag
is attached to an engine to indicate
compliance. In addition, a black
and white emissions standards
sticker is applied.
For an engine to be California
emissions compliant, the requirement
allows no more that 16 grams of
hydrocaron plus NOX per kilowatt
engine hour. However, the current
standards lapse in 2007,
at which time it is expected the acceptable
limit will drop to less than five
grams of hydrocarbon plus NOX.
" This probably can't be done
without a catalytic converter ,"says
Dick Rowe, founder and chairman
or Indmar Marine Engines.
" It's either that or stick a potato in the muffler. "
Currently, Indmar supplies
engines to MasterCraft, Malibu and
Skier's Choice. Because of Rowe's
active involvement with the
National Marine Manufactures
Association, Indmar was first out of
the gate with a state-of-the art
emission lab for measuring hydrocarbons,
CO, CO2, O2 and NOX.
Indmar honed its engine into
acceptable emission limits by July
2002. Now, all Indmar engine-
whether sold in California or
anywhere else-meet the strict
new guidelines.
They aren't alone. Karl Kaukis,
MerCruiser marketing director,
says all MerCruiser products also
meet the guidelines. " MerCruiser
has developed test facilities to
measure the California emissions
standards, " he says." Where
necessary, product changes have
been made to ensure that
MerCruiser products, both inboard
and stern drive, meet the California
requirements."
Over at PCM engines, the R&D
engineers have been working on
improved emissions control for
several years, says PCM President
Chuck Thurman. " We met the stringent
European standards two years
ago, " he says." And as of January
1, 2003, every engine in the PCM
line meets and exceeds California
requirements."
This subject has been on here before,
but I think It's too extreme.
Were all for clean air.
But catalytic converters on boats.
Maybe potatoes would be better,
at least they would blow out!
Keep your old boat as long as you can.
That way you can give it all the horse power
and performance you want.
Until all the noise laws go into affect.
[ May 28, 2003, 11:39 PM: Message edited by: HARDCORE-SKI ]

[Infomaniac]

Not a problem. A few minor mods and run it on Methanol.
Methanol puts out NONEof the emissions tested for. Best of all you can run as much boost or compression or both as you want on methanol.

[Mandelon]

Can you switch it back after the smog test?

[TCHB]

The EPA does have a master plan and it will continue to reduce nox levels weather we like it or not. Think about how far cars have come in reducing emmissions. In ten years we will have Honda engines under the hatch with 500HP.

[Frosty_pop]

I'll never run a Honda, "The EPA can have my Chevy when they can pry it out of my cold dead hand" smile_sp smile_sp

[HCS]

I still think it's nonsense. It's not needed.
It's just a money grab for the EPA,
and we the consumer ultimately pay the price.

[TroubIeOnWater]

What BS. The 5.9 litre V8 in my rig puts out more pollution then my boat. At 9 MPG in my tow rig (under tow) I KNOW that bad boy can't be burning all that clean. I average per weekend 100 miles of driving in the rig some weekends I'll drive 400 to 500 miles. My boat gets to see about 40 miles of travel on the water on a LONG weekend. WTF.
With modern day technology a 5.9 litre V8 should be making 400+ HP and get 20+ MPG. But instead automotive manfufacturers get away with bulinding a 5.9 litre engine that gets 9 MPG under tow and makes 290 HP. How does that make sense?
A car I recently sold was running 13.8@101 MPH in the 1/4 mile and getting 24 MPG. This car was not a honda BTW. So it's obviously possible to do. I wish EPA would get their heads out of their asses and crack down on the true criminals.
I think it's all a money game. Lets hit the pockets of the people who have deep pockets. Just like anything else. Why bust the gang bangers on the lake? They can't afford the big tickets and they'll never pay them so we'll let them do what they want and bust these guys who will pay the tickets even though their offenses are very minute in comparisson to the offenses of others with shallow pockets.
Sadly automotive manufacturers pay the EPA lots of money to keep them off their asses. Marine engine manufacturers don't have the money to do it but the owners of the marine engines tend to ahve deep pockets to pay lots of money in fines.
Seriously.. Give up 100 HP out of your $35,000 Marine engine by installing a cat on it or pay an ocassional $100-$300 ticket here and there? Most people will take their chances and end up paying tickets. You site 3,000 people per year at $200 per offense and bam you just added $600,000 to incoming revenues. I'm sure that they will site many more then 3,000 people for this.

[HCS]

TCHB:
The EPA does have a master plan and it will continue to reduce nox levels weather we like it or not. Think about how far cars have come in reducing emmissions. In ten years we will have Honda engines under the hatch with 500HP. That's the problem, is there isn't anything we can do about it.
California, Democrat, EPA=Communist control.
The price of new boat has doubled in five years.
After manufactures have to jump through all the hoops
by 2007 the price will probably sky rocket again.
If you want to buy a 21 foot boat with a Honda,
Toyota, or Yamaha in it for $50,000.00 go ahead.
You wont see me doing it.
[ May 29, 2003, 06:45 AM: Message edited by: HARDCORE-SKI ]

[Infomaniac]

Mandelon:
Can you switch it back after the smog test? Yes !
And I was serious. Methanol is good for the environment.
If you are replacing your engine build yourself a high compression or big boost engine. The methanol loves it and the EPA loves methanol.
Some states give you tax incentinve to run alcohol in your street machines. M-85 is available at the pump in some states.