Carb adjustment screwdrivers and the EPA

[Definitive Dave]

In order to sell in the USA legally, the machine has to be certified by the EPA, if it has a consumer adjustable carb it will not get certified. PERIOD If you cant sell in the USA, it isn't worth making. If the tools to adjust the carbs become too easy to get, the EPA stops certifying those machines that use them for sale and now the manufacturers have to come up with another way to stop their own consumers from violating the law, so they have a vested interest in preventing these tools from being out there in the public. A fine of $5K is nothing compared to an embargo of all your production. Retooling for new carb defeat mechanisms costs the manufacturers more, and us, as buyers, more in turn.
Seems like there ought to be some common sense, common ground somewhere between dead bald eagles and flaming great lakes on one side and power tools that are designed to just barely operate on the other.
Dave

 

[backhoelover]

they cant sell it to you but it doesnt says anything about being gived one

 

[mesupra]

No attention is payed to the fact that by creating tools that run so lean you are creating a much larger waste stream of quickly worn out tools. Going against the beliefs of the very liberals that have worked so hard to create such policies. What a bunch of dbags

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

Seems like there ought to be some common sense, common ground somewhere between dead bald eagles and flaming great lakes on one side and power tools that are designed to just barely operate on the other.
Dave

Common sense? This is a government agency you're talking about...

What happens to the majority of homeowner/consumer-grade OPE? Probably ends up in a landfill somewhere with fuel still in it. All that fuel leaching into the soil has to be as bad, if not worse, than the little bit of emissions these machines emit.

The manufacturers really don't care because these things have become throw-aways meaning they sell more units in the long run. Bottom line, as with everything else in this world, it's all about money.

 

[RIDE-RED 350r]

Seems like there ought to be some common sense, common ground somewhere between dead bald eagles and flaming great lakes on one side and power tools that are designed to just barely operate on the other.
Dave

Therein lies the crux of it... Common sense isn't so common.. Especially within the EPA which is packed with extremist radicals hell bent on forcing an agenda down the throat of the backbone of this country.

Did you know that the EPA has declared CO2 a greenhouse gas and subject to regulation and that SCOTUS upheld their "declaration"?? Yes folks, the stuff WE EXHALE! Does this sound like it comes from people who have a shred of common sense??

I mean no disrespect to you Dave, and I agree with what you have said.

 

[Rockjock]

they cant sell it to you but it doesnt says anything about being gived one

I doubt that will save you when judge judy dropps the hammer on ya! Out of curiosity I called the 2 other locations my company owns and asked when was the last time they had to adjust a carb on some saws and they really did not recall doing all that many adjustments. I wonder if the quality control is lax in the US making this such an issue.

 

[Definitive Dave]

If you count on semantics to save you, make sure you already have a lawyer on retainer

As it was explained to me, the EPA makes random frequent inspections as items are brought into the US and onsite daily at productions facilities within the US, so tuning may be a little less stringent on items labeled for export from a foreign factory to a country other than the US, unless it passes through a US port in which case it is subject to the same rules.

A decent portion of the tech training teaches the rules for emissions standards at least in the documentation I have, perhaps why new techs are half-assed at best
Dave

Standard Course of Government Advancement - identification of problem >thoughtful discourse>formation of govt. body>meaningful legislation>momentary pause>graft and greed>corruption>frantic search for new problem to increase influence>additional graft, greed and corruption>frantic search for new prob.............

 

[Fishnuts2]

If I recall correctly, the EPA stamps every motorcycle muffler with dire warnings and fines if modified or removed. This includes my 1986 model. We all can hear how that works out! But they single out some poor soul that wants to have a decent running chain saw or weed whip and regulate it almost unusable, but let this other crap go on for years.

As far as the EPA goes, a fish rots from the head on down, you know.

 

[fordf150]

Truth of the matter is that the chances of the EPA coming after one of us peons for a modded muffler or selling a carb tool is slim but it is still a chance and when it happens i bet they will try to make an example out of whoever they go after

 

[mesupra]

Ive heard of people without the tool heating up a flat blade and burning a slot in the end of the splines. Also head of people using a small piece of tubing that is just big enough to slip over the splines.

 

[chuckwood]

For anyone wondering why dealers including me refuse to sell the carb adjustment tools.

View attachment 452144
This is the Husqvarna version:

To All Servicing Dealers,
It has come to our attention that certain proprietary carburetor adjustment tools are
becoming more readily available on the open market. These tools are necessary for the
proper adjustment of carburetors to ensure compliance with U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency emission regulations when service work is being performed.
US Code of Federal Regulations, Title 40: Protection of Environment
§1068.101(b) states:
(2) Defeat devices. You may not knowingly manufacture, sell, offer to sell, or
install, any part that bypasses, impairs, defeats, or disables the control of
emissions of any regulated pollutant … (EPA) may assess a civil penalty up to
$3,750 for each part in violation.
By selling the carburetor adjustment tools to consumers or making it available on the
internet, you may be viewed as selling a “Defeat device” and be subject to the above
penalties.
Please assist us to ensure these tools are only being used by your qualified staff and are
not made available for retail sale to the general public.
The part number for this tool is: 530 03 55-60 and is shown below.
Thank you for your support ensuring we are all operating in accordance with U.S
Environmental Protection Agency emission regulations.
Anthony Marchese
Vice President Part Sales and Service

This is easily defeated with a dremel tool and a tiny circular grinding disk. Cut a slot in the adjusters for a screwdriver fit and you'll be good to go. It will void the warranty on a brand new machine however.

 

[olyman]

EPA= A vastly bloated and overly intrusive agency that is allowed to write regulation out of thin air that carries the full weight of law without our legislators' approval... To hell with them!!


What a bunch of crap! These unaccountable hacks make these mandates so stringent that you can't even buy a product that works properly even at a small level! And not only that, something set that lean is not going to be long for this world to begin with... But that's OK, I'm sure the tyrants at the EPA are happy to know that 1 less 2-stroke is out there polluting their pathetic little utopian world.... But I'm certain that THEIR weedwackers all work properly....

ohh, but theirs do!!!! they are all 100 volt, including their mini CS..............and all their current, is produced at only a water powered electric plant...yah, uh huh....communist leftists

 

[chuckwood]

Truth of the matter is that the chances of the EPA coming after one of us peons for a modded muffler or selling a carb tool is slim but it is still a chance and when it happens i bet they will try to make an example out of whoever they go after

When things get bad enough, and they need to create more government jobs, maybe we'll have green police who go around knocking on doors and inspect all of our 2 cycle motors for signs of carb adjuster tampering! This could keep thousands of people busy for many years.......

 

[fordf150]

When things get bad enough, and they need to create more government jobs, maybe we'll have green police who go around knocking on doors and inspect all of our 2 cycle motors for signs of carb adjuster tampering! This could keep thousands of people busy for many years.......

will it work something like this?

 

[RIDE-RED 350r]

This is easily defeated with a dremel tool and a tiny circular grinding disk. Cut a slot in the adjusters for a screwdriver fit and you'll be good to go. It will void the warranty on a brand new machine however.

Careful now... If they see this they will be after our dremels, torches, wizzy wheels and pretty much every tool in the garage!! They are instruments of environmental destruction in the hands of us cave men you know!!

 

[Mastermind]

We are so phucked.

 

[RedneckChainsawRepair]

Just how many folks leave them POS slip on Harley mufflers on their new bikes. Yeah right sure you do , get bent epa.

 

[colin.p]

Just how many folks leave them POS slip on Harley mufflers on their new bikes. Yeah right sure you do , get bent epa.

I left mine on, just pounded out the baffles. It just made it a little noisier, but I'm not sure...I'm deaf anyways.

 

[aokpops]

Know yourself an know your enemy ! Get what you want with out fighting or use the least amount of energy to get it . The big secret to life, is being like a actor don't do anything just look good at doing nothing . An than that warps up how an why things work. I would say to start with don't buy anything advertised on TV ! The dog chasing his tail drug ads needs to stop . Rotten car insurance ads need to stop . Quite buying that stuff !

 

[olyman]

Know yourself an know your enemy ! Get what you want with out fighting or use the least amount of energy to get it . The big secret to life, is being like a actor don't do anything just look good at doing nothing . An than that warps up how an why things work. I would say to start with don't buy anything advertised on TV ! The dog chasing his tail drug ads needs to stop . Rotten car insurance ads need to stop . Quite buying that stuff !

tell me, just what in h this post has to do with the topic at hand?? more of your drivel....