Back story time!: Ok, I bought my second 8(04 VR MT) used with what was supposedly a broken apex seal. When I got it home and checked it out it had bad coils/battery and a clogged cat. YAY ME! I gutted the cat and replaced the coils/plugs/wires/battery and a few other things and the car ran like new.

Flash forward six months: fuel started to cut out when I was around a quarter tank and sometimes higher if I was going up a hill or on the interstate for extended amounts of time. I decided to go ahead and order a walbro fuel pump and clean the sock filter, installed pump and cleaned filter on Friday and the car ran better than it had since I've owned it. Yesterday I got off my butt and decided to install some parts that I had sitting around( AEM cai, BHR ignition and Borla exhaust). After the install the car ran extremely rich and I figured it would take a couple drive cycles to relearn the fuel trim. Now 5 drives later it's still running rich to the point where it burns your eyes just standing behind it outside.

So the question is does it just need more time or should I be concerned?

 

What's the evidence of running rich? A new exhaust will stink for a while until the machine oil burns off. Unless you see it on plugs, glowing cat, or on AFR's I'm guessing that's the problem.

 

VERY strong odor of gas bad enough that it burns my eyes. I should have mentioned that I picked up the exhaust used from another member here.

 

Uhmm...you gutted your cat...of course your eyes are burning...cats are installed for a reason. The new freer flowing exhaust is probably what is making you notice it more. But go out and slap a cat back on there and you'll be fine I'm sure. If you want to confirm that it isn't your fuel trim you can always go and do the brake pedal stomp thing and reset it.

 

Oh wow, cats are there for a reason? Silly me. I must have the only car in the world that doesn't have a cat. Anyone else?

 

I'm catless

Yes the smell is very very strong.
I like the smell of unburned hydrocarbons, reminds me of my 2 stroke snowmobile.

Enough to make your eyes water.

 

i have a cat but its been sitting in my garage for a few years now lol.

 

Do this

AEM intake will change things,

 

Thanks WCS, I'll give it a try this weekend. I guess his post wasn't 100% useless.