This section describes how to prepare and test production-line engines. You must assemble the test engine in a way that represents the assembly procedures for other engines in the engine family. You must ask us to approve any deviations from your normal assembly procedures for other production engines in the engine family.
(a) Test procedures. Test your production-line engines using either the steady-state or transient testing procedures specified in subpart F of this part to show you meet the duty-cycle emission standards in subpart B of this part. The field-testing standards apply for this testing, but you need not do additional testing to show that production-line engines meet the field-testing standards.
(b) Modifying a test engine. Once an engine is selected for testing (see Sec. 1048.310), you may adjust, repair, prepare, or modify it or check its emissions only if one of the following is true:
(1) You document the need for doing so in your procedures for assembling and inspecting all your production engines and make the action routine for all the engines in the engine family.
(2) This subpart otherwise specifically allows your action.
(3) We approve your action in advance.
(c) Engine malfunction. If an engine malfunction prevents further emission testing, ask us to approve your decision to either repair the engine or delete it from the test sequence.
(d) Setting adjustable parameters. Before any test, we may require you to adjust any adjustable parameter to any setting within its physically adjustable range.
(1) We may require you to adjust idle speed outside the physically adjustable range as needed, but only until the engine has stabilized emission levels (see paragraph (e) of this section). We may ask you for information needed to establish an alternate minimum idle speed.
(2) We may specify adjustments within the physically adjustable range by considering their effect on emission levels. We may also consider how likely it is that someone will make such an adjustment with in-use equipment.
(e) Stabilizing emission levels. Before you test production-line engines, you may operate the engine to stabilize the emission levels. Using good engineering judgment, operate your engines in a way that represents the way production engines will be used. You may operate each engine for no more than the greater of two periods:
(1) 50 hours.
(2) The number of hours you operated your emission-data engine for certifying the engine family (see 40 CFR part 1065, subpart E).
(f) Damage during shipment. If shipping an engine to a remote facility for production-line testing makes necessary an adjustment or repair, you must wait until after the initial emission test to do this work. We may waive this requirement if the test would be impossible or unsafe, or if it would permanently damage the engine. Report to us, in your written report under Sec. 1048.345, all adjustments or repairs you make on test engines before each test.
(g) Retesting after invalid tests. You may retest an engine if you determine an emission test is invalid under subpart F of this part. Explain in your written report reasons for invalidating any test and the emission results from all tests. If we determine that you improperly invalidated a test, we may require you to ask for our approval for future testing before substituting results of the new tests for invalid ones. [67 FR 68347, Nov. 8, 2002, as amended at 70 FR 40475, July 13, 2005; 73 FR 59237, Oct. 8, 2008]