No, there's nothing wrong with your car and nothing wrong with the parts you are removing. The 103 engine family has been identified by the California Air Resources Board as a "high emitter profile". Most are high on HC and many pass by a hair or fail marginally.

The key as I said in my previous post is to "manage" the test - make sure the converter is as hot as possible using the techniques I mentioned or any other techniques that you can think of. There's not much else you can do.

Even having to test the car in the winter is a disadvantage. Testing on a hot summer day will mean a hotter converter, which could be enough to make a difference between passing and failing.

Duke