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california smog question

C

crazer

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does anyone know if its possible to register my 86 k5 as a 75. i have a wrecked 75 and my daily driver is a 86. every mod i have planned is illegal here in california. so if i could register it as a 75 it would be smog exempt. what steps would i need to take to make this happen?:confused:
 
if not possible what engine mods can i do thats smog legal. i.e headers, intake etc... part numbers would be helpful, or maybe atleast what brands are best.
 
does anyone know if its possible to register my 86 k5 as a 75
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Not legally.

What mods are you planning? You could upgrade to fuel injection and have the '86 be perfectly legal, for instance.
 
Having gone through an engine upgrade in Kalifornia myself it actually can be done and is not as bad a people make it out to be. The funny thing is you would actually be smoging your 86 as a newer vehicle. You can't go back...only forward.

the real question is...
What do you have in the truck now?
What is HP goal?
what is budget?
What skills do you have?

That will determine if you can upgrade you current setup legally in CA or if you need to get a bit more radical and do a legal engine swap.

Cheers,
Rufus
 
build up the 75, and get it registered before you undo one bolt.
 
right now its just the stock 350, i was wanting to get in the 350 to 400 hp range. it also has 4.11 gears 35 inch bfg all terrains and a 6 inch all spring superlift. i want it to still be streetable (it is my daily driver) but want some get up and go when i need it. was thinking about the usual mods- headers, intake, maybe a cam. what headers are available that are still smog legal? i would like to keep the budget around $1000-$1500. i would say im pretty mechanically inclined (rebuilt my first engine at 14 and am a certified welder).
 
I'm not an engine guru (talk to 4X4HIGH - he would fit that bill and is a California guy), but given your requirements I'd find a 400 crank, build a 383 stroker, and get some Vortec or fast-burn heads and an aluminum Edelbrock intake. There are all kinds of smog-legal headers out there. Just be sure that if your truck has air injection for smog, you'll need to find a set of headers that have the inlets for that.

You can get fairly agressive, but don't get too hugely lumpy on the cam or you may not pass the sniffer. I was able to get a quadrajet-carbed 350 with a 268 cam and 64cc "camel hump" heads to pass on an '86 Burb without any trouble. I don't remember the piston dish volume (if any).

It'll look just like any other smallblock on the outside, and the Edelbrock stuff in the Performer line is usually smog compliant (it says in their catalog if it is or not). You will have to do a good tuning job both with the carb and ignition system to get it to pass. You will have to retain EGR functionality to pass...and contrary to popular misinformation, EGR does actually help you run better if understood and done correctly.

The stuff I've said above should be doable within your budget...you won't get to 400HP without some advanced head work and a bigger cam, but I think you'd be happy for a DD-able Blazer. Shameless plug: I've got a set of Vortec heads for sale in the Engine section here and am right over the mountains from you :wink1:
 
longbedder is right on all counts here. As long as you hang onto the EGR and stay in the performer line you can stay smog legal in CA. 4x4High may have some further suggestions.

As an example the edelbrock crate motor (ca legal) which uses their "power package" puts out 310 HP and 375 ft/lbs or torque.

http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_new/mc/crate_engines/performer_310.shtml

You could just order up the top end kit along with a good set of 50 state headers for your truck and be good to go (as long as your short block does not need a rebuild).

Given it is your DD and your budget you probably don't want to get into a engine swap although a bone stock lq9 does put out well over 350 HP and there are lots of smog legal goodies you could add to get that north of 400. Retain all the smog stuff from the donor engine/truck and take the truck to a smog referee and your 86 K5 would then be smoged as a 2003 Cadillac Escalade :-) it just takes $.

Cheers,

Rufus
 
i have an 84 right now that isnt legal becuase it has no cats and a aftermarket intake manifold and carb . im going to take it to a shop and see what they can do to get me to pass.
 
crazer said:
right now its just the stock 350, i was wanting to get in the 350 to 400 hp range. it also has 4.11 gears 35 inch bfg all terrains and a 6 inch all spring superlift. i want it to still be streetable (it is my daily driver) but want some get up and go when i need it. was thinking about the usual mods- headers, intake, maybe a cam. what headers are available that are still smog legal? i would like to keep the budget around $1000-$1500. i would say im pretty mechanically inclined (rebuilt my first engine at 14 and am a certified welder).
Click to expand...

To get anywhere close to 350-400hp you're gonna need closer to $3000.00-3500.00.

Lets just say that the engine i built for myself last year is sitting right at 400hp/520tq and cost me almost 6500.00 (but this was a full rebuild). You just aren't going to make 400hp without aftermarket aluminum heads and a good cam.
 
As far as I know, the only way you can register your 86 as a 75 is to put all your stuff on the 75, but since it's wrecked, that's probably not a good idea. You'll need the 75 VIN (don't even think about it, they are way different on the 75 than the 86). The smog checks aren't all that bad - my 76 has smogged two years running, but it's a stock Goodwrench motor. This year they didn't even require a test!!!
 
Could he not just get an Lx motor? For the money it costs to make serious power, conversion to one of those would be smog legal and have a lot more power than what he has now, no?
 
The trick is to pass the visual and the sniffer. To pass the visual, it would have to look like something that came on these trucks from 1986 or later OR the non-stock parts need to have a CARB (Cal. Air Resources Board) exemption...and there are zillions of parts that do. I've never had a problem with anything that looks remotely smallblock-ish failing visual. Keep in mind that it's not necessarily a genious or even a Chevy guy checking the truck out, and they aren't working with a picture guide. For that reason, I purposefully took mine to a ricer shop.

Going diesel was the best thing I ever did, and smog exemption is part of that :) I'm getting a diesel Blazer at the end of this month...
 
so ive decided im going to have to increase my budget. what do you guys think i should do first that will improve my power the most, i.e headers, intake, heads???? in a perfect world i would do everything at once, but money does not permit that right now. i just want to bring a little more life into my blazerado...
 
Heads and cam are where the power is made. Of course a good flowing exhaust system will be required. Keep in mind that with Californias new emissions law on catalytic convertors you MUST use the original diameter exhaust pipe on the catalytic convertor.
 
do you mean the same size pipe going into the cc or behind the cc. what is the oem size pipe on these things anyways?
 
hehe, if you are going to spend $3k or more, you can just by a 75 or earlier blazer and not worry about smog...
 
crazer said:
do you mean the same size pipe going into the cc or behind the cc. what is the oem size pipe on these things anyways?
Click to expand...

Well the cat must be the OEM cat that was originally installed on the vehicle (pipe size) so having larger in front is of no help and larger after could be a little help but not much. I'm guessing the pipe size was 2" or 2 1/4" on that year. You also cannot run a true dual exhaust either. The cat must be a Ca. specific cat as well.
 
with that being said, what headers do you recommend that are carb approved? also do you have any recommendations on cams ( duration, deg, etc..)
 
I've got 2 cats and true dual exhaust on mine (courtesy of a PO) and it's passed the visual both times, BUT that was before they really got sticky on the cats. A lot depends on who does your test.
 
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