What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

Mid 80's big block smog junk. Keep or remove?

Emission controls will not give you any fuel or power gain.
Without them, you can open up your engine bay and tune or otherwise work on your motor easier.
Lowering emmissions was due to over EPA regulations and lowering compressions was an insurance issue with horsepower at the time.

High horsepower motors today still have emission standards with higher MPGs.

Your motor is a low compression motor. Put a set of headers on it with an HEI and it will rum way better.
Most bbcs get 11-12 mph loaded or not.
 
I'd hold onto all the parts removed if you decide to delete the emission stuff--eventually the smog nazi's will encroach into all states and make you put everything back to "factory",like CA does,and finding those parts will be difficult in years to come,you'd be lucky to find them NOW if you had to restore everything back to original to get it to pass inspection..

I'd just leave it as-is,you'll likely gain nothing by removing it other than losing some clutter under the hood..most engines that era were designed to run best with all that junk,removing it usually doesn't gain you much,might even lose some HP..
 
Most states only have laws for emissions that the tailpipe sniffer must meet. Be it a roller test or static test on an older vehicle.

The newest ones are OBD driven which actually read the computer and sensors and scan for fault codes.
I agree those are tough to fool or keep in compliance...

On the older ones, the vehicle must meet certain guidelines of ppm of gases.. I had a 97 Issuzu that I yanked the motor out, and built to the hilt with high compression pistons, aftermarket cam, headers, no cats, aftermarket intake and weber carb, and jacobs ignition...it was a 4 banger screamer.

First time I took it for an emissions inspection, I expected it to fail, but I wanted to see the levels and at what range of rpms etc. so I would know where I would need to tune.
The only test it failed while on the rollers was the static idle and between gear shifts (manual trans) ...I took it home and grafted a bbc smog pump onto some fabbed brackets, plumbed it into the exhaust system after the header collector. .threw a belt on it and took it back...it passed with flying colors...it was way "cleaner" than the requirements. I got my sticker, drove it home, pulled the pump off, capped the collector with a pipe plug and saved everthing for next year... I figure if you pump enough air into the exhaust system, you can make any engine "look" clean ! :D
 
When I was younger my 79 CJ5 with the factory 258 I6 had every piece of emissions equipment removed by the previous owner. It passed all the test but was visually failed for not having the cat present till my Dad found in a book that certain 79 jeeps depending on where in the country they were purchased didnt come from the factory with cats. I got a waiver from the state for the cat i had to show when tested. It always amazes me that thing always passed and other newer vehicles I had could not with everything intact.
 
K588 said:
When I was younger my 79 CJ5 with the factory 258 I6 had every piece of emissions equipment removed by the previous owner. It passed all the test but was visually failed for not having the cat present till my Dad found in a book that certain 79 jeeps depending on where in the country they were purchased didnt come from the factory with cats. I got a waiver from the state for the cat i had to show when tested. It always amazes me that thing always passed and other newer vehicles I had could not with everything intact.
Click to expand...

Yeah, Texas used to be really hard on the "visual inspection" too...but most places are pretty relaxed about that now...the inspectors have to punch in the VIN on the test machine, and it spits out the limits the vehicle must meet on the sniffer test. The tech told me he didn't care how it got there, as long as it got there...or below.

All but one of my current vehicles are emissions exempt or safety inspection only...due to age or being diesel....
The wifey's Toyota is OBD-II, so its just a plug in scan for codes / safety inspection....easy peasy..
 
shady said:
Generally the masses say RIP THAT CHIT OFF! But is it that big of a difference in power or economy either way?
I'm about to do a full tune up on my recently purchased 85 CCdrw with the carburated 454.
I noticed that there seems to be A LOT of smog related components under the hood. More than I'm used to seeing anyway. And I realized that a lot of it is in the way of the tune up..

So it seems like a good time to ditch that stuff to me. :dunno:

Should I remove only what's in the way, and put it back on? (No emissions checks or inspections here)
Or pull it all off, cap/plug remaining holes, and leave it that way?

Is there a noticeable benefit either way?

Other option is just leave it the hell heone since it seems to run decent now lol. I just have no idea how old the plugs, wires, dizzy cap/rotor, etc All is.

I'd alost go as far as it's all original since it looks that way and only has 79,000 original miles on it.
Click to expand...
 
urbex said:
Again, people don't understand how these systems work, or their functions. Even on vehicles without cats, air pumps DO serve a purpose, and it's not just about tricking the tail pipe sniffers. Emissions related air pumps first started showing up on cars about a decade before catalytic converters did.

When the engine is running rich for whatever reason, typically for several minutes after startup on a cold engine, there will be unburnt fuel sent down the exhaust. The air injected by these pumps helps to burn off that fuel in the exhaust system rather that sending it raw down the tail pipe. This is a benefit for those of us that like to run topless, as it will help to minimize the raw fuel smell that rolls back into the cab. Installing a converter works even better. My Samurai went from being miserable to drive topless to being like a brand new car, smell wise, simply just from installing a catalytic converter. GF wouldn't get anywhere near that thing before because of the exhaust smell, lol.

Later, when catalytics started appearing on cars, the air pumps had a secondary benefit of bringing the catalyst up to temp faster.
Click to expand...
 
shady said:
Generally the masses say RIP THAT CHIT OFF! But is it that big of a difference in power or economy either way?
I'm about to do a full tune up on my recently purchased 85 CCdrw with the carburated 454.
I noticed that there seems to be A LOT of smog related components under the hood. More than I'm used to seeing anyway. And I realized that a lot of it is in the way of the tune up..

So it seems like a good time to ditch that stuff to me. :dunno:

Should I remove only what's in the way, and put it back on? (No emissions checks or inspections here)
Or pull it all off, cap/plug remaining holes, and leave it that way?

Is there a noticeable benefit either way?

Other option is just leave it the hell heone since it seems to run decent now lol. I just have no idea how old the plugs, wires, dizzy cap/rotor, etc All is.

I'd alost go as far as it's all original since it looks that way and only has 79,000 original miles on it.
Click to expand...
Leave it, tune it up, or go a performance route, its a system, parts go bad, but you can keep it running pretty much like new it will just be slow, put better cats on it, tune it up, if its a carbed deal from the mid 80's i rebuild them, if its tbi check for vacuum leaks especially under the throttle boy
 
No, no emissions or checks of any kind here... I guess what it'll come down to is how much it pisses me off when I'm under the hood doing stuff.

If I manage my anger well it'll stay, if not it'll go and I'll tune for Its absence
 
shady said:
No, no emissions or checks of any kind here... I guess what it'll come down to is how much it pisses me off when I'm under the hood doing stuff.

If I manage my anger well it'll stay, if not it'll go and I'll tune for Its absence
Click to expand...
Yep, throw away all of it then, go carbed, no O2, different HEI distributor, its a big change but keep the serpentine belt setup
 
2 air pumps, half a mile of 30 year old dried out vacuum lines, multiple added brackets and chit, .....

This thing is making it hard to NOT rip it all off with vengeance :angry1:

I'm going to leave it for now. Since it runs good. Although it DOES idle about 1000-1100 rpm. But that's manageable being a manual.

Still need to figure that out though. Seriously debating spending the time to pull it all off right and go aftermarket EFI.

First shot is before I touched anything. Second is what all had to be moved to get to the water pump. 2.5 hrs later.
(Not great pics)

IMG_20181129_203401502.jpg

IMG_20181129_215911297.jpg
 
I won't go that route again... I have a 90% brand new full SBC tbi setup in a box at home. Pulled off after every single peice was replaced and it still wouldn't run... Rather take my chances in the aftermarket.
 
Took TBI off a '90-something in the wrecking yard, put it on the 454 in my dads "1981" K20, and other than needing some PROM tuning because of non-stock intake/cam/headers, thing didn't give him problems, and hasn't the next owner either.

I get it, a failure can sour you on something, but I'd put factory up against aftermarket for reliability any day of the week. If the aftermarket got it right, they wouldn't be turning out new or updated systems every year, nor would we see anything but resounding praise all the time... That's slightly dishonest and unfair to say, they are trying to make a one-size fits all product for every skill level out there, but nonetheless, some of the problems to me seem to be cutting corners to save cost (a societal problem, not just the manufacturers) and some of it just seems like poor research. You can say that about some things GM made, I wouldn't about their EFI.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom