What are the best years of the 80-87 chevys? What year did the smog stuff get added?
CK5
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smog 80's chevys
- Thread starter wazzabie
- Start date
Best year is 87' cause it's a TBI fuel injection setup. No carb compares.
blowedupmotor87
1/2 ton status
As far as I know, all the smog stuff is pretty much the same 80-87. IIRC the same smog equip was in place the whole time (secondary air injection, cat, EGR, etc.) I could be wrong but, I think I remember looking up the required equipment in a North Carolina DOT inspection book and all the lists were the same for all the years of the 80's.
That being said, I would agree that 87 is the ideal year! (87 for regular cab pickups, 87-91 for Blazers, Jimmys, Suburbans, Crew Cabs, and certain Chassis Cab vehicles) That way ya get the square body with a solid axle frontend but ya have EFI! That's why I bought an 87!
That being said, I would agree that 87 is the ideal year! (87 for regular cab pickups, 87-91 for Blazers, Jimmys, Suburbans, Crew Cabs, and certain Chassis Cab vehicles) That way ya get the square body with a solid axle frontend but ya have EFI! That's why I bought an 87!
'82+ diesel...cuz there was no smog stuff!
kevin400ex
1/2 ton status
smog devices have been on them since the early 70's
sandypants
1/2 ton status
in 79 is when trucks begain the huge smog stuff like the cars did earlyer. thats when big ristrictions hit.
Muddytazz
1 ton status
My old 75 burb had smog stuff
KansasTwister
1/2 ton status
light duty half tons in the 70s got smog too, 3 77s i have are heavy half, and 2 are 3/4 tons. I assume all 4x4s were smog free from what i understand, of course this is all excluding california.
But, i once found a 350 that i should have bought, 1984 crew cab long block with carb that was smog free! from an 84, so they did have smog free in the 80s on a gas motor but it was rare.
But, i once found a 350 that i should have bought, 1984 crew cab long block with carb that was smog free! from an 84, so they did have smog free in the 80s on a gas motor but it was rare.
Muddytazz
1 ton status
That reminds me, I have a buddy that had a 1990 K5 that was factory smog free.
And the 75 burb that I mentioned above was a federal emissions rig, not a cali emissions and it was 4x4.
And the 75 burb that I mentioned above was a federal emissions rig, not a cali emissions and it was 4x4.
sandypants
1/2 ton status
yea they have smog stuff like a cat but no big restrictions. like they do in 79 when it was mandated by federal law
KansasTwister
1/2 ton status
Was she a big block? did she have an egr? maybe the light duty 4x4s had smog, my 75 k5 was smog free, 4x4 all original.
In short, gm did alot of random stuff
Its hard to say gm didnt make it if its sitting in front of you.
xCaliK5x
1/2 ton status
my 87 was a bitch to get passed here in CA, WITH all its stuff on it. Mostly because the previous owner was an idiot and slacked off on maintenance and the **** he did touch, he butchered and hacked. I'm surprised it ran at all! Now that I got it running proper, it runs like a champ. Soon I'm going to replace his "custom" 3 foot exhaust that contains a borderline bad cat for a Toyota (reason it was so hard to pass) with a single chamber cherry bomb that dumps out under the truck with an all new true dual setup with CARB legal headers and highflow cats. Next time it should pass with flying colors. I haven't even got to wheel it yet since it ws in such bad shape. Tight funds and lots of work to be done. All I have left to do it TRE's, seal up the 700R4 pan, and rear brakes.
I dont think cali will pass you with duals... even with dual cats.... the truck came with single.. i know jersey wont pass that..... if they catch it...
ny also. has to be factory setup as per emissions sticker stuff.
but some guys let stuff slide a bit if 2 cats and stuff like a factory would have been.
xCaliK5x
1/2 ton status
our smog machines give a choice for dual exhaust, and you have to hook up a second sniffer to put in the other pipe incase half your engine is running clean and the other half is a gross polluter........ 
( i could see where this is plausible if you have one cylinder burning a decent amount of oil, but come on..... )
( i could see where this is plausible if you have one cylinder burning a decent amount of oil, but come on..... )
thats not the point.. it isn't that the machines have the option to test dual exhaust.. it's that the truck never had it, a visual is all they need to fail it....
rufusbooth
1/2 ton status
Even being out of state Ryoken is mostly correct.
As of Jan 2009 your exhaust system needs to be set up like the stock system from the cat forward with the proper application specific cat (no big 4 inch cats any more) and the same exhaust system in front of it. If your truck came with a y pipe and a single cat, that is what it needs to have in order to pass visual inspection. Dual cats and no y pipe will fail. You could split to dual behind the cat.
info here:
http://www.car-sound.com/04basics/04california.asp
P.S. 87 is definitely the best of those years for TBI.
As of Jan 2009 your exhaust system needs to be set up like the stock system from the cat forward with the proper application specific cat (no big 4 inch cats any more) and the same exhaust system in front of it. If your truck came with a y pipe and a single cat, that is what it needs to have in order to pass visual inspection. Dual cats and no y pipe will fail. You could split to dual behind the cat.
info here:
http://www.car-sound.com/04basics/04california.asp
P.S. 87 is definitely the best of those years for TBI.
