Passing CA Smog help - High HCs

[Dave Kay]

Q-Jet is way easier to pass with. I have vortec heads and associated spreadbore intake, the engine looks factory, all of the vacuum hoses are routed correctly, and with it warm, as you see, it passes with ease. Mine, like yours, has no cat, no egr, just the items shown on the air cleaner emissions sticker.

I totally agree. Back in 2008 my '86 3500, which I bought at an impound auction in Oceanside for $500 bucks, had the totally wrong carb on it when I picked it up. Didn't know that at the time, but took the carb off for a rebuild and also R&R'd the intake manifold to clean all the passages. When my carb rebuilder, Sean Murphy ID'd my carb he determined it wasn't the factory correct one for my year truck. He exchanged my incorrect carb for a correct Q-jet, rebuilt it for a reasonable price, and after I installed it with the cleaned stock intake, that truck passed all Cali-smog tests with flying colors--- and way low emissions numbers!

In fact, after a few more years of Cali smog testing, that truck STILL passed easily without any adjusting or smog-trickery. Check out Sean Murphy Induction (SMI) in Huntington Beach and get a quote, you'll be pleasantly surprised. They are my go-to carb Gurus I recommend to all.

 

[77Matt]

I totally agree. Back in 2008 my '86 3500, which I bought at an impound auction in Oceanside for $500 bucks, had the totally wrong carb on it when I picked it up. Didn't know that at the time, but took the carb off for a rebuild and also R&R'd the intake manifold to clean all the passages. When my carb rebuilder, Sean Murphy ID'd my carb he determined it wasn't the factory correct one for my year truck. He exchanged my incorrect carb for a correct Q-jet, rebuilt it for a reasonable price, and after I installed it with the cleaned stock intake, that truck passed all Cali-smog tests with flying colors--- and way low emissions numbers!

In fact, after a few more years of Cali smog testing, that truck STILL passed easily without any adjusting or smog-trickery. Check out Sean Murphy Induction (SMI) in Huntington Beach and get a quote, you'll be pleasantly surprised. They are my go-to carb Gurus I recommend to all.

I used to live in HB pretty close to that. If I need to check him out I will thanks

 

[legend57]

Are you referring to this one? It says 50 state compliant.

https://www.holley.com/products/fuel_systems/fuel_injection/atomic_efi/atomic_efi_tbi/parts/2900

On Page 12 of the instructions it covers it if there is smog/air pump installed.

https://documents.holley.com/2900.pdf?_gl=1*1p2l90t*_ga*NjE3MzE3MjUyLjE3MTM4MTcxMjU.*_ga_W0HV84HP8M*MTcxMzgxNzEyNC4xLjEuMTcxMzgxNzE1Mi4wLjAuMA..

Yes, that is the kit. Maybe they figured out an offset to apply given the O2 being added from the air pump. I found a couple of threads where someone had trouble with it, so I hesitated to go down that path. Given the O2/fuel ratio is fundamental to how the fuel injection works, I'm just not sure how they monitor it accurately with the air pump in the system. I'll have to keep an eye out in the forums for someone who has had success with it (in a similar application).

 

[Dave Kay]

It'll fail if you add it. That's what the smog guy I go to told me.

Yeah, I guess Cali smog laws have changed a lot since I had that cat-conv thing. FYI: Cali's stated stated goal is to get ALL older vehicles off California roads by making it almost impossible to get them smog compliant. I have heard of guys registering their Cali vehicles in Arizona to bypass the Cali-smog laws. But I don't know exactly how that is done. Might check it out if you have any relatives there.

 

[Dave Kay]

I used to live in HB pretty close to that. If I need to check him out I will thanks

Cool! I loved HB but it, like most of The OC, has become such an overcrowded, over-priced quagmire, I just had to get outta' there!

 

[legend57]

For those switching from Edelbrock to Qjet, here is the parts list I've come up with (so far);

Choke: Since the Qjet 4MV carb has a divorced choke (and I don't have the choke) I am going to try one of these out;

Divorced Choke Electric Choke Conversion Kit

www.carburetor-parts.com

Hard Fuel line from pump to carb: TPC7901
Throttle / TV Cable Bracket: Edelbrock #376700
Insulator Gasket: SCE #357
TV Cable Geometry Correction Bracket (700r4 trans): TBD. I haven't found a good solution other than this, Sunnax AS1-01k

I'm sure this list will be amended...

 

[Matt69olds]

I don’t have anything useful to add to this discussion, other than my Random Thought.

Personally, it’s my opinion what comes out of the tailpipe is what matters. If you can tune to Top Fuel engine well enough to pass the emissions requirements, great! In other words, leave the hood closed. If the truck passes, it passes, regardless of what’s been changed!

I’m glad I don’t have to deal with this crap here in indiana. Having said that, I ALMOST wish they would require a safety inspection. There is entirely too much junk on the road.

 

[Frankenchevy]

@legend57 If I ever want to spend a couple grand I will be getting one of these, it should make running the engine with vortec heads in the wintertime a lot better, as the carburetor with vortecs in cold weather doesn't work well.

You may still end up with issues for the first 5-10 minutes if it’s real cold. It’s still TBI. Without the crossover to warm the IM, Vortecs were always designed with a dry manifold in mind. That’s why I switched from the Sniper TBI to Eddy pro-flo 4 MPFI.

You could preheat with a coolant or block heater, but that’s one more thing to do on colder mornings…

 

[DoubleDingo]

I don’t have anything useful to add to this discussion, other than my Random Thought.

Personally, it’s my opinion what comes out of the tailpipe is what matters. If you can tune to Top Fuel engine well enough to pass the emissions requirements, great! In other words, leave the hood closed. If the truck passes, it passes, regardless of what’s been changed!

I’m glad I don’t have to deal with this crap here in indiana. Having said that, I ALMOST wish they would require a safety inspection. There is entirely too much junk on the road.

I agree. There are tons of things we can add or change to make these old vehicles run way cleaner, but the powers that be say no because they didn't come from the factory like that. I forget which member, but I think he was in Colorado, and the sniffer test showed phenomenal numbers for the tailpipe readings, but he failed visual. I wish I knew which thread, but it's not just CA. There are, or used to be counties here that don't require emissions testing. Thought about registering vehicles in one of those, but it would require regular trips to check the mailbox, or trust someone enough to not screw you over if using their address/mailbox.

 

[77Matt]

I don’t have anything useful to add to this discussion, other than my Random Thought.

Personally, it’s my opinion what comes out of the tailpipe is what matters. If you can tune to Top Fuel engine well enough to pass the emissions requirements, great! In other words, leave the hood closed. If the truck passes, it passes, regardless of what’s been changed!

I’m glad I don’t have to deal with this crap here in indiana. Having said that, I ALMOST wish they would require a safety inspection. There is entirely too much junk on the road.

Also has to do with longevity of the part. Could work great for 2 weeks and then start spewing NOx. Without a proven track record, CA says no go. I agree in theory there should be no such thing as a visual inspection but they are covering their intentions there while also making it difficult in other aspects

 

[Ricko1966]

If you put one like this in and get it dirty or paint it red it will just look like a resonator.

 

[DoubleDingo]

If you put one like this in and get it dirty or paint it red it will just look like a resonator.

Like this? It's a glasspack, but I like your thinking Rick!

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