I bombed emissions

[justtime520]

So i took my lovely 71 c10 longbed with 327 out of a 69 with weiland intake and 4 bl carb to arizona emissions. so my Hydrocarbons 1st idle = 226,
precondition reading= 237, standard= 380 and my final reading =328 and the standard for passing 450 so i passed that.
Now my carbon monoxide 1st idle at 6.52, precondition= 8.19, and my precondition standard at 3.00, final reading is 7.27 and the standard is 5.00 so its a fail. My truck has passed every year before. if any body has some pointers i would appreciate it thanks buys




Oh Chevy gods let me pass so I can cruise in style.

[So.Cal.Super]

Wow. I'm just shocked you have to smog a 71, CA. who I thought was the worst says nothing older then 75 needs to be smogged. I hope someone can help.

Good luck

[1956cameo]

I was thinking the same thing. Smog test on a 71, wow guess I won't be moving to AZ anytime soon. In Texas anything older than 25 years doesn't neet smog testing. So any 83 model and older is good to go.

[justtime520]

Yep Arizona govt thinks they are california. So i have a bran spanking new edelbrock carb 650 thunder series still in the box, Would changing it out help at all (i am just looking for a reason to put this beauty in)

[So.Cal.Super]

if it were mine, I would start with tune up if its been a while. check your timing. and I always changed my oil the day of smog and get it nice and hot and I run premium gas. How old is the carb on it? if its out of tune that would possibly make a dif. (just speculating)

I'm sure someone will have a better informed idea

[1956cameo]

I know of a way to pass with flying colors and no parts exchanges or tuning is necessary. If you can get methanol (racing fuel) which is pretty easy to get around here but some areas it is hard to find. Get your fuel tank down to about a quarter tank or less of gas. Put in 1-2 gallons of methanol. Go to the emissions place and pass. My dad does this every year on his 86 dodge and every year the emissions people say they have never seen numbers so low. His numbers are half of what brand new cars numbers are when he does this.

Warning: if you put too much methanol in it will run rough or die, if this happens just put a little bit more gas back into the tank until it runs smoothly again.

Certain gas stations and parts stores sell methanol; especially if there is a race track nearby. If you cant find it locally there look at places that sell bio-diesel supplies since methanol is the main ingredient in biodiesel after vegetable oil.

[stepn67]

The major source of high carbon monoxide emissions is a rich air/fuel mixture. I used to lean out the mixture in my 67 just to pass Tucson testing then richen it back up after the test.

[spinning wheels]

I was told that Phoenix even has smog checks on motorcycles. You can bet the CA AQMD/CARB, is looking at AZ smog requirement and thinking of ways to implement them in CA.

Just remember, when it comes to smog requirements. CA is first with the state requirements, then the rest of the country gets stuck with the same requirements.
The only way CA has backed off the older cars, was by proving that most were owned by car enthusiast, not driven daily, and were kept tuned up better than most cars on the road.

[monte0185]

A friend of mine and perhaps the only guy i trust to work on anything of mine if i cant is good at fixing these issues for the memphis smog inspections. I know he leans them out and changes the oil and ups the timing and puts 93 in them and changes the PCV valve and they usually pass with flying colors. Note use amoco 93. They are the only company that actually has their own tank for their 93 octane gas. all the others get it out of the same tank at the same refineries as the rest of them.

[cparman]

I put two mini catalytic converters on a customers 55 Chevy. He was compaining about a fuel smell in his garage. Just for giggles, I cranked up my gas bench ( we do not have emissions test anymore ) and that car was clean enough to pass a late model idle test. I know room under our trucks is tite, but a couple of cats, and the emissions police would leave you alone

[leddzepp]

Put a two-barrel carb on it if you can. That will help.

Everybody thinks Calif. has the toughest emissions laws. That's true if your vehicle is 1976 or newer. If you have a 75 or older, you can do whatever you want to your engine. Dual exhaust, no cat's, headers...all legal.

[leddzepp]

You have to have a smog check, and no catalytic converters are required?

[kwmech]

Your carb is dumping waaay too much fuel into the engine.

[justtime520]

so iam going to throw on the new carb tomorrow and lean it out and i am going to take emissions wish me luck

[seldomseen65]

Originally Posted by leddzepp

You have to have a smog check, and no catalytic converters are required?

leddzepp; i used to live in riverside ,on spruce st. and never needed a smog check for my 1970 1/2'er, the guy in Tucson,AZ. is in a different state. just my thoughts on this article . this sight is great ,,i love it and I'm sticken around.
truck:

[leddzepp]

Originally Posted by seldomseen65

leddzepp; i used to live in riverside ,on spruce st. and never needed a smog check for my 1970 1/2'er, the guy in Tucson,AZ. is in a different state. just my thoughts on this article . this sight is great ,,i love it and I'm sticken around.
truck:

I know he is in another state. I have two 72's and have never needed a smog check on them either. I think it is odd that he is required to take an emissions test, and yet it is not required to have cat's on it.

[spinning wheels]

Originally Posted by leddzepp

I know he is in another state. I have two 72's and have never needed a smog check on them either. I think it is odd that he is required to take an emissions test, and yet it is not required to have cat's on it.

In order to pass the test, the vehicle has to meet emission levels for the year that vehicle was manufactured. Cats were first installed in the USA, in the '75 model year. Some imports didn't have them until '78 model years, as they passed emission standards without the cats.

But way back in time. In CA, you had to smog your vehicles going back to '62. Or was it '64 model year? Anyways, it was a long time ago

That was never fun. I remember having to pay $100 bucks under the table, just to get a smog check, so I could register a vehicle.

[leddzepp]

Originally Posted by spinning wheels

In order to pass the test, the vehicle has to meet emission levels for the year that vehicle was manufactured. Cats were first installed in the USA, in the '75 model year. Some imports didn't have them until '78 model years, as they passed emission standards without the cats.

But way back in time. In CA, you had to smog your vehicles going back to '62. Or was it '64 model year? Anyways, it was a long time ago

That was never fun. I remember having to pay $100 bucks under the table, just to get a smog check, so I could register a vehicle.

You're right....it didn't get "sophisticated" until federal standards in '75.

I think I remember my dad telling me that '66 was the first year of smog. We/he was the original owner of a '65 Mustang and we never had to smog it. My neighbor had a '67 Camaro and had to smog it into the 90's.

I remember my uncle having to slip old Barney a $50 to get his '72 F-100 smogged in the 80's If the station is caught doing any kind of fraud now, it is a 50K fine () and their license is yanked. In short, their livlihood is gone, so it ain't gonna happen.

[seldomseen65]

Originally Posted by leddzepp

I know he is in another state. I have two 72's and have never needed a smog check on them either. I think it is odd that he is required to take an emissions test, and yet it is not required to have cat's on it.

yeah i agree with you,, it does sound kinda odd that he would have to have a smog check, cool on the two 72's, got any pics of them??, I'm still working on my 1970 1/2'er, getting to the end of the restore, just a few more things to do.

[hchad18]

Originally Posted by leddzepp

I know he is in another state. I have two 72's and have never needed a smog check on them either. I think it is odd that he is required to take an emissions test, and yet it is not required to have cat's on it.

Your only required to have cats on it if it originally came with cats. I believe its 66-74 or 75 you have to get the sniffer test but no visual and after 75 or so they start lifting the hood to make sure the smog equipment they came with is still on the vehicle ie.. charcoal canister, catalytic converter, smog pump. Its a pain. Its also only in the Maricopa county/ Phoenix area and Tucson. Most of the outlying areas are not required, unless you commute to Phoenix or Tucson for work.

[leddzepp]

Originally Posted by hchad18

Your only required to have cats on it if it originally came with cats. I believe its 66-74 or 75 you have to get the sniffer test but no visual and after 75 or so they start lifting the hood to make sure the smog equipment they came with is still on the vehicle ie.. charcoal canister, catalytic converter, smog pump. Its a pain. Its also only in the Maricopa county/ Phoenix area and Tucson. Most of the outlying areas are not required, unless you commute to Phoenix or Tucson for work.

I know....I had forgotten that cats didn't come on till 75 or 76. Up until the mid 90's smog was required back to '66. Because 76 is the cut off year for exemptions now, all vehicles smogged here are required to have cats.

[leddzepp]

Make sure you drive around a bit before you take it in. The hotter the engine is, the better chance you have. Good luck!

[justtime520]

Thanks guys i will keep you updated

[mr48chev]

I'm waiting for your results to see how it went. We don't have emission testing on this side of the Cascades (yet) in Wa. Dad would always make a hot lap down the freeway just before going to the test station with his car when he lived in the Seattle area and had to have his car tested every year.

[Sport/Truck]

You want to use lower octane gas to lower Carbon Monoxide. The higher the octane rating the more resistant to burning it is. That's why it's resistant to preignition on high compression engines.
You need complete burning of the fuel to pass..... So use low octane for your test.
s/t