Desmogging a 250?

[Oregoon]

Anybody out there have any experience desmogging a 250? My '74 has a smog pump, tubes into the head, and an egr, etc.

Here in Portland, my '74 is exempt, and the stuff can't be doing me any favors, not too mention it's needlessly cluttering up my engine bay.

Wondering who's been down this road, and if there's any pitfalls to worry about?

It looks really straight forward to me: Pull it and plug it and tune it up as normal.

[Just call me Sean]

Exempt from inspections, not exempt from having emissions equipment.

[Oregoon]

Exempt from both. `74 and earlier are simply paper registration. No inspection whatsoever.

[Just call me Sean]

Originally Posted by Oregoon

Exempt from both. `74 and earlier are simply paper registration. No inspection whatsoever.

It is not exempt from having emissions equipment. Every vehicle must have all emissions equipment intact that it had from the factory. Yes an officer can inspect it on the side of the road if he has reason to believe the emissions have been tampered with. Big ticket.

Do what you want, but don't assume you know the law because you don't.

[Cabnchassis]

In california anything pre 76 never gets looked at it by anyone so it may say somewhere to leave the stuff on there but no one is ever going to check if it's there.

Edit to add on that truck it should be all mechanical stuff so at least there is that. My TBI was "desmogged" at one point but I wouldn't tolerate any vehicle running that inconsistently and I had to smog anyway so i just restored it back to CA regs. The ECU would just throw a lean code and run that way until it reset and then lather rinse repeat. Not having a demon ECU should make life a lot easier.

[Cabnchassis]

The problem with that is most highway patrol wouldn't even have a clue what they were looking for. I used to have a 77 firebird with all the emissions crap on it, still wouldn't be able to walk up that same firebird and verify that all smog components were intact.

Unless they are educated enough to enforce the law I don't see how they would enforce it. Especially on the side of the road. Anyone you know able to tell you every smog part on all the different cars put out by the big three between 71 and 76? How the heck would they be expected to know all those smog systems well enough to practically address it? I mean unless they're allowed to impound your vehicle and take it to a hi po inspector on the suspicion of it lacking the equipment.

The reason I bring this up is cause my crew cab is straight piped and I've been stopped for it. One officer did ask i removed the catalytic converts...from my 6.2, he knew that much about engines which actually goes back to my original point how are all cops supposed to that 6.2 n/a trucks never have cats but 6.5s do.

[Just call me Sean]

I'm not saying you will get a ticket or that they all will know what emissions equipment should be there, all I'm saying is that it's illegal to remove any of it in any state whether you have inspections or not. It is a federal law not a state one and federal trumps state. I'm telling you what can happen not what will happen, but either way it is illegal to remove it. Too many people think it's okay to remove it just because they don't have inspections but that is not the case. It is illegal. I don't like people spreading incorrect information especially something that carries a steep fine. Do what you want but know that yes it is illegal.

[Oregoon]

To be honest, I couldn't care less what the feds think about my truck. I've never heard of anyone getting a ticket or inspection for pulling junk off an emissions-exempt vehicle here in Oregon, and even if it did, it wouldn't stop me. In Vancouver, WA (7 miles from my house) vehicles 20 years and older are expemt. In Medford, OR, it's the same deal: Both locations interpret EPA regs concerning "useful life" of emissions equipment. Portland is somewhat more stringent, but draw the line at '75 and up--when the EPA mandated emissions on all light vehicles.

So, like most owners of an emissions exempt vehicle here in Pacific Northwest I will yank that trash out of engine bay with a grin on my face.

Now that we've established that, can anyone tell me if they've done this?

[Cabnchassis]

I know on my 350 when they did it a spent .22 bullet plugged the egr like it was made for the job, yours may use a different egr but idk that for sure. The rest of what they did to mine wouldn't matter to you.

[Just call me Sean]

I wasn't saying don't do it, I just wanted to point out that it is still illegal. When I did it to my Ford I put NPT plugs in the head. Mine was fuel injected so yours will be easier, I had to leave a few things on but you don't.

[Robert Crandall]

I bought a 1973 Omega with a 250 in 1974. Soon after that the air pump started squeaking, so I took it off. Standard steel NPT plugs filled where the tubes went into the head. It looked better, and I had no problems for well over 100k miles.

[jetmech85]

I agree with Sean, it is illegal, but hot rodders have always been known as rebels.

[Oregoon]

I think I'm happier knowing it's something the feds wouldn't like.

[Hiluxxulih]

Originally Posted by Oregoon

I think I'm happier knowing it's something the feds wouldn't like.

You must be a happy guy , the feds don't like much of anything

[Just call me Sean]

Originally Posted by Oregoon

I think I'm happier knowing it's something the feds wouldn't like.

The feds don't like my medication of choice either but it certainly makes me happy.

[Cabnchassis]

A long time before they get any of us (Ok well you guys, I hooked mine back up so not so much a rebel) they'll get those guys who buy diesel reg shells in smog states to throw big power in. I see them on CL all the time and they sell well. I can see how it's hard to enforce with stuff like visually checking all components on all models. But you'd have to be a tool to not hear the difference.

It's probably hard to explain where your smog parts went on a delete, if a cop is asking, but it's got to be way harder to explain why you had gasoline in a diesel tank if they stick you, which they do to us pretty often in CA. And if he lifts the hood that dizzy and the wires won't be suspicious at all.

Side bar for memory lane. We had an 70s omega when I was kid. Ugly as sin but that chassis lasted through a few motors and was given away around my family for years until my parents finally donated it because it kept coming home to haunt us like christine.
Thing was a deer slayer too. It plugged 4 or 5 whitetail, when we lived in Missouri.

Oregoon, have you tried just unhooking stuff to see which parts affect engine operation? Like was mentioned before you'd have to cover some holes when you delete stuff but if no one that's done one shows up I'd just wade in swinging.

[Oregoon]

It looks like a breeze.

The truck runs fine at the moment, but the pump is a bit noisy, not too mention unsightly. I'll keep it all handy, in case I ever have occasion to need it.

However, here in Oregon, the only equipment ticket you'll get from a cop is for your pipes being too loud, or your headlight being out.

They tend to leave hot-rods and mud-trucks alone as long as you're not causing trouble, so a stately old 2WD farm truck with a '74 registration won't even raise an eyebrow.

And correct me if I'm wrong, but a '74 could be had both with and without smog controls, yes?

[jetmech85]

I would say at least some '74 trucks had little or no smog equipment. I bought a new '78 Heavy Half with no A.I.R. pump, no cat., and used leaded fuel.

[78 Big10 454]

Originally Posted by jetmech85

I would say at least some '74 trucks had little or no smog equipment. I bought a new '78 Heavy Half with no A.I.R. pump, no cat., and used leaded fuel.

Lucky you!

[ChevDog1]

I am in the same smog testing area as the OP. My 1980 also has the 250 I6. It had all of the smog equipment stripped off of it when I bought it. I just recently ran it through DEQ to get it licensed and had no trouble. As someone already said, they don't even lift the hood anymore. They just slide a mirror underneath to make sure you have a cat (I split my exhaust and have 2 - they didn't care as long as I had one). Then they put a sniffer in the tailpipe and ask you to rev it up to about 2500 rpm. It took me two tries to get through, as my truck also had a giant rochester 2-jet from a 455 Pontiac installed when i bought it, and it took some adjustment to get it right. Truck runs just fine without the smog pump and EGR - and it passes the emissions testing.

Yes - everyone who said that it is illegal to remove smog equipment is correct - but isn't the intent of the law to limit pollution? And if my truck passes within the limits set for year/make/model/engine, isn't that compliance with the intent of the law? I think this is why Oregon quit doing visual inspections under the hood - why police the equipment, when the only thing they are really worried about is what comes out the tailpipe?

[Oregoon]

I was certainly surprised to find it.

[bob_o]

My '75 came with a 250 (integrated head). I ended up swapping that boat anchor pos for an earlier non-integrated head and deleted what was left of the smog equipment. Ran soooo much better after that.

Would like to add that if I got pulled over and the cop actually knew what the hell he was looking at under my hood, I would gladly accept any fine they could give me. Failing that, I simply dgaf

[Oregoon]

I've never had, or known anyone to have an under-hood inspection here in Oregon. Same in Washington. Even the DOT leave my semi alone (which is a damn good thing)...

And in the unlikely event an under-hood inspection did happen, there are no smog-stickers or anything else on my truck to indicate it ever had a smog pump. Given the fact most of the cops around here seem to be younger than my pickup, I'm not too concerned they'd have any idea what they were looking at anyway. Even the scale cops don't seem to have any idea what the 14L Detroit in my '04 Freightliner should and shouldn't have.

All the Oregon DMV care about is the money for registration, and all the cops want to see is safe driving, good tags, and operable lights, blinkers, etc (if so equipped).

It's a racket, pure and simple. I'd be less inclined to object if they actually spent the revenue on something useful.

[Hiluxxulih]

Its the same in Coos Bay I have never heard of any vehicle inspections here .

[Oregoon]

Originally Posted by Hiluxxulih

Its the same in Coos Bay I have never heard of any vehicle inspections here .

We're among the lucky ones, I think. Sounds like some of our fellow Americans have a ****ty time with emissions requirements.