what can I get rid of? w/pictures

[masterlock]

Im trying to clean up a bit under the hood and I seem to have a ton of vacuum hoses all over the place. What hoses can go and what about the little vacuum canisters do they need to stay?

[benoit454]

do you have to pass emissions? if not all of them.

The first is egr, and you need a block off plate to remove it from the intake. 2nd is just vac. switches.

3rd. is the charcoal can never seen it on the fender, it's usually up front down low on the fender. If you remove it you need a vented gas cap if you plug the fuel tank vent line, or just leave the vent line open, like with a filter or breather cap.

You might smell gas fumes if it's removed. I've removed several and never had a problem.

the vac. thing in the 2nd pic might require a plug, not sure, but you can unhook the lines and leave it there, should be one on top the the thermostat hosuing too, that would require a pipe plug or another thermostat housing which is cheap.

the other can that's in the exhaust manifold or over it it's the efe thing(flap in the manidfold) it stays shut letting the exhaust warm up the air cleaner then opens. it can be removed too just wire the flap open so it let's exhaust out.

basically the only vac. lines you need is for the dist. if it has vac. advance. The power brake booster if you have power brakes, the transmission if you have a th350 or 400 in other words a 3 speed 12d or whichever you want to call it. You also need the pcv one in the ds valve cover but the ps side isn't needed you can lug it or put in a cap or whatever.

[masterlock]

Wow thanks for all the info, I live in the disaster once known as California so emissions is required but I hate this state so I will cross that bridge when I come to it.
Just a few questions now, the canister can disappear along with the hose that runs from the carb and the hose that runs to the front of the engine bay somewhere? Not sure where it goes. Also in the first picture what is that little canister under the egr valve? what do I do about the hard tube that runs out the backside of it.
Thanks again

[masterlock]

oh and Im gonna put on a new air cleaner and dump the oem stuff too

[benoit454]

the one under the egr is the efe can it goes down to the exhaust you can ditch it but wire the flap open if you are leaving manifolds on it.

Isn't the truck old enough to be exempt from emissions?

the can on the fender, the line going to the front is the one that goes to the gas tank, you can remove the line going to it, but where it turns to metal line to go to the tank, you need a breather or filter, and leave it at that, or plug the line off and run a vented gas cap.

[masterlock]

No unfortunately it is not exempt due to age, I guess 30+ years isnt good enough for california. Pretty excited to rip all that junk out of there. As far as wiring the flap open where abouts is this flap. Also what are you using to cap off these vac ports

[benoit454]

the flap is in between the exhaust manifold and the pipe. it's not visible as far as the flap goes and I have no clue which is open and shut etc. or how you can really tell unless the thing gets really hot and the other doesn't.

How are you going to pass emissions though? I heard others say like 73 or so is exempt and some counties in CA don't require it? if it was me I'd get headers and put on it to get rid of the efe valve.

As for pluggin them off at the cab, they sell vacuum caps at parts stores or online, or the ghetto way of a screw in the end of a 1 inch or so piece of line that fits the port and screw that fits tight in it LOL.

The egr plate you can buy online or at local stores alot of times.

I hear ya though on getting excited I love getting rid of unwanted or unused things. I just did that on my 88 k1500 I was all excited and happy removing the spare tire carrier and unused exhaust hangers from my frame, then removing that same charcoal can. I smelled gas fumes bad with it hooked up when it was hot out, not I can only smell a hint of gas when it's hot with the hood up and my face about 6 inches from the open line.

[tapeworm]

If you live in CA & I'd think you would need some of that. The EGR forsure. I'm guessing you'll need the canister as well.

[benoit454]

^ agreed and I think with any of it gone it's gonna be hard to pass. But if you want it gone and want to fight with them or something man it's up to you. Just telling you it'll work and run with it gone, ours is all gone but we have no emissions here.

[masterlock]

Well the plan is NOT to live in California by the time the next smog test is due and again if I am still here for some reason I will deal with it then.
One more question for now, will ripping out all these vacuum lines screw up the amount of vacuum needed for the other stuff and can I shorten up the vacuum lines to the rest of the stuff like the distributor and tranny to make everything neat?

[benoit454]

it won't hurt anything, and you definately can shorten them and make them neat and clean no problems.

We had the same motor in a 76 truck with no power brakes and stick shift so the only vac. line it had was to the dist. The same motor is now in dad's 84 and has power brakes th350, and dist. and of course the pcv and that's it, no change in running or driving. So no It aint gonna make it have too much vac. and mess things up. Plenty of factory vehicles didn't have that crap on them before or have been removed and run fine.

Definately look into some headers IMO, you can get stainless long tubes for like $158 on ebay or cheapo black ones from summit for a hundred.

[masterlock]

You can laugh at me if you want but why should I get headers, Im new at this whole truck thing.

[scottsdaleowner75]

You know if you are stopped at one of those portable road side testing the CHP or local LE does and they run your truck and see it doesn't have any of the required things YOU will get towed and impounded. I lost a vehicle like that once. Never again. Be smart either leave then change it all out or live with it and be content that it is still on the road.

[78 Big10 454]

x 1. This is Kalifornia. Deal with it. Wait until you're out of state.

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by masterlock

Well the plan is NOT to live in California by the time the next smog test is due and again if I am still here for some reason I will deal with it then.

Depending upon where you move to it could require smog checks there too. You might want to wait to yank off all that stuff until you find out where you will be living and what the smog laws are there. I would hate to do all the work to remove all that stuff and find out you needed to put it all back on to pass a smog check.

[tucsonjwt]

Whatever you do - don't throw away these items. Most states require all OEM smog parts to be in place to pass emissions, and somebody else will want those parts. Increasingly, unique parts for these old squares are hard to find, if you can find them at all, so these parts have value.

[benoit454]

headers help on power and torque and they get rid of the efe thing so you don't have to worry about if it's open or shut, and if it had AIR which is smog pump and air lines to the manifolds it'd get rid of them too. Most ppl do it for added power and torque.

If they do road checks like that I'd be scared lol.

[masterlock]

Wow all this talk of breaking the law and getting stopped at a checkpoint and stuff is making me want to be more of a rebel. Anyway as you all can see it is a rats nest of tubes and it drives me crazy so I think Ill get rid of all of it and roll the dice. I will obviously keep all the parts I remove because I am sure that at some point I will either need them or my truck will become exempt and I can sell them.
All the advice is great, You have got to love internet forums!

[benoit454]

LOL, outlaw.

If you aint skeered then go for it I guess. Definately should just get some headers and do away with restrictive manifolds then.

[masterlock]

would throwing on some headers be easy? should everything line up and just be a quick bolt up or is it gonna require some mods to the the current exhaust? Or since Im being an Outlaw should I say screw an exhaust all together?

[tapeworm]

Originally Posted by benoit454

If you aint skeered then go for it I guess. Definately should just get some headers and do away with restrictive manifolds then.

Yes, headers will help the truck breath more; but FYI, you will need your exhaust modified to fit. Also, if the cat is still on there, or if you have garden hose sized single exhaust, they won't help much anyways.

If you go with headers, go with a set that are known to fit good. Also, invest in some good gaskets and locking header bolts. Nothing more iritating than leaky headers.

[benoit454]

yea just run straight headers.

Not sure on the older trucks but most of the time they do require some exhaust work. esp. if you get long tubes which is what I'd get and run. Better low end torque. It's not too bad just some exhaust gets chopped off and some work is needed to bend pipes or get the correct bends to line it back uip, then prefferably weld them back together.

All have fit good I ever used even the cheapies, but I'd get the summit header buddies for the bottom they don't use gaskets so no leaks they are a ball that goes up into the header collector to stop leaks without gaskets. The top side I've had good luck with the original gaskets or manifold gaskets that have the perforated alum in them.

But yea if it does have cats, they should be gutted or removed since you aint worried about it. it's illegal to do too. Single exhaust sucks too.

[Matt Man]

i would not remove ANYTHING until you are out of california and in a area where you do NOT need the smog stuff. If you do remove the smog stuff KEEP ALL OF IT, just in case.

[masterlock]

HAHAHA This thread is getting me all excited I think Im gonna start a project thread and call it "Project Illegal" and just go ahead and create the most California unfriendly truck. I mean Im pretty sure they cant take my truck and keep it forever. It is not my daily so Im pretty sure it wouldnt put a huge crimp in my life it anything happenend to it. I have always used the motto "I use keys to start it, not a registration."

[benoit454]

well you need to swap engines and put in a huge blower, then run straight headers and a huge cam. Aint it illegal to change motors unless it's the same size or something in CA? I thought I heard that online before. Like you can't throw in a big block if it had a 305 or 350? Something along those lines I thought.