c30, how to pass California emissions

[evan love]

hello,

I bought a sweet 1979 C30 dually last month when i visited my dad in Colorado.

I'd like to have it here with me in California.

It has a 454 with an Edelbrock carbs and headers, and an aftermarket round air cleaner.


I know the C30 had no catalytic converter in 1979, so I imagine I won't need those...

...but what will I need to pass SMOG in California?


Will I have to replace the headers with factory manifolds, or get a stock air cleaner, etc?


I read a lot and couldn't quite figure it out, so I'm hoping some of you know.

Thanks

[Ziegelsteinfaust]

You likely have a 49 state model.

So you will need a copy of what your engine came from the factory with. Which to me would be a q-jet, and evaporative emissions minimum.

[Rickysnickers]

Is there a smog sticker under the hood showing all the required smog equipment and the vacuum hose routing? That would be a good start. You will have to show the headers are smog legal. CARB issues E.O. numbers for parts that are smog legal.

[evanlove]

oh wow, I hadn't really thought I'd need to switch the carburetor back to quadrajet.

On my '69 GMC I rebuilt the quadrajet 3 times in a year and finally gave up and put a Demon 625 cfm on the 350 motor and it runs like new, maybe better...

... so I'm a little quadrajet-phobic.



So, some CARB approved headers might pass, these are probably not those, hmm

OK, so do you know what all EVAP includes?



I haven't seen any stickers under the hood, any thoughts where under the hood to look?

Thanks

Oh, ya, where would I find the info on what it was built with?

Thanks again

[Getter-Done]

Have you talked with the DMV that you will be dealing with?

Before you spend any money ,
Just a suggestion.

[evanlove]

Interesting idea, I would like to know exactly what they require before spending money and doing work that might actually lower my mpg's and power.

Maybe a SMOG station could tell me too what they would be looking for.

I also wondered if medium duty (about 6,001 to 13,999 gvw) trucks get treated differently...

... because I see mention of vehicles under 6,000gvw and over 14,000 gvw, but can't find anything on vehicles in the middle.

Does anybody know?

Thanks

[smupser]

Originally Posted by evanlove

Maybe a SMOG station could tell me too what they would be looking for.

They should be able to tell you each item that is required. Off hand for your heavier gvwr, I’m not sure but if no cats required you may have to at least run air injection pump and lines into stock manifolds if headers don’t have provisions. Probably will need thermostatic(stock) air cleaner. Evap usually consists of charcoal canister mounted to core support with vacuum lines to carb/manifold and gas tank vent hard lines mounted on frame rail.

[Dead Parrot]

Originally Posted by evanlove

.....

I haven't seen any stickers under the hood, any thoughts where under the hood to look?

Thanks

Oh, ya, where would I find the info on what it was built with?

Thanks again

On my 75, the EPA sticker is on the air cleaner cover. I think by 79, they had moved to the top of the radiator core support.

Get the model number of the current carb and check for CARB certification.

The SPID should have an emissions package code.

[Rickysnickers]

Did a quick search and found this, https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/doc...olet-Truck.pdf Go to page 142 and start reading that. This states what's required for as far as smog equipment for both CA and federal trucks.

[THI]

1979 with Heavy-Duty Emissions would the Factory air cleaner with the stove pipe running up from the right-side exhaust manifold for the "heated air" to the carb along with a butterfly valve in the exhaust on the right side to aid in faster warm up (EFE). It would also have the AIR (Air Injector Reactor) system pumping air into the exhaust manifolds and would also have the vapor canister system. There would also be a Vacuum Control Switch on the thermostat outlet to control vacuum advance to the distributor. NO EGR or CONVERTER (but I think all that other stuff was more than enough!)

The Emission Control Sticker mentioned above would have been attached to the air cleaner on Heavy Duty Emissions vehicles (over 8,500 GVW) - without the original air cleaner, you will have to search to find one of those stickers that will not only show the Emission Controls, but also the vacuum routing and tune-up specs.

[evan love]

Wow Rickysnickers and THI, this is great info!

I'll read through it, sounds like I basically need everything on the list for the higher GVW...

... and a stock air cleaner too.

Any thoughts on whether I could run all that other stuff from the Edelbrock carb, or would I need a quarajet as well?



thanks, it is all getting much clearer

[smupser]

Originally Posted by evan love

Any thoughts on whether I could run all that other stuff from the Edelbrock carb, or would I need a quarajet as well?

Depending on the model, the edelbrock carb may not have all the vacuum provisions to run what you need.

[Rickysnickers]

Originally Posted by evan love

Wow Rickysnickers and THI, this is great info!

I'll read through it, sounds like I basically need everything on the list for the higher GVW...

... and a stock air cleaner too.

Any thoughts on whether I could run all that other stuff from the Edelbrock carb, or would I need a quarajet as well?



thanks, it is all getting much clearer

I'm certainly no expert, so I do not know if a smog tech would pick up on a Edelbrock carb during the visual inspection portion of the test. I suspect he/she would if it's one of those nice bright shiny ones. You could always just try it with what you have. According to the Edelbrock site, this is the only carb that has an E.O. # from CARB, for any GM vehicle, https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/sites/default...o/d-215-10.pdf

[THI]

I have not lived in CA since the mid 1980's, but if I recall you need to have a sticker under the hood for aftermarket equipment that has a CARB exemption (or whatever they call it). I was aware of the pollution equipment that came on a 1979 1-ton because I have owned a 1979 C20 Suburban with a 454 (8,200 GVW) and my 1979 C3500 (10,000 GVW) and knew the HD emissions in that year changed to "over 8,500 GVW". In 1980 they bumped the GVW of the HD 3/4-ton vehicles to 8,600 GVW so they were over the 8,500 threshold. The list Rickysnickers pointed out reminded me of what all came on the "over 8,500" - I remembered the AIR, and lack of EGR and converter, Other systems were pretty much standard since 1970

[ZacharyDouglas1992]

I have an 83 K3500 which would have basically the same emissions as yours. I do however have the CA emissions so they may differ that way. I have a knack for building the quadrajets so I rebuilt mine and you’ll likely need it as I think the edelbrock is a 600 cfm and no longer made? I have the only smog legal set of headers for these trucks I am aware of, they’re by Hedman. And even then you’ll have to weld a little pipe on them for the hot air feed to the air cleaner. Mine had to have the a.i.r. Provisions for the smog pump. Maybe there’s more options if yours doesn’t require that. My air cleaner had my emissions diagram, that’d be a good way to figure out what all is required. At least we don’t have cats on these 1 tons, but there’s a lot of other things. Here is the sticker from mine.
Posted via Mobile Device

[evan love]

Thanks, that's a helpful picture Zachary.

Could you possibly also post pictures of these actual things on the engine so I can visualize what these parts are and see if I'm missing major components and brackets and such.

Thanks

[ZacharyDouglas1992]

I should be getting it back from the body shop in the next week or two, I’ll do what I can then! I don’t have any existing ones that will help too much
Posted via Mobile Device

[evan love]

That would be awesome Zachary, thank you.

[THI]

I wish I had the original air cleaner to my 1979 C3500 but it was long gone and replaced with an open element by the time I purchased. My 1978 C20 has the original air cleaner, but the 1978 came with a whole lot less pollution equipment - no canister, no EFE - basically a PCV, hot air to the air cleaner and spark control (Spark TVS). According to the GM reference above, CA and Fed came with the same equipment for HD emissions (over 8,500 GVW in 1979 so the picture for the diagram above would be correct.

[evan love]

I actually have another, though unrelated, question...

... in 1979 is it a C30 or a C3500...

... for some reason I thought I have a C30, but the owners old registration says C35.

Do you know?

[smupser]

Originally Posted by evan love

I actually have another, though unrelated, question...

... in 1979 is it a C30 or a C3500...

... for some reason I thought I have a C30, but the owners old registration says C35.

Do you know?

Should be C30 for 79. If title says 35 is it a GMC?

[THI]

GMC is C3500

[evan love]

It is definitely a Chevy C30, they must have just messed up at the DMV



On the emissions stuff, does this all mean that I will need to get all that emissions stuff, including an original air cleaner, with a sticker on it, specifically from a 1979 with a 454 and a GVW over 8600?

I guess I better start calling junk yards

[duallydude63]

can you register it as a classic ???/ dont knw if it needs emission ????

[smupser]

Originally Posted by duallydude63

can you register it as a classic ???/ dont knw if it needs emission ????

No such thing in California, only 75’ and older are smog exempt