Ok so my buddy that owned my truck for better the two years. And the guy before him for 4 more years has had no problems with Az emission Testing. Now with me, they are telling me that this truck came with an air pump, converter and all that goes with it. Now I cannot get it to pass the visual inspection. But I have paper work from the past years that totally show that the visual inspections for these items were all marked "Untested" and the truck was passed in the years past.

Anyone have any idea what I should do? I do not even see any evidence of any of that equipment ever being on this truck. I would not even know where to begin in putting it on. I wonder if I should go to another emission testing place. But I do not know if the truck is not in there system and it will be red flagged. This Az emission crap has really gotten way out of hand.
Any input I would be happy to hear. I just do not know what to do.
Thanks all.
Matt

 

To get the most accurate information, you really need to contact your state's DMV. However, when I interviewed for some jobs in the Phoenix area several years ago, I do remember seeing on the state's website that the emissions are almost as strict as California (in terms of a solid cutoff year vs. a rolling cutoff year like Texas has), so what you're saying does not surprise me. I looked this up at the time because I wanted to see what I would do with my '79, if I ended up moving to Phoenix. Regardless, you need to get this information from Arizona, not from here.

If this truck is the '79 F150 in your profile, then someone here should be able to tell if your truck would have originally come with a smog pump and cat; it might depend if it was originally from California but I wouldn't be surprised if you are supposed to have this equipment. Either way, the sticker on your valve cover or under the hood will tell you what emissions equipment the truck came with; this is probably what the technician is going by in the first place.

As a side note, if you are in fact required to have this equipment (which is likely), it doesn't matter if you have receipts from the past stating the truck passed. The technician this year isn't responsible for what the technician last year did, and laws do change.

Texas is fortunate in that the law is rolling; vehicles over 25 years old aren't required to get tested. Ironically enough, it's these exempt vehicles that cause the most pollution. However, there are fewer and fewer of these vehicles on the road, which I assume is the state's reasoning.

 

Thanks, I pretty much figured all that. I now just wonder how I am going to come about putting all of this back on my truck. I figured that this would be the place to find that out. I really highly doubt that I am going to find a 79 F150 with all of the smog stuff on it at the junk yard. Because I have nothing. There is not one shred of evidence that there was a smog pump on this engine. No brackets, nothing. So if there is anyone that has ever had to do this. I hope they read this and can advise. If I cannot register this truck. It is worthless. I do not even think I can sell it hear.
I got it cheap enough and it is in nice enough shape to where I am willing to put some money into it. But not thousands of dollars.

 

I'm in Tucson and I feel your pain, every year I have to deal with the stupid MVD's ***** and it seems it differs from inspector to inspector. Some years they crack my hood and inspect sometimes it's just use the mirror for a visual on the CAT and that is all. I have always passed in the end but when I inherited my truck the emissions system was in sorry shape. It would help to know what engine you're running. If I understand correctly everything newer than 76 for our trucks needs to have the emissions gear.

What they have seemed to look for on my truck(300I6) though is very specific and I will list it below.

1) Smog Pump: belt is installed, pump is hooked up to EGR valve
2) EGR Valve: Vacuum line running to valve as well as hose to smog pump
3) Catalytic converter: Visual inspection to make sure it’s there, with a mirror
4) No obvious vacuum leaks or missing connections.

I have passed without the vacuum line going to the EGR valve as well as missing the temperature switch to ported vacuum. I have however over the past few years completely replaced and rebuilt my emissions system. She now runs as clean as a newer car, hardly registering on the tailpipe sniffer. In my 77 I only have to pass at idle.

I think if you did the work yourself you are looking at around $500 if you shop around for the parts. The most expensive parts are going to probably be the catalytic Converter and bypass valve off of the smog pump. The spacer for the EGR valve was the hardest thing for me to find, I ended up using one off of an Econoline van with the same engine, in fact it seemed easier to find used parts from the vans.

I hope the laws change someday I have an offenhauser 4 barrel intake waiting in my shed.

 

I watched my dad do this with an 80's F250 with an I6 when I was a kid. The truck was originally ordered and delivered as an Agricultural vehicle in Oklahoma, so all the emissions stuff was either not installed or removed and no one cared. When he tried to register it here in California, it became a nightmare. We had some serious father/son bonding time searching the junkyards to get all the bits and pieces to make it compliant, and it took almost a year to get it all done.

My recommendation would be to start searching the junkyards in your area, post an ad in your local CraigsList, or maybe a Want To Buy post here in the FTE classifieds. Plenty of folks out there in non-inspection states removing that emissions gear, you can probably pick it up pretty cheap.

Good luck man, just be glad you are not here in California. Check the dates on the vehicles in my signature... there is a reason for that cutoff.

 

Thanks guys.
Starwriter,
It has a 351 Cleveland. Talking to the owner before me. He said that the truck had the engine replaced in Colorado I think. SO they may have just junked all of the emissions stuff.
I really hope to maybe try to get lucky and run into an inspector that will not check for that stuff like what has happened the past few years, but I do not know if that will happen. If I could buy a year of time. I can gather all of the stuff in that time to have all of the emissions stuff on it for next year.
I am into the truck for a grand. It is worth putting money into. My problem is where I live. My HOA is up my @$$ all of the time. I cannot have a truck parked outside with an expired tag. They will have it towed. So I have no place to store it wile I get it legal. So I might have to let it go if I am able to sell it. It needs the C6 to be rebuilt. I was going to do that myself. So I figure that with that and doing all of the emissions stuff. If I am in the truck for around 2000 bucks. I have no problem with that. It is worth it. If I can find a place to keep it will I do that. I am going to go for it.
Thanks for all of your info, Guys. All very helpful.

 

Same here with regards to the cutoff for the toys.

We've the over-regulation nation. I appreciate the clean air but it's getting to be stupid... For example, CA adopted AB1881 which effectively bans lawns less than 8 feet wide because sprinklers can't irrigate that small of an area without runoff. If you can water them with bubblers (yeah right) or an underground system, then it's okay. Sheez.

And I'll NEVER buy a house with an HOA.

 

I had the same issue, they said my truck is supposed to have an evap system, but it never did. Now I have to go all the way to phoenix to the main office and argue with them! The trucks DSO is Phoenix and it has never left the valley. BTW they get all their info on the emissions from a mitchell emissions book, which is highly inaccurate. Did it pass the sniffer? Mine did and passed by alot but still this BS. Bottom line is the system is designed to get our older Fords (or older anything) off the road.

 

And make sure they put in your GVWR right, it's over 6000 being a F150. That may be where the problem lies, the standards are very different between F100 and 150

 

Don't quote me but I think you can get a one year waver. If I remember correctly it's per vehicle not per owner. Look here for more information.

ADEQ: Air Quality Division: Vehicle Emissions: If You Fail the Test

I was considering this when I first got the truck but I got her through the first year and started repairs. You are probably correct when they swapped out the engine they junked the emissions equipment. Another option may be to go to one of the "alternative" emissions test facilities and see if they will let it through. You will probably need to install a CAT if you don't have one already but that plus a little bit should reach the $300 limit. If you are good at talking you might be able to get that year.

 

Dencon,

I'm posting a thread I found a little while back. I live in California and unfortunately the cutoff for smog checks is '75 and older are exempt and it is not rolling. My truck is a '77 F250 with a 460. According to the chart, my truck only needs the following equipment.

- PCV Valve
- Thermostatic Air Cleaner
- Evaporative Emission Control (charcoal canister)
- EGR Valve

Now if I had an 1977 F150 with a smaller motor, (6000 GVWR or less) for example, I would need to have three additional pieces of equipment such as a smog pump and Cat. Luckily my truck has all the original equipment on the motor. If my truck were a '78 or '79, I would need additional equipment on my 460 as well. If I had to track down all seven pieces to be legal, I doubt that it would have been worth it to me and I would have gotten a '75.

Anyway, I hope the charts help out. It's definitely going to be a challenge to find all the missing parts. I'm sure the people on this website can help you track down some of the pieces and post pics of the stuff your missing if you need a reference. Good luck! Make sure you scroll down a ways to find the correct chart. I only saw the 351 "M" and "W" on this chart, but it's probably the same for the "C".

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...for-460-a.html

 

I think I was wrong. It is a 351 M. Man I am starting to get a little bit regretful about getting this truck. My other car is an old car, a 72, and Az, has the emissions cut off of 1966. I wish that they would bump that up. After all, even Cali. had the cut off at 1975. Why the heck Az is so strict with this junk. I hate owning anything later then 1980. I hate dealing with computers. I have nothing but bad luck with later model cars. I cannot work on them and I just do not have the kind of money it takes to keep them on the road. I can always keep an old 70s car on the road and running good. If only I could get the Government out of my business.
Oh Well, Thanks for all of your input. I might have to back out of this truck. That really sucks because I like it a lot. But I have my other car that the emissions is up for it next month and I am getting nervous now about it. I am in a lot of trouble if I cannot get that one through.