I might be asking a lot here but I have a 1984 351w engine in a 1986 f150 and I need pretty much all the emissions stuff. I really don't know where to start. I need to know what all I need to pass inspection in Pennsylvania. I need more or less a shopping list of parts to get. Any help is appreciated.

 

You will have hundreds of dollars in this stuff if you buy it all new, if you can even find it new. What type of carb do you have? If it's not original, you are sunk already.

Do you know the guy at the garage you are going to take it to? Do they have underhood visual inspections? The best way to go about this is find a out-of-the-way garage that does inspections, hopefully someone that you already use and know. Talk to him about it. We are probably less strict in Va., but it's been my experience that the person who looks at your vehicle is the one you have to please.

All garages I have taken my vehicles to, always take a peek under the vehicle for a catalytic converter, all of them. As I have moved around in the state and tried new garages, once in awhile they will lift the hood. Most of the time they look for the smog pump. As long as it has a belt on it, and may be a hose coming off of it, that's good enough for them, they never get into any detail. None of them really look at the stuff on the engine. I always run the large stock Ford aircleaner with the heat hose hooked to the exhaust manifold, and that big aircleaner covers up a lot of the engine, and they never go to the trouble to take it off. So it can hide a non-stock carb, the EGR missing, etc. If you have a aluminum intake manifold, paint it Ford blue to match the rest of the engine.

If you are going to have a sniffer test, I have a feeling you could still pass with no emissions on it, if the engine's in good shape and everything is tuned up properly.

 

Do yourself and us a favor by showing your location awa some things about your truck. Go to User CP in the upper left and fill it out.

Why? If we know where you are we might recommend an inspection station, such as one I know just out of Kennett Sq. And, with the info about the truck shown we won't have to ask so many questions.

I recently asked my SiL why he doesn't replace the exhaust system on his truck. He said the testing station does a sniffer test by placing the probe in the end of the tailpipe, but doesn't bother to check to see if the tailpipe is well and truly connected to the muffler, cat, exhaust manifold, etc. And, he always passes.

As for the emissions stuff, I just finishing parting out an '85 351W HO and saved all the emissions ...... stuff. I saved it, with guidance from sages like Dave F, just for instances like this.

 

My inspection station station does do under the hood visual inspections. My carb is an edelbrock so obviously isn't stock. Gary, so you have all the emissions equipment? Do you want to sell it? If you do how much do you want for it?

 

Yes, I am selling the stuff. But, we can't discuss price except in Private Messages - a rule of FTE's. And, you can't send PM's until you get more posts under your belt - something like 20 I think. However, you can email me at janeyandgary@gmail.com.

We need to discuss exactly what you need, which we should do "in the open" if you will, meaning on this thread. That way others can chime in to tell you/us that you need this but don't need that.

I don't know what you have nor exactly what you need. So, we need to start with that - what you have on the truck. And, a picture of the labels on the piece under the hood and between the grill and radiator would help. That's what the inspection station is going to hold you to so that's going to set up our target.

If yours was a 351W HO then we may be able to get there as they came w/a Holley 4bbl carb and no computer control. If it was fuel injected we have a problem, Houston, as you are now running a carb.

So, not to beat a dead horse, but we need to know what the truck had originally and what it has now: Engine, induction system, ignition system, AIR system, EGR, etc.

 

Lets just say the fellow I bought the truck from probably wanted the truck to be a mudder and didn't put any kind of emissions control stuff on there. The truck originally had a 302 in it so he just swapped it with the 351. Also the sticker is so faded that you can't see anything on it. It sounds like I'm it trouble.

 

Hmmmm. The 302's had computer-controlled injection and timing. If the sticker were clear then you would probably be toast as it would be obvious to an inspector that you don't have that anymore. But, with it faded you may, just may get by by playing like it was a 351W HO and putting that stuff back on - working or not.

Or, and I suspect this is illegal, you could change out the piece between the grill and radiator with one that has a good sticker that shows it to be a 351W. We'll let others chime in on this as I'm no expert.

In fact, I think it is time we stump to get others from PA to wade in on this as they may be able to tell us what the inspectors will pass and what they won't. Or, do you know anyone at an inspection station that would tell you what they expect?

Without a good picture of what is required you could spend a lot of time and money putting emissions stuff back on and find out it was to no avail.

I hope it is ok, but I sent roadrash63 a PM and asked him to join this thread. He's in PA and I've seen him helping others so maybe he can help us here.

 

Your F150 is required to have the emission equipment for a 1986 model regardless of the type and year of the engine installed. If you have owned the vehicle for a year and driven it less than 5000 miles it will be exempt from the visual inspection (except to verify that the odometer is functional). The last inspector should have written the mileage on the back of the emission sticker. The inspector will not ask you for proof of ownership. He is instructed to take the word of the owner. Hope this helps.

 

Yes, but - there were at least two different emissions systems for the F150 that year. The 302's had computer-controlled EFI and ignition, while the 351W HO's had a carb and DS-II ignition w/no computer. So, which? How do the inspectors know?

 

Yes.

One is allowed to change their engines, that's fine.

But the law says the emissions control equipment that came with it from the factory must remain on it for the life of the vehicle.

If your 1986 originally had a carb (I believe EFI was still optional at this point) then, as Gary said, you may have a chance.

The inspector is going to look at that sticker on the radiator support, here is mine for reference:





If it came with catalytic converts and vapor recovery and EGR and a smog pump, then that stuff needs to be be installed and appear to be functional.

At least in Colorado - and possibly everywhere else in the country but I don't know that for a fact - the inspector is not allowed to touch anything under the hood.

An Edelbrock or Holley or Motorcraft doesn't matter so long as what is there has the original factory-installed emissions equipment - or, rather, it appears so.

If you don't have (or can't read) that sticker, the inspector can look it up in his books.



My 1981 F350 is a one-ton and didn't have cats or EVAP (vapor recovery) from the factory.

But it came with the EGR and smog pump, so I made it appear to have all that stuff.

The smog pump was easy - on this engine, the pump connects to a hole in the intake manifold, no external plumbing required (other than a vacuum line to the bypass valve).

The EGR was equally easy; it was physically there, just needed a vacuum line connected to it.



You need to be aware there are several other supporting devices for the EGR - temperature-actuated vacuum control valves, a vacuum amplifier, a retard valve or two, a vacuum reservoir, probably some solenoids on the carb, check valves here & there, etc. etc. etc. (they're all listed on that sticker).



What I did is go to the junkyard and get a collection of emissions stuff described above, then installed it on my engine pretty much *****-nilly but in a way that made it appear to be functional.

My brother has (had) an exhaust sniffer, and we could get it within spec by 1) leaning out the carb idle mixture, and 2) creating an intentional vacuum leak (hidden beneath the air cleaner).

Takes some time & fiddling, though.

I have since rebuilt my engine and have Antique plates so won't have to worry about it again for a while.

Now, with that said, I need to add the following....

This is highly illegal, and here's a fine of $2,500 fine possible per compromised emissions control device (used to be $10,000) and is a Federal offense under Section 203(a)(3)(A) and (B)of the Clean Air Act.

See Transportation and Air Quality | US EPA
See http://www.epa.gov/oms/regs/fuels/cff/memo-1a.txt
See Clean Air Act | US EPA

Just sayin'............

 

The VIN.
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Chris - Good explanation. At this point I think the only possible way to pass is to install:

• EGR valve, which on the 351 HO was under the carb and used a passage in the cast iron 4V manifold to get exhaust. So, if it is put on another intake manifold it will look good but won't work.
• AIR pump, which fits into the bracket the alternator also fits in and runs from a separate belt from the alternator.
• AIR hose/tubing/valve. This was a 3-way: one output went into the exhuast ahead of the cat; another went into the heads via a manifold at the back of the engine.
• Charcoal evap cannister. Actually, these had 2 - 1 for each tank.
• Various vacuum hoses, one-way valves, thermo valves, etc which would, in a perfect world, actually control the EGR, AIR, etc.

That might pass the look-under-the-hood test. But, the idle mix is going to have to be adjusted lean, and the cat will have to be working. Ahhhh - cat!

86ford94 - This does have a catalytic convertor - right? If not.......... And, I have all the above "stuff", but we still need to have this back & forth dialog w/the experts here to nail down exactly what you need as well as what will get it to pass.

 

I want to add.....



I AM IN NO WAY ADVOCATING RUNNING A "DIRTY" ENGINE NOR DO I NOR FTE GENERALLY SUPPORT REMOVAL OF EMISSIONS CONTROL EQUIPMENT



I have been to big cities in countries where they don't have pollution controls on their cars & factories, I have a new appreciation for what the EPA does for us here in the US.

But, it *is* possible to have a "clean-burning" engine - at least as far as the specs go for something of this age - without all that stuff (at least in my case, with a one-ton at 5,300' in elevation).

But it takes some learning, and there may be some operational detriments as a result (e.g. backfiring under deceleration).

 

Yes, Chris, I second that. I've been to Mexico City when you couldn't see across the street for the pollution. So, I'm not advocating creating a dirty engine, but am stating what the 351 HO came with out of the factory which would need to be put back on in order to be legal as well as to pass emissions.

 

Currently it is down to bear headers with no catalytic converter or anything. Obviously I will fix this asap. I've got my Chilton's book out and I have the diagram for my engine. So now like you said, Gary, I just need to know what I need to pass.