Throughout the course of building my truck, I got rid of most of the emissions components because many were broken or non-op, or were superseded by a modification I made. Well, now they want to start e-testing us again, so I've got to get it all back together. It's never going back to 100% stock, but I need to get it presentable for the inspector.

Cats are on order, and I have a plan to install an "EGR". What I'm needing a little help with is the AIR and EVAP systems. I want to run them as simply as possible while still having functionality.

As far as I remember, the air pump will just be plumbed straight into the exhaust system, correct? Does it need any valving or timing on it, or can it just be constantly on?

For the EVAP system, what else do I need besides the charcoal canister, purge valve, and thermostatic vacuum tree? Does anyone have a diagram that shows just the evap lines and how they need to be plumbed? Any experience hooking up the evap system to an Edelbrock carb/aftermarket manifold?

Any help is appreciated.

 

Are you going to try and pass the truck in your signature? If so, what type of inspection will it be? There is no use spending time and money hooking that stuff up if it's not going to pass a visual test. You need to talk to whoever is going to inspect it to see what they will let go.

And I don't care if this truck was so old it didn't need emissions, those exhaust cut-outs are illegal in my state and they would not let them go through.

 

That's the reason I'm hooking the equipment back up, to pass the visual. As far as I'm aware the equipment doesn't have to be exact stock replacement, it just has to be there. They can't test any of it either, just check to see it's in place.
The cutouts are coming off to fit the cats, there is just a blockoff plate bolted on right now anyway so they couldn't do anything about it.

 

As Chris has said before, a stock air cleaner box will hide a lot. They will probably look for the air pump and the cats, as you know. Maybe the EGR. As long as it looks to be all there, with adequate vacuum lines snaking here and there (and none hanging loose or plugged), how would your average visual tester know any difference? I doubt they would actually compare what you have to the emissions diagram sticker.

 

Bingo!

The guy I go to explained it to me once... The stuff needs to be there and appear to be functional.

I go to a 1981 & older shop, it's run by an old Vietnam veteran. He's a good guy but kind of weird, goes off about political stuff a lot.

What I had done at one time was just get an assortment of vacuum hoses & colored valves & doodads and "installed them" so they appeared to be functional. Yes, the factory air cleaner hides a lot.

'course I also had a sniffer (before it died, gives some error and won't work anymore) and could set things up so it would pass the sniff test. Intentional vacuum leaks can be helpful sometimes.

I really shouldn't be talking like this, given how I promote not removing or messing with this stuff (assuming it's working) and how I appreciate what the EPA does for us.

 

my 82 has no EGR, no smog pump because they both stopped working.

When we went through emissions I forgot to hook up the belt to the air pump again. It also didnt have the hose coming from the back of the heads to the pump so it was just sitting there unplugged and unbelted and the thing STILL passed. Well see how it goes in another 2 years.

 

Like I said, it depends on how picky they are. Most everyone I have taken my stuff to, always jump on the exhaust system first. Duals are not legal and are going to be a sign to them to look this thing over carefully. Or you might run across a guy like I did who said "just put a cat in each side and I will pass it". That's still not legal, but he is the one giving out the stickers and it made me happy so there we are. I had headers on it too(not legal) and no air pump (not legal) but he didn't say anything about those.

Like I said, you will need to talk to someone before you start this, and see how much they will let go. The exhaust system is part of the emissions(cat and forward, we have talked about why before) and technically they do not have to pass anything that is modified like that.

Also, if they are going to look hard enough for a EGR valve, then they will certainly see that shiny edelbrock under the air cleaner, and the EGR would take quite a bit of work and fabrication in your case to hook up, so I don't really see the point. In other words, if they look for the EGR and see the carb, you are sunk.

 

It can't be constantly on, that will cause backfires. It needs to switch from the catalytic converter to the atmosphere during certain engine conditions. Deceleration is one.

 

So does anyone have a diagram or two for this stuff? I'd actually like to have the EVAP system just to decrease the raw fuel smell when it's hot out, and if I'm going through the work of installing the cats they might as well work properly with the AIR injection.

I don't think I should have trouble with dual exhaust with a cat for each pipe, you have to look hard to find a truck with stock exhaust around here so I imagine you can get through with almost anything.
I can probably come up with an EGR appearing device, I don't intend to ever run one again since my distributor is all set up to run without.

Thanks for any input guys, hopefully I can get a lenient tester, but we'll see how it goes.

 

My best advise would be to go and look in the wrecking yard for a truck with a diagram for the engine you have. If the trucks smog systems are intact, that would be a great source for parts as well as a diagram.

 

You can go on autozone's site, look up your truck, and look under "repair guides" and I think it's under "emissions" or something like that. They have vacuum diagrams. Usually the early models and the models for Canada are the simple ones.

I believe the simplest purge system for you would be to continually purge the canister by hooking the purge port on the canister to the PCV valve connection. You can buy a new valve at the store, and hopefully you will get one with the 90 elbow, and it will have the large port for the main PCV line, and it will have a smaller port molded in right above it for the purge line. You might have to snip the end to open it up, since not all trucks used this port on the valve.

Then re-adjust your carb idle setting a little bit if needed to compensate for the added air/fuel coming from the canister.

I do not know much about the AIR system and it's valves, i have never messed with it very much.

I am not too familiar with the EGR on the sixes, didn't they have a special pipe that hooked to the exhaust somewhere and led up to the valve? The v8's already had exhaust running up into the intake, so all they had to do is re-cast the intake to lead the exhaust to the valve, but I thought the six might have a external pipe.

You will then somehow have to mount the egr valve, and then direct the exhaust into the intake. The only thing I can think of off the top of my head would be to get a spacer plate for under the 4bbl carb that mounts the egr. These were made for the Ford v8's, you might be able to find one from Summit or Jegs. The problem though is these were made with a exhaust port leading up from the intake manifold. There is the slight chance you could fill this with epoxy(JB Weld) and re-drill it so it exits out the side of the spacer so you can hook your exhaust pipe in from the header/manifold into the spacer and into the egr valve.

 

I would try and hook the Canister Purge Valve into the system. That way the purge function is switched on and off when it's supposed to be. The simplest of these just requires the CPV, ported vacuum, and some vacuum line. That would eliminate a possible drivability issue of excessive vacuum to the gas tanks and Carb Bowl.

The 300/6 does have that pipe. It runs from a threaded pipe fitting in the bottom of the exaust manifold to the EGR/Carb spacer.

Be greatful that you are not in California. They'd make you rip all that modified stuff of a and go back stock.

Not sure how the smog components are going to work, or fit together with modified components. Trial and error I suppose...

 

Colorado might be just as bad. He has been warned, so I am changing gears and suggesting what he could do to make it all work, albeit nowhere near how it's supposed to work and how it was originally certified by the EPA.

Some people do not realize the government DOES NOT want you to be driving around in these old vehicles. If his truck was all original, it still would be very difficult and take a lot of self-taught emissions troubleshooting to keep this truck going as it was originally. Just like the cash-for-clunkers deal, they want it taken off the road and scrapped, and want you to buy a newer vehicle.

 

Yeah, I hear you Dave.

The thing is, it's not the old vehicles that pollute, it's the engines. Instead of cash for clunkers, they would have done better with an engine swap and smog system upgrade program IMO. Similar to what Japan already does, (except for the mandatory part).

That would have cleaned the air a lot better, and more people could have taken advantage of a program as engine swaps are cheaper.

Cash for clunkers wasn't really for cleaner air though...

Anyway, enough of me and my off topic ranting...

EDIT: I notice an AZ add where they state they will test your starting and charging system for free. "In CA, testing in-store only" This is because in California it's ilegal to give out diagnostic advise. You might be able to fix your car, and keep it on the road with help, etc...

 

So here's what I've learned on my first trip through the e-test station.

They don't check for an EGR. I didn't even bother building a fake one because I didn't think they were going to look under the hood. I've never seen them open one any time I've been there until my truck, and a Dentside that went through right after me. My truck is doing fine without one anyway, with about 0.5 NOx out of 6.0 allowed.

They don't check any part of the evaporative emissions besides the fuel cap.

They could care less about my 4bbl carb and dual exhaust, it has cats and mufflers so they are happy. The sheet says the cat inspection passed, though I never saw anyone look under there.

My clever plan of routing the AIR hose to a random location fell through though , they failed me on an incomplete AIR injection system, this is something they do check under the hood. Also failed for slightly high HC and 3x too high CO, but these should go down with the AIR system functioning properly, and maybe some slight carb adjustment.