Hello. I'm the proud owner of a 78 F-250 Ranger. I bought it from my mom and aunts after my grandfather passed away. A few years ago I had an engine fire that destroyed all of the plastic components on the intake manifold. Recently I've been trying to get the ol girl back on the road, and because I live in California, a smog check is necessary. Here's my problem. The truck was originally sold in Utah and has federal emissions, it's GVWR is 7900lbs, and aside from a page out of a smog shops book that the techs won't commit to, I cannot find any definitive answer regarding what equipment is required on my truck. I tried going by a few smog shops, they all show me the same book that says all I need is a PCV system, Thermostatic air cleaner lid and a dura spark 2 ignition and distributor.
The problem with that is, none of the smog shop guys will say for certain that what I've listed above is all I need. I have tried calling the state referee program to see if they can send me some information or even point me in the right direction. They want me to tow my truck 55 miles each way to their inspection station in order to tell me what's missing.
Does anybody here ha e a similar truck that still has all of the federal emissions equipment on it, and if so can I trouble you for some detailed shots of your engine bay including the vacuum routing sticker?
Thanks in advance.

 

PVC sounds right. What you want is the Ford vacuum diagram. It will show you what parts you need, as there might also be a Temperature Controlled Vacuum Switch to control the air cleaner. I could be wrong, but I suspect that the air cleaner thing is the warm-air stove/chimney thing which routes heated air to the bottom of the air cleaner snorkel. The vacuum would go to the little valve on the top of the snorkel, for the flapper door which closes and sources the heated air until the engine warms up.
Yeah, hopefully someone can muster up some pictures.

And welcome to FTE!

 

Thanks for the reply. I forgot to mention that the truck has a 460 and an auto trans.

 

I pulled some misc vacuum diaphragms off of a junkyard truck just in case someone needed them. PM me for photos and descriptions if you think they might help I can donate them to the cause

 

Best bet is to find an old Chilton's manual and copy the relevant smog diagrams out of it. On the one I looked at (found it on-line in the public library database) they had diagrams for all the configurations sold. Your individual calibration number probably burned off in the fire, but if you can pull multiple vacuum drawings showing an identical configuration you should be able to get them to accept it. There are multiple posts containing lists of abbreviations used on the vacuum diagrams. I have a '78 and the air cleaner has a vacuum valve (A/CL BI MET, bi-metallic air cleaner valve) in its base - one line goes to manifold vacuum, one goes to the vacuum valve (A/CL DV, air cleaner diverter valve) on top of the air cleaner snout which opens or closes the flap which determines whether you are sucking in preheated or ambient temp air. I suspect you will need at minimum a PCV, possibly EGR, carbon cannister. Should not need a smog pump since the F250 was considered emissions-exempt federally. I think.

 

1976 F350 Super Camper Special 390/T-19 4 speed, 10,000 lbs. GVWR - assembled in San Jose, ordered from DSO 72 = San Jose (NorCal) Ford District Sales Office.

FTE members dad bought this in 2008, FTE member bragged in his signature that it had no emission equipment, because it wasn't required on an F350.

The problem with this statement was, the FTE member was 13 years old at this time and so when looking at the engine, had no clue.

Truck was located in San Bernardino, so I drove out there and looked at it. ALL the emission related parts had been removed, aftermarket chrome air cleaner installed.

Removed by previous owner: PCV - EGR valve - Evaporative Emission System - Thermactor Emission System (smog pump).

So, when dad went to register it, found out for the first time that 1976 and newer vehicles in CA have to pass the smog test.

Since all the emissions related parts had been removed, he was SOL!

CA: All the original emissions equipment has to be present and in good working order. If it cannot pass smog, it cannot be registered. There is no waiver if the parts are obsolete, it's fix it or park it!

Truck parked in the driveway for the next 5 years, neither dad or his son (when he got his license) could drive it, because it couldn't be registered until it passed smog.

Son moved to St. Charles MO several years ago, and just recently, had the truck transported there.

Note: Catalytic converter not required on F350's, but were introduced for F250's in 1977. So...depending on the applications, 1977/79 F250's may have a cat, may not have.

 

I seem to recall that over a certain GVR that very little emmissions were required. Food for thought.

 

OP lives in CA, you live in NM .. Do you know what emissions related equipment is required in CA? Probably not, read post #6 to find out.

 

ND - can you clarify, does a vehicle not originally sold in CA have to meet CA emissions for its year of manufacture? Was noticing he said the F250 was originally sold in UT.

 

1975 an older vehicles are not required to take a test. There was a bill in progress there to raise the year to 1980 but I don't know it's status.

 

I know what emission related parts were required in CA, don't know about UT

PCV introduced in 1961, was mandated in sold new in CA vehicles, when vehicles came into CA from other states/Canada and etc., PCV had to be installed.

Auto parts stores sold myriad different types of PCV kits, so this wasn't a problem. And by the mid 1960's, all new vehicles came with PCV as standard equipment.

But, in the late 1960's, CA required ALL 1950 and newer vehicles to pass the smog test. Since no 1950/60 vehicles had PCV, it had to be installed, and...

Also required for all these vehicles was the NOX system. Auto makers began installing NOX in 1967 (mandated by the US Gov't), but no 1950/66 vehicle had it.

NOX kits sold by auto parts stores: Upper radiator hose had to be cut to allow the NOX device (metal tube) to be spliced in, had a sensor in the tube with vacuum lines routing to the dizzy.

Some people (usually car collectors), as soon as their vehicles passed smog, removed this piece of crap NOX device, as it was as useless as teats on a mule and unsightly.

Back then if you "knew someone" in the smog biz, vehicle wasn't inspected, because you could get a smog certificate by passing along a few bucks.

But today, this is a felony, so no smog tech in their right mind will issue a smog certificate this way.

 

I remember having a NOX system on a '64 LeMans - that car came from the factory with absolutely zero emissions controls. In trying to answer my question, I found mention that vehicles older than 30 years do not have to actually be smog tested per CA AB42. If so, in theory if the F250 was emissions exempt under Federal law since it weight over 6000 (?) lbs, it just needs to have the parts in place, not necessarily functional. Which parts - he'll need to check that vacuum diagram, and also see if the NOX devices are still required for otherwise unregulated engines, I guess.

 

Yes, this is true, but it wasn't always 1975 and older, because at one time...read the 4th line in post #11.

 

California gives me a headache when I think about it! The rolling 30 year old exemption was repealed some time ago I think. From what I've read if you bring a vehicle there you only need to have the Federally mandated equipment to pass. That's where the weight limit might make a difference.

Take my advice, don't listen to me.

 

Here are a couple pictures of my door tag and the two pages that one of the smog shops allowed me to get from their book.