So the wifey and I have need for a vehicle able to cross the passes in winter, have four seats with seat belts, and carry groceries. American made is a must, steel is preferred. My buddy has a '91 Bronco that has been sitting, and is willing to part with it for $1k as is. It's in decent shape and supposedly needing new tires, new exhaust, and a battery to be daily driveable. It's an auto 351w EFI, stock all through. I don't have much specific information, other than I've seen it many times sitting in his driveway and looks to be well worth the price even with the work needed. Most likely the tabs are a few years out of date. Both old and new owners are Snohomish County.

My questions are about registration and emissions testing. I've been to the DMV site, and it doesn't look like I would have much trouble but I've never had to have an emissions test. Assuming the deal goes through (based mostly on how difficult registration will be), the plan is for a set of Bassani headers (p/n 58150BC), Bassani y-pipe with cat (p/n 58150BC), followed by a Flowmaster 40 Delta single in/dual out muffler.

1) Anyone see or think there might be any emissions testing problems or sensors that need to be plumbed in to make the DMV happy?
2) Are there any penalties I may incur as the buyer for an out of date current registration? I haven't found it yet specifically, but I seem to remember a late registration fee that stacks monthly and may get passed on.

Thanks for any answers, or direction to find them!

 

Ok, since nobody has done an emissions compliant aftermarket exhaust on a '91 ish EFI 351w, here's what I've found so far.
1) very few people even try to repair or add a smog system. 99% of the info is on deleting them.
2) deleting is probably not an option for passing emissions.
3) best course of action is to let it fail as is, and have no choice but to pay a shop to do the work. Maybe after spending $150, I can get a waiver and do whatever I want.
4) headers should be fine, the Bassani y-pipe is claiming to be 50 state compliant with only a single stage cat, though I don't have a bead yet on how or why. I also don't see any bungs for the injection of air from a smog pump anywhere before the cat.
5) headers don't benefit 351w in the same degree as the FEs or 385s without first opening the intake side. Another problem for another day. They do help a little, and if the whole exhaust needs to be replaced, might as well be ahead of the game.

Also, it turns out that the trucks tabs are only two month out of date, so the question about fees is now irrelevant, but good to know in any case. If nobody knows for sure, I'll ask when I go register and report back.

If I'm not on the right track feel free to chime in, I don't have the benefit of going to a pro shop to ask most of the year. It's all from the internet. Here and the big Bronco forum, and tearing the system out is by far the preferred method of doing this.

 

Is it white? And was it Oj's? :-p

Being over 25 year's old it shouldn't require emissions, if it does it isn't OBD2 and would be a sniff test not a OBD2 plug in. Are you leaving the Catalytic converter in place? If not it may smell like unburned fuel.

Why Bassani? Not that I have anything bad about them just curious on how you came to them.

Do you have a Costco card? They sell Interstate batteries with a 42 month warranty.

351 is a good Engine, IMO better than a 302. 302's were a bit small for the FSB's. Dad had a 90 and seemed he was getting on it quite a bit, was in the process for a 460 swap but scrapped it mid project.

If it's an automatic I think they're A04D's.

 

Anothrr recommendation is Pro Muffler in Everett, big blue brick Building off Broadway and Wall ST.

 

I'll be damned Bentley, it does go over the 25 year mark. 1991 seems like just a few years ago. Don't I feel like an old idiot...

That does change things. I may still keep the system in place to keep the hydrocarbons down. The cats anyway. As I'm understanding, newer cats are available if not common that do not need the fresh air to not plug up. More reading required.

Bassanis were chosen for a combination of sound that I liked, and as a common favorite among the BigBroncoForum crowd. There seems to be some fitment issues with some of the more common off the shelf headers, and these are made specifically for Broncos and future driveline/suspension mods. Also US made. The other choice would be customs from FPA, who made my 460 headers. The Bassani set including cats is cheaper than those. Mostly sound though.

 

Bassani it is then.

 

Of the many YouTube clips I watched, this was the sound I kept coming back to.

That setup, some 33" Goodyear Duratracs, the Lonestar flag in vinyl across the whole back window, and a reverse lettering front bumper sticker with a downward arrow and the caption " Your Prius fits here" will fit my little Texas hunny-bunny like a glove. Sexy.

 

I always figured if the out-of registration fees are stacked that makes the truck worth less if not worthless and a good place to start some price negotiation.

 

I was able to track down where that idea came from. My exwife and I bought an '85 F250 diesel back in 2000. We did have a stack of late registration fees to pay when we registered the truck in Olympia, at the time. This one of my buddy's isn't very far out of date, even if I do have to shell out a little... it's still a screaming deal. At this point I just want to get the deal closed before anyone gets a mind to jack the price up.

I'll be sure to report in after registration.

 

From my experiences with the DOL.....out of date/expired registration isn't the problem. The problem is if the title wasn't transferred with in the 15 days. That's where they get ya! If you need to buy yourself a little time have the P.O leave the date blank when he signs off on the title....then when your ready to go to DOL write in the current date. Just my .02
And yes....the vehicle is over 25, so no emissions test.

 

Drop a 460 in it. My buddy at work has a '94 he got to play around in the dirt and he's always baggin' on how boring the 351 is lol. He usually drives M5s, so maybe he's just setting his expectations too high.

 

The 351 from that era seemed tough to get it to pass emissions. I had a 89 F250 with that motor and it would never pass emissions on the first try, and knew of bunch of other people with that same motor in EB Broncos. We'd stop at Shucks and drop a can of F104 octane boost on a low tank, that would burn enough junk to make it pass.

In HS, we had an older emissions machine, I fiddled with the motor for about a week trying to get it inline, but you had to lean the motor out so far to pass that it wouldn't run right.

Luckily, you do not have to worry about that due to the age now. I would say though if you are real worried about the exhaust, you might just think about running 92 octane in the motor. It won't necessarily run any better, but the CO will be less.

 

Line deicer works really well to get a PASS with the sniff test.
Lots of alcohol in that type of mix and it also gives a very clean tank.
In other words time for filters.

 

NW, that is a possibility some day when the project list actually shrinks. I do have a 460 in the garage, but that's for my truck... she can't have it!

With the relief of not needing the emissions test, it the just comes to whether to part with a few bucks for the cat. For a mellow sound, no other hassles with sensors and AIR pump BS, and no noticeable power loss... sure. I hear the exhaust even smells like fresh roses in the spring. If that ain't enough for the hippies, then f*** 'em. I can't say I'm worried enough about emissions to run the high test just for that. The gas bill will be high enough with the f250. It is a 92 octane motor at 10.1:1, and no way at all to make it not a thirsty beast.

 

With the 10.1:1 you may just have to run the 91.
That or PING PING down the road we go.