Hey all, so I have a 86 f250 with a fuel injected motor that I swapped over to run on a carb. After some toying with I got it running but now I’m wondering if I can get it to pass ca smog. I’m not sure what is checked during a smog inspection and I got the truck from Nevada. I see that there’s no catalytic converter on it but I’m not sure if ford even put them on any truck during this time...Any information will help

 

You will NEVER get that truck past opening the hood. As OEM in '86 it certainly had a cat and a soon as the guy sees the carb you are done.

Are you new to CA?

It has to be OEM, CA or 49 state, whatever it was when new.

Given those two items, I am confident you will not be able to return it to OEM. You would be better off to take it back to NV, or even as far as the Midwest where rust-free trucks bring a good price and smog inspections aren't an issue.

https://www.bar.ca.gov/Consumer/Smog...s-a-smog-check


Hhhhmmmmm. See posts 3 & 6.

 

the motor that was in it was a 460 with a carb but it was seized so I swapped it with the only 460 I could find which was fuel injection... I pulled the fuel rails off so it’s hard to tell that the carb isn’t original. As with the cat, couldn’t I just get one welded on to meet the requirements or am I just missing something?

 

OK, carb to carb. Did you swap heads and manifold or use an adapter to put the 4bbl on the EFI manifold? When doing an engine change, if you bring a newer motor over, they want you to bring all the OEM smog with it so it smogs at the spec for that year engine.

The cat has to look like it's OEM. The "rules" are approved cats, no used cats. (to combat theft and resale. Hasn't done anything for theft and sell as scrap)

What about the EVAP? Do you have a working CEL? And is it on?

Is the carb an OEM carb with the idle adjustment limiters?

Is there an emissions sticker on one of the valve covers? If it's there and says EFI that's trouble. Do you still have the old motor?

You have to run down the smog checklist and "preclear" as much as you can, hope it sniffs ok and that the guy is half blind.

 

Not sure in 86, but there is a chance that truck did not have cats from the factory. The larger GVWR trucks were delayed in using cats. Look at the fuel gauge in the dash. Does it say "unleaded fuel only"? Open the gas door. Does it say "unleaded fuel only"?. Look at the sticker under the hood. Does it say "catalyst" on the sticker? If you find any of this anywhere on the truck, it did have a convertor on it. If not, it might say "non-catalyst" on the sticker under the hood.

 

1985/86 F250 2WD/4WD 460: No catalytic converter listed in the truck parts catalog.

If this was a 351W, then it might have a converter, might not.

 

Im surprised California doesn't have scrap yard laws in place to combat theft. Here in Texas a converter is considered regulated and there is a lot of requirements when it comes to scrapping converters to prevent theft. I hear its on the level of scrapping a car that requires you to present a title to prove ownership.

I know there is a law that states you cant put a older engine in a vehicle. So for example my '82 has to have a engine '82 to newer in it, I couldn't legally put a '79 engine in it. Its a bs way to prevent people back dating vehicles to get around emission systems even though after 25 years they are emission exempt anyways that is if your area even does emission testing. Here in Texas something like 90% of the counties in the state are safety only with the emission counties being located around large urban areas.

Now while you do have to have it I don't know how strict they are in California but here in Texas the state inspectors that do the inspection doesn't care about the emission systems they just pop the hood to make it look good if someone from DPS is watching but they don't check to make sure systems are there. I haven't had a converter on my truck in years and it always gets a pass. Not sure how that will be after I put the newer HO roller motor in my truck and gut all the emission systems outside of the evap system. In the end it depends on if you get someone that wants to be a stickler for the rules. Plus I don't get the whole checking for emission systems being there when its a safety only inspection anyways. Think many inspectors feel the same way, I know I did when I used to do it almost 10 years ago.

 

Oddly, CA goes "by the book" on emissions, checking for cheaters and clean pipers, and now on OBD II stuff, it has to be plugged in all the time so it can see the testing VIN matches the paperwork.

Safety inspections? I saw an older minitruck bending in the middle--a pool cleaner rig, where the pool chemicals had eaten away at it. Saw a '56 F100 with the guy living in it, driving it around doing mow and blow work, no left front fender. A mid '80 GM medium front driver, T-boned so bad the car was actually a crescent. Driving along, tags current, duct tape and cardboard flapping away....

I'm sure the scrappy is supposed to follow some rules, but they cut the cats off stuff out here all the time.

I could go on but it won't help the OP. He may have some work to do but may actually get that thing smogged. (contrary to my prior posts--)

 

Well we were supposed to go by the book too but on safety items we didn't. I dont know about California though if the stations are contracted out to independents or if its a state ran thing where you cant skip over pointless inspection points that isn't even worth it to check.

 

Smoggies are independent. Some are actually pretty good. They could be out of business if the state goes with "plug your cell phone into the Obd2 port.

 

Same here when it comes to OBD II but we have 25 year old and its exempt and OBD I systems are almost all exempt and those were the only ones that got smogged on the 3 gas analyzer. The people here are quite good at cheating the system. Not to mention in my line of work I know there are a bunch of people that go in and remove emission systems from OBD II systems so they don't set a check engine light and give a pass on the OBD II to pass emissions.

But for old vehicles I don't think I found a guy yet that would stick to the rules on emission systems on a safety only inspection. They already don't make that much money being just $5 - $7.50 for a safety inspection they aren't going to spend time checking for emission systems to be still mounted.