I'm currently trying to daily drive my 79 F100 with 302 and C6. To my knowledge, it doesn't have an air pump, doesn't have valve breathers that circulate back into the intake, and just has straight pipes with glass pack mufflers.

I know it's pumping out all kinds of emissions, stinks like gas, and I'm wanting to clean it up considerably for my family's health and others on the road. This is not intended to be a hot rod.

Initially I was going to add an O2 sensor to better the air/fuel ratio and hopefully get better MPG, but it may also come in handy if I were to add some catalytic converters to make sure I'm not just going to clog them a week after installing.

Might then add an air pump and breather re-circulator.

Has anyone else had good success cleaning up the emissions?

 

If driving daily probably best first step is add a fuel injection system.

 

I'm assuming the benefits of going with EFI would be consistency, tunability, and down the line fuel efficiency and emissions control. So overall start there and work my way back?

How challenging of an install would you say it is?

 

I commend you, but I think a newer truck is the best way.

A Ranger "Splash" maybe, V6, 5 speed, sporty truck.

I know my '77 is a gas hog and it never had an air pump or cats as it's GVWR was over the cutoff .... but then I don't put a lot of miles on it, it is no longer a daily driver. It actually never was a DD now that I think on it, I always walked to and from my career job, 31 years plus. I bought it in 1986, and since then have put 70K on it. Each day I walked exactly as far to work ... as I did the day before when I was coming home. I bought the '07 as my bit to make driving a truck longer distances more often a viable thing, etc ... and I just fell for it's looks ... the year before I retired.

 

Daily driving an old pickup and hoping to save the planet?

Makes as much sense as a screen door on a submarine.

60% of the time, it works every time.

 

I am far from an expert on the conversions but yes it will maximize tuning by maintaining proper AFR (air to fuel ratio) which results in complete combustion therefore decreasing unburnt fuel/emmisions. They have an O2 Sensor as an input. Getting them setup and tuned can be an involved learning experience requiring an above average skill level. There are many variables and a lot of homework needed to select the correct unit for your application.
If you start wanting to get into installing CATs, I'd draw the line there and instead, just upgrade to a newer vehicle as mentioned.

Having said all that it is sort of putting cart before horse.....To obtain your goal you have to start with the foundation, which is the internal condition of your engine. If its worn out, low or uneven compression, worn valve train etc you'll be spending good money after bad trying to improve emissions in any measurable degree. A tight professionally rebuilt engine (not a performance build) and a professionally tuned ignition system and carburetor will actually burn pretty clean but maintaining that perfect criteria over thousands of miles is not easy.

 

A more efficient piston/chamber and cam. And properly tuned carb or efi.

 

Not trying to save the planet, trying to save myself and my family from sitting inside of an aerosol hotbox mixture of unburnt gasoline, hydrocarbon, nitrogen oxide, and carbon monoxide doing God knows what to our health/genetics. I'm a fairly health conscious guy, lift pretty heavy, eat pretty clean. Also like classic trucks. Just wanna clean up what I can.

 

A proper tune up and cats would take care of 80% for 20% of the cost.

 

Do you have a PCV system?

For your year as OEM, it should be configured as shown here:

The Basics of Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV)

Your EVAP system should be checked. Again, as OEM, you would have had a non-vented fuel cap, a vent for the tank connected to the EVAP charcoal canister, and tubes from the carb vent and air cleaner housing to contain fuel tank and carb evaporation.

If you have a rear mounted tank, this is the illustration. If not, the lines go to the tank in the cab:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post18945972

If you can button up the fuel evaporation you will reduce greatly the garage stink. A GREAT part of this will be making sure you don't have a leak in the fuel lines, pump, filters and the carb itself. A carb rebuild kit will give you new gaskets and allow a proper fuel level adjustment, eliminating over fueling and leaks.

Once the carb is adjusted right, the basics of the ignition can be reviewed for condition. Standard tune up review--plugs, wires, timing. You want to eliminate any misfire as those will add to gas stink and emissions. Plus it's gas you're paying for that's going out the pipe without doing anything to move the truck down the road.

Try that and see what you find.

 

You shouldn’t be smelling gas and if you do, there is a problem. A 79 with an engine in good condition and properly tuned should run pretty clean. That being said, after over 40 years of Bubba mods and god knows what else screwed up, it may not be running as well as it could.

If your goal is emissions comparable to modern trucks, I would suggest swapping the engine for a modern fuel injected engine (Coyote?). Putting fuel injection on these old motors is expensive and equivalent to lipstick on a pig in my opinion.,,,

Air pumps etc. were a bandaid solution back in the 70’s and 80’s and pure junk.

Rebuild or replace your 302 with a later 5.0 litre roller motor, install a good carburetor and tune properly or get it tuned by someone who knows what they are doing is your best bet.

That will get you a cleaner running engine plus more power and better fuel economy as a bonus!

 

pffffffffffffft ...............

 

That's a dismal picture painted there, makes that Splash look more attractive. I know these old trucks aren't zero emitters, but I've never smelled fumes or otherwise become aware of excess pollution unless there was a problem, like a leaking fuel line, or the rubber fill hose after some hungry varmint chewed into it, or most lately the cracked seal gasket of my 45 year old gas cap.

 

What state are you in ? I’m in California my truck has all the smog stuff. Been going thru everything. Basically a smog pump a cat egr and a ton of vac lines hooked up to a bunch of switches that turn on at certain temps. It’s a bunch of crap. It’s got a two barrel carb and a charcoal canister that your supposed to vent back thru the carb. Recently didn’t pass and got me on a mission to find out why. Even the best carb guy looked at the vac diagram and said it was written in Chinese. You want to lean the carb tune to cut down on the rich gas smell but then you suffer on performance lean down he called it. The 79 didn’t have 02 sensor just cat. My truck used to stink before I replaced cat semi rebuilt carb and tuned to what they call lean drop before my test. Also found the vac advance diaphragm was popped and power valve was leaking.so In your case I’m guessing you need to tune carb or rebuild. No sense in trying to find all the crap I have unless you need to pass emissions test

 

good god dude, it's not like the exhaust is piped unto the cab. You're always going to smell the exhaust in an old vehicle, and your clothes will smell like it after. You're in the wrong vehicle for what you want. If it smells like raw fuel just get your jetting sorted out.