Hi guys. I have a 85 F150 4x4 with a 351W HO. Looking at buying a new long block. I would like to go with a non-smog long block. Are there any issues with changing to a non-smog motor?
Thanks.

 

There's no such animal as a "non-smog" long block. The only thing that makes an engine "smog legal" or not are the components that attach to the motor, like the EGR valve, AIR pump, PCV system, etc.
The only problem you might have is if the truck has to be inspected in order to register it and potential resale value. I took the smog stuff off my truck when I moved here because there are no smog laws and my truck is registered permanently. But if they do require smog checks and start inspecting for missing parts, instant FAIL! And if I decide to sell it, the next owner might not give me what I want for it because he's gonna have to buy miles of vacuum hose, and all the smog crap I threw out in a fit of rage. Don't get me wrong, I love how easy my truck is to work on now, but there could be some bureaucratic backlash from it down the road. Just something to think about.

Bottom line, if you don't have to smog your truck and you plan on keeping it for awhile, it's really worth it to remove the smog equipment and if you keep it tuned properly, it'll run just as clean as a "smogged" engine can.

 

Big Hoss,
Did you have to change anything else on the motor when you removed all the smog stuff? I thought I read somewhere that you need to change the cam to a non-egr cam. I could be wrong. I would love to get rid of all the miles of vacuum lines and the air pump and the egr etc etc. Any info can send my way would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

When you take off the smog stuff, the only thing you should have to do is remove the AIR pump, EGR valve, and miles of tubing and vacuum lines. If you remove the EGR valve, (it's better to leave it on because it doesn't affect performance and it helps the carb run leaner), you'll need a block-off plate to cover the hole in the intake manifold.

The AIR pump is a little more tricky. You have metal tubing that goes from the pump to the back of the heads and to the exhaust manifolds. If you look at my gallery, you'll see the lines that go into them. At first I just cut the rubber hoses at the top and blocked them off, but when I rebuilt the motor, I removed them all together and found plugs at a hardware store. The metal lines at the back of the heads can be removed and the holes plugged with bolts. I forgot which size bolts you need, so maybe someone else can chime in with that, and if I'm forgetting anything, someone can fill in the blanks.

You don't need to swap cams out to do this. And for the record, there is no such thing as a "non-egr cam". The stock cam should work just fine, but if you're going to rebuild the engine anyway, get a good aftermarket cam that fits your needs. Call Summit Racing or someone like that and tell them what you're planning to do with the truck and ask them which cam you should use.

Good Luck
Dan

 

Actually an engine with the smog stuff functioning will produce much less pollution than an engine without it. Keep all the smog system working if you can. You will need to do a lot of tuning or replace a lot of components to get the "new" engine working properly.

 

The smog equipment cuts your gas milage. I removed mine and gained 3 mpg.

 

The smog pump just puts air into your exhaust to make it look "pretty" It's useless, dead weight. Pop it off along with the O2 sensor and some vacuum line and you'll be golden. Like Big Hoss said keep the EGR on there if you don't want to buy a block plate.

 

I got rid of the smog junk when I put on my Edelbrock Carb on, I put the carb spacer with the foot on it so to pluged the EGR and pluged the tubing off with 3/8 plug.
The truck runs like a top now after I found the broken valve spring. I would scrap it myself

Buzz