Greetings from Oregon wine country. I was born in SoCal, moved away in 2009 and wife wants to move back. In the interim I acquired a clean mostly original '77 F150 with a factory 460. I've researched enough to know that the truck is going to require at least an initial smog and likely will have to be with a referee due to age, etc.
As a federal build with a 6050 GVWR, a "heavy duty" engine (no-really, it says that on the right valve cover placard). The truck never had cats, EGR, or AIR (thermactor).
Nor a vapor can.
It did (and still does) have the factory air cleaner with the cold air snorkel, and the heat riser tube with the hot wax door actuator at the air cleaner inlet. So at least that part I've got covered. But..... the original Motorcraft 4350 is long gone. It still has the D6 cast iron intake, with the spreadbore adapter to the 4160 holley that has been on there for 30 years now. The 4160 has been tailor orificed for maximum economy by me, with hours and hours of fine fine tuning to get it sweet and efficient.
But I suspect this will be my biggest issue to getting past both the visual (finding a 4350 and putting it back on), and also the sniffer. Maybe the allowable limits are pretty high, but I seriously doubt I'll find even a so-called rebuilt 4350 that is going to perform anywhere near as well as my custom holley.
Just wondering what other post-'75 owners do?

 

Mr. Ranger,
I suspect you will receive more help if you post in the Older, Classic and Antiques Forums section. I would definitely recommend seeing the BAR Referee, been there with engine swaps in Pontiac Fieros. Referee appointments can be a month or more after you call them. You should only need the parts that Ford originally installed or those aftermarket devices with a CARB approval.
Good luck,
Larry

 

Hi Larry-
Thanks for the reply. I did also post in the "Dentside" 73-79 forum as indeed there is more action, thought it might be useful to get some SoCal intel on this as well. As for the referee, Did you do a phone (virtual) discussion prior to the in-person inspection? Looking at the website, it definitely encourages to make a virtual appointment first, so wondering if that's what took you a month? Or was it a month for the in-person, but you at least got to talk to someone knowledgeable first over the phone?
I can just enviosion 6 trips to the ref, because each time there is a "well you addressed EGR, but now you have to go address EVAP" or something similar. Looking to maximise probability of first pass success on the visual. Related, does the ref (in-person) actually measure levels? or do they just approve the visual for me to THEn go take the tailpipe test?
thanks for sharing
Jay
PS- I see you are in the SAN? Whereabouts if I may ask? I'm specifically looking at north county property like ramona or valley center with the intent of only having to do basic as opposed to enhanced inspections.

 

Jay, I last went to the Referee in 2012 and there was no option for the virtual talk. I had other friends who had gone thru similar engine swaps and followed their advice. I made my 88 Fiero act like a 92 Chev Lumina engine wise, all emission controls had to be the for the Lumina. I failed the first inspection, not because of improper installation but due to a clogged port in the intake manifold I had purchased from the junk yard.
The Ref shop is fully equipped to inspect and perform the sniff testing. They do a very thorough inspection, and it took him just over an hour to perform. The best part (if there is a best part) was that they do not charge for labor, the only expense was for the certificate, $8.25.
I am in Mira Mesa a neighborhood of San Diego north of MCAS Miramar - roughly 14 miles from Ramona.
Larry

 

thanks for the input Larry!

 

Hey, curious about how this process is working out for you? Any luck with your research or the REFs?

I did an engine swap in 2022 and went through the REF process in 2023, but it was much newer drivetrain components.

 

Well, it's on hold for the moment.
I did speak with a REF who basically told me to find a 75 or older truck. I politely explained that I'm determined to find a way to keep my '77. He got a little more chatty once he understood that i speak the language knew a lot about the truck.
The most relevant piece of info I got from him was that the REFs don't typically get involved, even if I can't find a shop willing to do the inspection on my truck. He also acknowledged that no shop could be compelled to perform the inspection. Sounds like a potential I'm screwed scenario.
So, I went to Vics garage in Valley Center where the truck would be located/registered. Spoke with a guy named Mark there who also said he was simply too busy to spend the time to do the inspection. But again I was persistent, explaining that the truck was pretty original and clean. After a few minutes he got chatty with me and recommended a guy named Tom at all-star smog in Oceanside (note that Oceanside is an enhanced zone, while Valley Center is a basic zone). Tom said he would be willing to do a pre-test on it and the visual and let me know what it would take. So, that's the plan at the moment, although the truck is still here in Oregon pending close of escrow in VC and the move.

 

Gotcha. I've also imported 3 vehicles to CA over the years -- two were CA emissions already, and the oldest was a 1987 Federal car that I had owned for 8 years at that point. It only needed a light bulb in the check engine light socket to hit CA standards since everything else was identical. I would hope that, assuming you have the components that meet the federal standards, and since you have owned it for so long, that you'll qualify for the exemption. The challenge, as you're finding out, will be to get a shop that understands what that means during testing.

Best of luck!

 

thanks. Believe me-this is a major stress factor associated with the move.

 

Hey, you've probably already considered this, but FWIW... since your truck is mostly stock minus the carb, have you considered installing an Emissions legal replacement carb from Holley?

I'm not sure if this is the exact right one, but -- https://www.holley.com/products/fuel.../parts/0-80451