Pass Ca. Smog with new Top End?

[Ivan_Drago]

Hi All, first off I'd like to say hello and thank you all for making this Forum so great! This is my first post here and looking forward to many more as I learn more about the intricacies of my truck.
So...with that here it is.. I've got a zero rust 1981 K3500 2door chassis cab with 55,000 original babied miles. Power wise, Its a dog to say the least, if it didn't have 4.10 gears It wouldn't get out of its own way . I've been wanting to do a Summit/Jegs/Edelbrock top end kit on it but am hesitant about increasing the NOx for California Smog reasons. I'm not worried about passing visual (if you know what i mean) but the sniffer test is something i cant fudge. Is there anyone that has been in my shoes?
Plans for the truck include a 6" lift on 35's, hence the need for the power increase.

 

[Shorty81]

Welcome from the Buckeye State.

 

[Charlie]

....Rocky beats you at the end!!!.....LOL

 

[Frankenchevy]

Buy a place in Lake Tahoe, register your truck there and voila! It’s smog exempt!

One way around it in CA (zip code exemptions).

 

[Ivan_Drago]

Buy a place in Lake Tahoe, register your truck there and voila! It’s smog exempt!

One way around it in CA (zip code exemptions).

I have family that lives in all surrounding states. I’d like to avoid taking my truck to another states DMV to get inspected. On a chassis cab, they’ll need to verify the VIN in person. Trying to make it less of a headache....if that’s even possible

 

[Frankenchevy]

I have family that lives in all surrounding states. I’d like to avoid taking my truck to another states DMV to get inspected. On a chassis cab, they’ll need to verify the VIN in person. Trying to make it less of a headache....if that’s even possible

I’m referring to the California side. There are zip codes in CA without biennial smog checks.

 

[DoubleDingo]

You're just a short drive south of me. 3500 is one ton, correct? Does it matter that it's cab/chassis? In '81 weren't they still C/K 10/20/30/40/50, etc? I have an '81 C20 and it passes very easily. No cat(s), no egr, just the canister, pcv, various valves and switches, and the A.I.R. system. Can take it in basically cold and it will pass. Run it for 40 minutes or more it'll be much cleaner on thee sniffer.

 

[DoubleDingo]

Just looked it up on wiki. '91 was the cab chassis 3500 truck. Is yours a '91 K3500, or an '81 K30? That will make all the difference when it comes to emissions testing, especially as close as you are to LA. When I lived in Newhall from '89 to '92, I had to get my '65 smogged every two years, so twice, and then I moved back to my hometown. Not because of that, but I didn't have to smog it again, not even here.

 

[Frankenchevy]

Just looked it up on wiki. '91 was the cab chassis 3500 truck. Is yours a '91 K3500, or an '81 K30? That will make all the difference when it comes to emissions testing, especially as close as you are to LA. When I lived in Newhall from '89 to '92, I had to get my '65 smogged every two years, so twice, and then I moved back to my hometown. Not because of that, but I didn't have to smog it again, not even here.

You had to smog a 65?

 

[DoubleDingo]

You had to smog a 65?

Sure did. So I adjusted the carb a little rich, changed the oil, air filter and pcv, and headed to the smog joint. Afterwards I readjusted the carb for performance. Growing up in a small town in an area that didn't have to smog every two years, it was foreign to me at the time.

 

[Craig 85]

Welcome. I had an '80 C20 3+3 with a 454 back in the mid 90's. I don't recall a lot of emissions on it except for a smog pump and a thermostatic air cleaner. I don't think they had the EGR. My '85 K30 also has a 454 with all the emissions crap minus the cats as it's HD emissions. I can't imagine an '81 1 ton has too much more than my '80.

California will let you change the intake, I found the rule in the 2014 BAR handbook. I confirmed this through the referee when I sold my last truck a few years ago. The OEM intake was warped. I was able to install an Edelbrock Performer with and EGR set up.

 

[MikeB]

Interesting that CA is concerned about emissions from older vehicles that MIGHT account for 0.05% (5 in 10,000) of all vehicles on the road, especially when you consider miles driven. I mean, how many of our old trucks are driven more than a couple thousand miles per year, if that much?

Wonder how the poor illegal immigrants with old clunkers are handling this, or do CA taxpayers buy them new cars?

 

[Frankenchevy]

Poor? There are freelance concrete finishers as busy as they want to be ( although, I sure as hell don’t hire them) that get paid $250-$300/day for 5-6 actual hours of work and pay zero taxes.

That’s just one example that I’m aware of. It goes on all the time, I’m sure. Drives me crazy if I think about it too much.

 

[DrPrepper]

Take your time with your project, there is an assembly bill in the transportation committee that will raise the exemption year to ............ok wait for it...........1981 and older.
Or you can always buy parts with the correct CARB EO #s
Combustion chamber temp is the biggest cause NOx...

 

[Frankenchevy]

Take your time with your project, there is an assembly bill in the transportation committee that will raise the exemption year to ............ok wait for it...........1981 and older.
Or you can always buy parts with the correct CARB EO #s
Combustion chamber temp is the biggest cause NOx...

Do you know the SB# on that bill?

Edit: never mind, I found it. It’s Assembly Bill 210. It states vehicles manufactured before 1983 would be exempt. It also has a provision for vehicles registered and insured as classic vehicles older than 35 years. So if that gets passed, as of January 1,2020 all vehicles older than 1983 or and vehicles registered as classic vehicles 1985 or older—and would continue to move up annually. @Craig 85 , this could be awesome!

...If it passes. I won’t hold my breath though.

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/f...l?bill_id=201920200AB210&search_keywords=Smog