smog or not to smog that is the question (1 Viewer)

[beaufort-fj60]

Greetings,

Current owner (as of 6 months ago) of a brown 84' fj60, 250,000 miles

It runs, but some smog parts are toast and some are good. I'm in SC so no emission testing of any sort around here. I have gone through this board and two other boards looking for possible answers. What I have found sofar is:

1. Replace smog parts, get smog system back to original working order, then go from there.

2. Desmog, this is where it gets sticky, from what I generally have read in posts, everyone is an expert on de-smogin' and no one else knows what they are doing. Is there an excepted generic de-smog or is each de-smog custom? IF I de-smog am I creating a never-ending pain-in-the-arse problem that I will be chasing down.

Thanks, I am at the cross roads

 

[hj60]

Fix the emissions systems. You'll thank me later, when you do have to smog it.
The EPA is going to roll out universal emissions testing requirements in the next couple of years.

 

[DocB]

Take detailed digital pictures of all current set up/routing. Unplug and remove "computer." Pull air rail and plug threaded holes (with pipe plugs of some kind; don't remember). Remove smog pump or disable it and run it as a dummy pump if needed for pivot point for water pump belt. Can put something else there later, like a second alternator, for pivot point. Pull out EGR valve system and cooler; plug holes. Pull out "Medusa," that mile long maze of brittle dry rotted vacuum hose. Carefully plug each hole with Vacu Tite fittings, the smallest available; they are little rubber caps you get at Autozone etc. Plugs will go on manifold vacuum, and many ports on the carb. Also get some larger rubber caps at autozone to cap the little pipe coming from your carb; I think its where the EGR fed in, and any input pipes into your air cleaner housing left open. Re adjust the carb; this is pretty easy once you know where all the screws are.
My reason for de smogging is to simplify the motor as much as possible. The only vacuum hose I have is vac advance to distributor. Trail repairs are easier, simpler, and more accessable after de smogging. There are fewer things to go wrong. The old 235 Chevy and the original F engine had no emissions stuff. They were designed at baseline to run without it and the smog system evolved to meet eventual emissions requirements. An engine burns a mix of fuel and air, that's it. No need to re burn partially burned stuff and tune the engine around this purpose.

 

[dd113]

It can be a hard decision. When all the smog crap works the truck runs like a dream. Without smog it may apper to run stronger but I have come to doubt tht the trade offs are worth it. NON smog can equal bad idle, poor MPG, rough starts etc...

It is possible to avoid all of these conditions but it takes time and tuning. I have seen very few true smog equipt failures. They do happen but not often. The vast majority of the time it has to do with bad hoses or connections.

Buy an emissions manual and see where your truck is then go from there.

 

[beaufort-fj60]

sofar what i can tell, the top bvsv had both vacum tips broken off, i guess when PO had someone put new rad in. someone glued them back on. the air pump does not have a belt running it, if you try to turn it by hand it does not move. the vsv's on the drivers side that had elec wires were toasted off looks like short/burnt out. one vsv has been rewired by toyota dealer, paid for by PO. i guess when toyota put on the new manifold and rebuilt carb. the vac s/w was repaired also (near vsv's) the a/c vsv wires are burnt also. everything else looks in place/connected. the cruiser idle after hitting run temp, dies off slowly, if you give it a little gas to get idle back up it will hold for a few sec's and die slowly again.

 

[cwb]

I desmogged back in the summer and am very happy with it. Since I rebuilt the head, added a K&N, and rebuilt the carb, I can't say how much the desmog specifically improved performance, but I know there's now a lot less stuff to break or malfunction. If you do it, just keep all your equipment just in case you or a new owner wants to return it to stock.

 

[hilander]

I have an 84' that is de-smogged. I like it this way but I have to say that from a value point, if you have two equally equiped trucks, the one with all the smog equipment intact is worth more, IMHO. I've looked into restoring my smog equipment and it's a nightmare if everything is gone. I'd fix what's broke and enjoy the fact that you can sell it, or register it, anywhere in the country.

Good times.

 

[sisukid1975]

Or just convert to diesel and dont worry about de smogging since all the old diesel (not the modern ones though) were never smogged in the first place and the EPA or state of Wisconsin or whomever cant say anything about it.

Fred

 

[Cruisergreg]

Unplug and remove "computer."

Don't know what DocB is specifically referring to but the "emissions computer" behind one of the foot well kick panels (can't remember which) controls the idle cut solenoid on the carb. No reason to remove it if all the other equipment is disabled.

On the 2F, one of the strongest reasons for desmogging is just to eliminate vacuum leaks which will result in various poor running symptoms. To get the best bang from the effort removal of the cat and a free flow exhaust will free up the most power.

Keep in mind that the induction and ignition system on US 60s were designed with the emissions equipment in mind. A different heat range spark plug may be required and if the rig is driven at lower altitudes (below about 2,500 feet) the distributor may need to have the advance curve redone or you may need to just run less advance or use higher test gas.

Bottom line is that a good desmog is not just yanking off equipment, but a thoughtful "re-eningeering" of the industion, ignition and exhaust systems. Get the factory emissions manual and learn all the systems before any decisions are made.

FWIW: I'm an environmental consultant by trade and watch EPA trends closely - we are years away from any sweeping federal vehicle emissions testing, and rigs of FJ60 vintage will most likely be grandfathered into exemption.

 

[beaufort-fj60]

decided to put smog system back in order.

sofar i got two new bvsv's from toyota last week, i guess that is part of the smog system. the air pump and check valve is next. i think i will get an el-cheapo smog pump for now and hunt down a good deal on a toyota part (whishfull thinking)

90925-05035 bimetal, valve $41.14
90925-05046 bimetal, valve $64.41
90917-10038 check $7.26

anyone know why one bimetal is 20 bucks more than the other??

 

[beaufort-fj60]

put these in tonight and gave them fresh vac hoses:

90925-05035 bimetal, valve $41.14
90925-05046 bimetal, valve $64.41
90917-10038 check $7.26

believe it or not the new bvsv's fixed my funky idle problem, vacum leaking at two ports on the bvsv. when the sun pops back up tommorow i'll mess with the idle.

next on the list the air pump