ADVICE NEEDED FOR NEW ENGINE

Some guys are Pro smog/CCC equipment and some are not. I’m guessing they may also follow all the other vehicle rules as well. Dressed BluePrint are all Dynoed with their respective carb and distributor. They also recommend headers with their engines.

While removing smog equipment is technically against federal laws, it’s been done since the beginning of smog introduction.
I know I will have absolutely no problem whatsoever selling my Malbu with BluePrint engine and built my way.
I have always been a proponent for 'clean air' when it comes to vehicles. But, I was NEVER an advocate of the regulation that older/classic vehicles must have every piece of OE hardware to 'visually' pass an inspection.

My thing is..... Smog test it. If it reads @ or below the certified levels & passes the sniffer testing, it's good to go. Hot rodders are a crafty bunch. They often know how to make things work much more effectively than the corporate, political, bean counting federal person/people in charge that rubber stamps the rules.

My previously mentioned Elky w/its mildly massaged 350 & no CATS dual exhaust ran cleaner (= passed a sniffer test) than the single exhaust catted/2bbl 305 (which legit passed emissions). I wanted to put CATS on the duals but was told it's illegal because it never came that way. The duals w/CATS would have likely yielded even better results.

Which is better for the planet?
 
Yes. L82's came w/a Qjet. Holley made a spread bore 650 VS replacement model (4175; p/n 0-9895).
I have this same Holley on my '81's L48 I built. It was also on the LG4 that it replaces. I picked it cause it was listed as emission freindly for the CCC removal from going from the 229 to the 305.
 
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Jan 1 2025.... san antonio did away with state inpections, i have no idea what the angle is unless its about money(revenue), which it always seems to be.

Maybe soon they'll start tail pipe sniffing everyone in the inspection's place, if so, i know for sure my malibu wont pass, ZZ4 engine, 1 5/8" headers, no catys, 2 1/2" dual exhaust to flowmaster with tail pipes, probably be exempt anyway being 46yrs old.
My 1980 Malibu with a ZZ4, Performer RPM air gap, 750cfm Holley, 1 5/8" headers with Flowmasters would sniff cleaner than the completely stock 267 with all emissions back in 99'.
 
I have always been a proponent for 'clean air' when it comes to vehicles. But, I was NEVER an advocate of the regulation that older/classic vehicles must have every piece of OE hardware to 'visually' pass an inspection.

My thing is..... Smog test it. If it reads @ or below the certified levels & passes the sniffer testing, it's good to go. Hot rodders are a crafty bunch. They often know how to make things work much more effectively than the corporate, political, bean counting federal person/people in charge that rubber stamps the rules.

My previously mentioned Elky w/its mildly massaged 350 & no CATS dual exhaust ran cleaner (= passed a sniffer test) than the single exhaust catted/2bbl 305 (which legit passed emissions). I wanted to put CATS on the duals but was told it's illegal because it never came that way. The duals w/CATS would have likely yielded even better results.

Which is better for the planet?

Again, tailpipe exhaust is only part of the story with emissions. Another major source of pollutants from engines is fuel fumes evaporating from the fuel system and gas tank, both when the engine is off and on. As long as the gas tank has a trace of fuel in it, it emits vapors, a source of pollution. The Evap system traps all these fuel vapors to be consumed by the engine reducing pollution and improving MPGs. Evap being closed venting also reduces moisture entering the gas tank, keeping your fuel system cleaner and improves longevity and reliability. Its not just the gas tank either, for carbed engines Evap is also closed venting for the carb bowl, which also keeps the carb cleaner and reduces gunk buildup. However, with older cars the only way to test Evap is visual, only other way is to lock the car in a air tight test chamber for two weeks. Modern OBD2 cars have built in sensors to test their enhanced evap systems. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

PCV is also similar to Evap, it closed vents the crankcase keeping moisture out. The same moisture that forms acid in motor oil. However, it only works if you keep the breather to the aircleaner. This also lowers under hood fume buildup thus slowing engine bay degradation. Again the only practal test is visual.

Then there are the snorkel aircleaners, the main function is to trap the fuel cloud above the carb inlet formed by reversion. You really don't want a fuel cloud floating in the engine bay either. A well designed snorkel should plump cool outside air into the engine as well as using Thermac to speed up engine warmup and reducing wear. PCV also has reversion which is why the PCV breather is routed into the stock snorkel aircleaner to be trapped and burned. Once more the only practical test is a visual inspection.

In short, low emissions is much more than just cleaning up the exhaust pipe. It is also cleaning up all the powertrain venting which has the beneficial side effect of increasing reliability and longevity of components. Its not just burning cleaner, but also venting cleaner and even sitting around turned off cleaner.

Because many of these systems are hard to test in the field at inspection stations is why the government lab tests engine packages submitted to them for certification. Every entire engine/powertrain configuration, including their low emission package is certified by the EPA or CARB. One reason they don't like tampering is because many modifications can't be tested at inspection stations and the average Joe can't afford a certification test that costs millions of dollars and subjects the test vehicle to 100k miles of testing. Its not just certifying that a car burns and vents clean, but also that is does so for many miles without degradation. Instead they mandate everything must be in place and working according to factory specs as a matter of practicality for inspections. OEMs have far larger R&D budgets than the aftermarket let alone shade tree mechanics, they know what they are doing.
 
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Again, tailpipe exhaust is only part of the story with emissions. Another major source of pollutants from engines is fuel fumes evaporating from the fuel system and gas tank, both when the engine is off and on. As long as the gas tank has a trace of fuel in it, it emits vapors, a source of pollution. The Evap system traps all these fuel vapors to be consumed by the engine reducing pollution and improving MPGs. Evap being closed venting also reduces moisture entering the gas tank, keeping your fuel system cleaner and improves longevity and reliability. Its not just the gas tank either, for carbed engines Evap is also closed venting for the carb bowl, which also keeps the carb cleaner and reduces gunk buildup. However, with older cars the only way to test Evap is visual, only other way is to lock the car in a air tight test chamber for two weeks. Modern OBD2 cars have built in sensors to test their enhanced evap systems. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

PCV is also similar to Evap, it closed vents the crankcase keeping moisture out. The same moisture that forms acid in motor oil. However, it only works if you keep the breather to the aircleaner. This also lowers under hood fume buildup thus slowing engine bay degradation. Again the only practal test is visual.

Then there are the snorkel aircleaners, the main function is to trap the fuel cloud above the carb inlet formed by reversion. You really don't want a fuel cloud floating in the engine bay either. A well designed snorkel should plump cool outside air into the engine as well as using Thermac to speed up engine warmup and reducing wear. PCV also has reversion which is why the PCV breather is routed into the stock snorkel aircleaner to be trapped and burned. Once more the only practical test is a visual inspection.

In short, low emissions is much more than just cleaning up the exhaust pipe. It is also cleaning up all the powertrain venting which has the beneficial side effect of increasing reliability and longevity of components. Its not just burning cleaner, but also venting cleaner and even sitting around turned off cleaner.

Because many of these systems are hard to test in the field at inspection stations is why the government lab tests engine packages submitted to them for certification. Every entire engine/powertrain configuration, including their low emission package is certified by the EPA or CARB. One reason they don't like tampering is because many modifications can't be tested at inspection stations and the average Joe can't afford a certification test that costs millions of dollars and subjects the test vehicle to 100k miles of testing. Its not just certifying that a car burns and vents clean, but also that is does so for many miles without degradation. Instead they mandate everything must be in place and working according to factory specs as a matter of practicality for inspections. OEMs have far larger R&D budgets than the aftermarket let alone shade tree mechanics, they know what they are doing.
Since you quoted me, I can assume this response is directed toward me.

I knew/know all of this info. I understand the why's & how's for the regulatory stuff as I read up on the subject many times in various car mags while coming of age.
My illegal Elkys 350 combo utilized the same evap & PCV systems its smaller displacement emissions legal predecessor did. It also used the OE, untouched fuel system (lines/hoses) as well other than the 'certified' replacement carb.
 

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