Passing Emissions

[DRIVEN]

According to this https://mvdnow.com/emissions/ you may be exempt by age if your county adopts the same standards. If not, having a working cat and proper tuning might get you passed. Probably depends on who you're dealing with. I assume the testing is done by independents rather than state testing stations?

 

[TURNA]

All 1985 and newer motor vehicles up to 10,000 lbs GVW must pass an emission test every two years and at change of ownership.

Find out if that number changes every year

 

[TURNA]

Since you live there, best thing to do is walk over to an inspection station and ask them.

 

[fleming442]

I would hedge a bet that it only applies to new registrations. As long as you keep your tags good, you should be fine.

 

[85Elky]

According to this https://mvdnow.com/emissions/ you may be exempt by age if your county adopts the same standards. If not, having a working cat and proper tuning might get you passed. Probably depends on who you're dealing with. I assume the testing is done by independents rather than state testing stations?

Interesting. It is done by independents. I did go to Albuquerque's website (https://www.cabq.gov/airquality/vehicle-emissions-testing) because that is what I am hearing they are going to mimic and here it says 1985 and up require emissions which if you do the math is 35 years and supports this idea. If that is in fact true then by the time I have the car back on the road it will be over the 35 year threshold.

 

[Bonnewagon]

If as an '85 you are required to get checked it may not be so bad. You don't have the hard-to-pass OBD2 , just the rudimentary OBD1. That includes a catalytic converter (easy to install) a smog pump, a computer, various sensors, and a CCC carburetor/distributor. Passing a visual test is easy even if all your stuff is inoperable/phony. That leaves the tailpipe sniffer test. All that is, is a probe stuck up the pipe that wants to see 1980's era levels of exhaust emissions. That is where it gets interesting. My 1981 Malibu wagon with the 229 V-6 NEVER passed the sniffer test. EVER. No matter what I did including rebuilding the carb several times. I swapped in a 1976 Pontiac 350 from a LeMans that had always passed the sniffer for that year. What I did to pass 1981 emissions was to change the jets in the 2GC carb and lean it out substantially. It passed with flying colors. The only thing original was the catalytic converter- which is the single biggest factor for those years. I later put a Pontiac 400 in and put a CAT on each of the dual exhaust pipes. It also passed easily. That is because the sniffer test is at idle. You can tune for a great clean idle and after you pass just adjust it back. Luckilly no one uses the idiotic IM-240 test with the chassis dyno/rollers stuff anymore.

 

[Doug Chahoy]

Magnaflow has nice cats for a fair price. I’ve installed them in pairs on my last 3 projects with great results

 

[Gonzo1970]

I think it might make more sense to verify or debunk the rumor before we get too far down the rabbit hole.
If it will be required, what are the standards going to be? Tailpipe sniffer? Visual inspection for non-OE components? Rolling dyno? All of the above? Is there a year/age cut-off? Grandfathering?
Too many variables to be able to give you any solid advice.

-Gonz

 

[DRIVEN]

If a sniffer test is all they look at there are 3 things that will get you there.
1. A modern cat. These are waaay more effective than what our cars came with.
2. Retarding the timing. This reduces NOx.
3. Lean, but not too lean. Go too lean and you induce misfire, which raises HC. Tuning is a balancing act.

Honestly, unless you're on a dyno or at the drag strip, you probably won't even know the cat is there. Or just replace it with a test pipe and put it back on before your next test. Numbers 2 and 3 can be easily readjusted to best-run after you pass testing.

 

[pagrunt]

There's always classic/antique registration. Just look into your state's regs on useage with that registration.