smog

[84H/O]

I just recently got an '80 cutlass with the 260, what smog equipment can i rip out or plug off? and what does the computer under the passenger side kick panel do? all i know is that stuff eats some horsepower that i dont have enough to spare, and then after that, ill have it relatively cleaned up for the built 350, i dont need cruise control or airconditioning or power steering, going to a manual steering box sometime, any pointers?

 

[SBCregal]

it depends on where you live. do you have emissions inspections in your area? if you do, it all has to stay. If not, you can probably remove some of it, if its computer controlled you'll probably have to replace parts like the carb/distrib with non computer controlled parts. cruise control isnt gonna have any effect on horsepower, ac and ps will, slightly

 

[84H/O]

no, no smog checks in wisconsin, and the computer presumably retards or advances spark to some extent?

 

[85t5mcss]

Take out the ECM, all the wiring attached to it (need to pull the inner fender to get to it), AIR pump, plug up the AIR tube holes in the manifolds, AIR pipe coming from cat needs plugged off, A/C compressor, diverter valve, AIR valve, carbon screen inside of air cleaner, and you'll need a 4 pin HEI distributor and non-CCC carb as stated above. Also cut the wire to the O2 sensor as well. Leave it though to plug up the exhaust leak. Cat conv can be replaced or hollowed out, but none of this will meet emissions. :wink:

 

[joe_padavano]

Take out the ECM, all the wiring attached to it (need to pull the inner fender to get to it), AIR pump, plug up the AIR tube holes in the manifolds, AIR pipe coming from cat needs plugged off, A/C compressor, diverter valve, AIR valve, carbon screen inside of air cleaner, and you'll need a 4 pin HEI distributor and non-CCC carb as stated above. Also cut the wire to the O2 sensor as well. Leave it though to plug up the exhaust leak. Cat conv can be replaced or hollowed out, but none of this will meet emissions. :wink:

A 1980 Cutlass doesn't have a computer.

The first thing you want to rip out is that 260. The 260 uses unique heads with tiny ports and different water passages. Only the OEM dualjet intake fits it. A 350 or 403 Old motor is a drop-in (at least until the transmission frags...)

 

[84H/O]

computer

yes it does, or some kind of box with a lot of wires connected to it, its under the passenger side kick panel, computer=ecm? and yes i know the 260 has got to go and it will soon, but you are saying that it cant be run non-computer?

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

If you plan on swapping it anyways, just leave all of that crap in there until you do the swap. It will just take more time , money and effort to remove it that could be spent on preparing for the swap. Plus, it really won't make any real difference in acceleration. You'll still get spanked by a kid in an automatic 1.6 liter Sentra( an SE-R would slaughter you!). If you want to do something that will make it a little quicker now and still be useful after the swap, look for a rear axle from a car with a decent ratio to replace the land speed racing gears it came with. 3.23, 3.42( I think) and 3.73 are the best G body stock ratios with the 3.23 being easiest to find.3.23 is option code GU4 and was optional on 3.8 V6/ 3spd auto cars. I found mine for $50 out of a sexy 4 door 83 Regal. 3.73's are in the 85-87 Monte SS and 84+ 442/HO. 3.42 is in the turbo Regal from 1984 to 1987, and the 1983 Monte SS. Posi is code G80, if you're looking at the data sticker ( usually under the trunk lid)Oh, the Turbo Regals and 442/HO years I listed also had the better 8.5 axle instead of the weak 7.5/7.625 axle everything else got.

 

[joe_padavano]

Re: computer

yes it does, or some kind of box with a lot of wires connected to it, its under the passenger side kick panel, computer=ecm? and yes i know the 260 has got to go and it will soon, but you are saying that it cant be run non-computer?

Really? Does the carb have a solenoid for mixture control and a throttle position sensor? I was under the impression that didn't come out until 1981. Are you sure that's not just some sort of timing control? Is this a Calif car?

The 260 runs just fine without computer control, as it did starting in 1975. The problem is there are no aftermarket intake manifolds available to fit the unique and crappy heads. Normal small block Olds intakes don't fit the 260 due to the unique ports.

 

[84H/O]

calif car

its not a california car, it was bought new from holiday oldsmobile, fond du lac, wi. I am actually the second owner with 152000 miles on the clock, ill check on the rest of that when i get home this afternoon, what should i look for to determine that?

 

[joe_padavano]

Re: calif car

its not a california car, it was bought new from holiday oldsmobile, fond du lac, wi. I am actually the second owner with 152000 miles on the clock, ill check on the rest of that when i get home this afternoon, what should i look for to determine that?

If this is a computer controlled carb, there will be a three wire electrical connector on the front driver's corner of the carb that connects to the throttle position sensor and another two wire connector coming off a plastic fitting on the top front passenger corner of the carb. This second connector hooks to the mixture control solenoid.