[84DodgeW100]

Hey everyone! I have a 1984 w100 4x4 with a 318. I was wondering if there were any ways to improve my performance while staying smog legal. I live in CA where smog is ridiculous but i gotta deal with it Thanks for the help!

 

[Elwenil]

Lower the axle gearing.

 

[ToxicDoc]

You can swap to the 360 intake, throttle body, injectors, & computer, and they'll never know.

duh, thought I read 1989, not '84.

forget it, nothing you can do legally except gearing short of doing a lot of expensive or stealth modifications. If I were making a new build, I'd increase the stock compression with pistons and/or thinner head gaskets, a cam that a grinder recommends to help be within emissions specs, advance the timing a little, head work/valve and bowl grinding, larger exhaust pipes. That would cost a lot of $$ and get only mild gains.

If it has Lean Burn, I would look for a salvage yard hood or radiator support (whichever one has the emissions sticker/diagram) for one that has the traditional ignition and make the switch.

 

[Reed]

84 will be carbureted.  Not much you can do in CA if you have an inspector who knows what to look for.  My 82 RC has a 318 and it actually has minimal smog equipment.  By 84 there is a good chance you have a lean burn system. 

You could swap in a stock cast iron four barrel intake and thermoquad off an early 80s cop car and some late 80s swirl port heads.

 

[84DodgeW100]

Thanks for all your responses. I figured there wasn't much to do because of the strict smog. I was thinking abt swapping the cam but im short of the money right now lol

 

[Canadian country boy]

If you're short on money, then the most you can do is just keep it running as good as you can. Use a low restriction K&N air filter, professionally clean or rebuild the carb, get a more powerful ignition system, better flowing muffler(s), hotter plugs. An engine that can inhale and exhale and burn as much of the fuel mixture that it can as efficiently as it can will give it's best fuel economy and power. Just make sure your timing and carb setup is as good as it can be and let it breathe with a clean fuel system and you should notice a difference and be more satisfied.

 

[Elwenil]

I wouldn't use a K&N filter if you want to keep it running as good as you can, lol. 

 

[KurtfromLaQuinta]

Thanks for all your responses. I figured there wasn't much to do because of the strict smog. I was thinking abt swapping the cam but im short of the money right now lol

You have to be very careful with a cam swap.
If you get any kind of overlap with an aftermarket cam it will kick you out of an inspection station for life.
A little higher lift with short duration would be fairly safe.
But is it really worth the time and money for such a small increase in the power?

 

[Mad Max]

Hey everyone! I have a 1984 w100 4x4 with a 318. I was wondering if there were any ways to improve my performance while staying smog legal. I live in CA where smog is ridiculous but i gotta deal with it Thanks for the help!

I would contact Edelbrock and ask them what is 'approved' for Cali etc, then go to your smog shop and confirm that if you install those 'CARB-approved' items etc that you'll be okay.

 

[RXT]

My suggestion… move! Maybe to Texas or Florida. No smog or emissions here.

Ed

 

[J10Mike]

My suggestion… move! Maybe to Texas or Florida. No smog or emissions here.

Ed

Or Missouri. They smog only 1996 and later. And, only in the St. Louis, Kansas City, and Springfield metro areas.

 

[KurtfromLaQuinta]

My suggestion… move! Maybe to Texas or Florida. No smog or emissions here.

Ed

But he would miss the wonderful politics here.

 

[J10Mike]

But he would miss the wonderful politics here.

Right. But, what if California splits into 3 separate states? Which would be the smog test free state?

 

[ToxicDoc]

Right. But, what if California splits into 3 separate states? Which would be the smog test free state?

The good one.

 

[Reed]

At the risk of flaming and ridicule, I will remind you all, again, that while individual states, counties, or other smaller political entities may not require emissions inspection, it is still a violation of Federal law to modify or remove any emissions equipment on your vehicle.  Shops that perform the modifications or even work on a vehicle that has been modified can be fined $5000 per instance.  I have had shops refuse to work on vehicle I have purchased because prior owners did things like remove catalytic converters.

Any modifications you make are a roll of the dice of whether you will get caught. 

 

[ToxicDoc]

At the risk of flaming and ridicule, I will remind you all, again, that while individual states, counties, or other smaller political entities may not require emissions inspection, it is still a violation of Federal law to modify or remove any emissions equipment on your vehicle. Shops that perform the modifications or even work on a vehicle that has been modified can be fined $5000 per instance. I have had shops refuse to work on vehicle I have purchased because prior owners did things like remove catalytic converters.

Any modifications you make are a roll of the dice of whether you will get caught.

You are completely correct. If an item rots off from rust, like a cat on the exhaust, however, I don't believe you are necessarily obligated to replace it.

 

[RXT]

At the risk of flaming and ridicule,

Nah, thats not a risk here, what do you think this is? Pirate4x4??

I will remind you all, again,

(Scratches head) When did you remind us the first time?

…..that while individual states, counties, or other smaller political entities may not require emissions inspection, it is still a violation of Federal law to modify or remove any emissions equipment on your vehicle.

Heres the thing, first, I'm not suggesting anyone break the law. We all know that the Feds regulate the national emissions requirements on all vehicles and engines….but heres the thing. The feds aren't enforcing these laws. They are leaving it up to the States to enforce these laws, and each State handles it differently. I live in a State that doesn't require it's citizens to pass emission requirements, State or otherwise…..It doesn't mean no one will ever be pulled over and ticketed for missing a cat, but we don't have to go through all the BS and expense of having to pass the sniffer.

OTOH, you have States like Kommie-fornia that not only require you pass federal emissions but their own State requirements are even more restrictive than the feds. So why live someplace where you're not as free?? Theres reasons why Commie-land is losing it's population and it's not just the emissions laws

Shops that perform the modifications or even work on a vehicle that has been modified can be fined $5000 per instance. I have had shops refuse to work on vehicle I have purchased because prior owners did things like remove catalytic converters.

According to federal law, all emissions equipment must be intact and operating. Making mods to an engine is an entirely different subject. California makes it much harder for people to do engine mods, lest it fails State emissions. In places like Florida, we can freely swap entire engines (so long as the engine is the same yr of the vehicle, or newer and retains it's emissions equipment) without repercussion.

Ed

 

[Mad Max]

that's why I recommended contacting Edelbrock - they manufacture complete engine performance systems that are 50-state CARB legal and which retain all of the factory smog equipment, and they probably know exactly what will and won't work on an older Dodge, and I'm certain it won't be the first time they've been asked about it.  And once that list of performance equipment is inhand, take it to the smog shop and ask if installing such items will be a problem.  They might not be able to say, but it's at least worth a try.

 

[Reed]

when did I tell you before? See HERE

 

[KurtfromLaQuinta]

Right. But, what if California splits into 3 separate states? Which would be the smog test free state?

The Eastern part is full of sensible people. The left coast part is full of lunatics.
It will never split.