Passing the dreaded CA smog test

[83pete]

I'm in northern LA county, how hard is it to get the old 22r to pass smog    ?  Any ways around it?  I'm not commuting in heavy traffic areas, can I get a smog exemption? How long untill my 83 is a classic vehicle and doesn't need smog ?  Any simple way to pass smog  ?

[MiniSimp]

I'm in northern LA county, how hard is it to get the old 22r to pass smog 

Not too bad

Any ways around it? 

No

I'm not commuting in heavy traffic areas, can I get a smog exemption?

No

How long untill my 83 is a classic vehicle and doesn't need smog ?

Never, the year date is locked in at 1973

Any simple way to pass smog?

Yes, read all of this thread: http://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=1119.0

[Misfit4Runner]

 

[brainlessfool]

what mini said.

[jimbo74]

pretty sure the year is locked @ 1975

[jimbo74]

Currently, smog inspections are required for all vehicles except diesel powered vehicles, electric, natural gas powered vehicles over 14,000 lbs, hybrids, motorcycles, trailers, or vehicles 1975 and older.

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/vr/smogfaq.htm

[brainlessfool]

pretty sure the year is locked @ 1975

yup, you are right! 

[Duffil]

SEARCH. There is a HUGE thread on this.

[jimbo74]

SEARCH. There is a HUGE thread on this.

minisimp even posted the link to it above in his post

[83pete]

If it does not pass the smog test, can I sell it as an OHV or to someone out of state?

[Plekto]

Get the free re-test option.(usually $10 more) that way you can fix it if it's only slightly off.  (mine passed by *1* ppm for CO2 - lol)

[kneedownnate]

Always, ALWAYS ask them to sniff the tailpipe first and abort if it fails.  This will cost a little more but keep you from being tagged a gross poluter.

[lucky7]

make sure you at least change your oil more than one smog tester has told me that!

[jimbo74]

Always, ALWAYS ask them to sniff the tailpipe first and abort if it fails.  This will cost a little more but keep you from being tagged a gross poluter.

yes get a "pre-test"

as far as selling it as an OHV, yes you can sell it as an ohv, but you have to get it actually licensed as an OHV, once it is registered and downgraded from an over the road vehicle to an OHV it is very difficult to get it back to over the road status

[dt]

run premium,boost your fuel that way you get cleaner burn, also take your car out on the highway and punch it out a few times to burn off some carbon,hopefully it will still be warm when they test it,good luck

[86bobbedtoy]

all good tips.
even if it fails its not the end of the world,
alot of referees will help alot to try and get it back on the road.
Even if it passes a pre-test that dosent mean it will pass smog,
Good luck.
My goals before smog on a toy is
new cat
new plugs
new wires
new roter
check timing
FRESH oil change
and a fairly hard drive right before.

[kneedownnate]

run premium,boost your fuel that way you get cleaner burn

Run the lowest grade gas available.  The lower octane will ignite earlier and burn more completely!  Might not be a bad idea to run a can of sea foam through the gas tank before re-fueling for the test.  I've heard of the alchohol thing, but what I've heard is that the isoprophyl is a wive's tail, you're supposed to run the alchohol that race cars use, just not at a high ratio.

[Plekto]

The biggest help, IME, for cheap, was plugs and a new O2 sensor(that is, if it's the $30 screw-in type).  If it still fails by a small margin, then you get into a new cat or other nonsense.  95% of engines that fail aren't gross polluters and are fixable.(or if your HC are silly high(thousands) from a pre-test, you might be looking at blow-by or a failing gasket, which is nice to know)

Fuel type - you want plain old 87 but a week or two beforehand, run a bottle of injector cleaner through it(Lucas or similar - STP is junk, way too watered down to actually clean in one go).