Failed vehicle inspection

[jboomer]

I'm bummed! My inspection sticker expires today so I went to have my '75 EB inspected. Everything passed, but when they checked the size of my engine they said that North Carolina state law requires that a '75 Bronco with a 302 to have a catalytic converter (2 in my case since I have dual exhaust). It sucks because the same shop passed me last year without any problems. My truck doesn't even require emissions testing since it's so old!

Any one have any idea how much it costs to get cats installed?

 

[Bronco717274]

Get two old used cats and knock the insides out of them, this way it won't interfer with exhust flow. Have them installed and your all set.

 

[sean lalley]

you might be able to get some used ones from junk yard but they are selling all of them to junk people now due to the hight price of metals in them
after you find some do as stated abouve nock the inside out and you will not notice the diff you could probably do it yourself with saw and welder

 

[tcb42]

Just get a pair of new hi flow universal fit cats for around $60-80 each and weld or clamp them on. I wouldn't buy used cats or hollow them out. Check out whats available at summit racing.

 

[broncnaz]

74/75 was when cats started being installed and they are required to remain on the engine(by federal law and most states). Just happened to get lucky that nobody noticed this before. But in todays world and all the tree huggers around they are starting to pay more attention. Cats are not a bad thing as was said get some good aftermarket ones and they will flow good and clean up the exhuast emissions to boot.

 

[Felipe]

man thats crazy, it makes me wonder about mine, I have a 73 thats not exactley street legal yet, I live in N.C. too, I hope I don't have to buy them when I go to get inspected, I thought if the vehical didn't come factory with them you are okay?Someone stole the two off my tundra at work and the insurance paid like $600 for two new ones.

 

[RIbronco]

man thats crazy, it makes me wonder about mine, I have a 73 thats not exactley street legal yet, I live in N.C. too, I hope I don't have to buy them when I go to get inspected, I thought if the vehical didn't come factory with them you are okay?

Don't worry, they weren't installed until '75. (not sure if CA was different back then)

 

[oleguy74]

not in ca till 75.

 

[00gyrhed]

Step one: take it somewhere else to get it inspected.

If it fails there then try another.

Junk yards in TX say they cant sell old cats by law. I did get a local exhaust shop to turn the other way when I went by his scap and picked one up once.

If they are not going to check you I wouldn't put new cats on it. It will probably mess up the way it runs. They will clog fast if you run them without a smog pump.

Hollowing an old one out is illegal (but sowas tasking it off ) but given your situation it might be the best thing. You are going to open a can of worms if you start smog equipment back on.

I had a 75 cj5 with a 350 chevy TPI. I had a smog pump that I turned into nothing more than an idler pulley, hollowed out cats, and a piece of sheetmetal in place of the egr gaskets. Cats are a big fire hazzard I will not get off the ranch roads here in texas with cats on a vehicle. TX requies testing is a few large cities out in the country it only safety and visual. There a lots of hollowed out cats.

 

[PotterFX4]

My truck doesn't even require emissions testing since it's so old!

Then what is the problem? If it doesn't require testing then why did they look?

 

[NC-Fordguy]

Boomer....

Ask the good old boy network for a "liberal" inspections station, there are a few around here so I expect there a few down your way

Filipe....

NC Law states that a vehicle over 35 years of age no longer needs to have a current inspection sticker. You stating you have a 73 model so yours is exempt

 

[jboomer]

Thanks for the tips everyone. I'm going to try another station tomorrow, but I'm not expecting much better results. If I fail again then I'll price getting some installed. If it's too expensive then I'll order some universals and give that a shot.

Then what is the problem? If it doesn't require testing then why did they look?

They didn't look initially. When they asked what size motor I had, they compared that to the year of my truck and the book told them I was supposed to have them. Then they looked to see if they were there.

Two more years and I don't have to get it inspected anymore. I guess I'll have to put off new tires for a couple of more months!

 

[00gyrhed]

Thanks for the tips everyone. I'm going to try another station tomorrow, but I'm not expecting much better results. If I fail again then I'll price getting some installed. If it's too expensive then I'll order some universals and give that a shot.



They didn't look initially. When they asked what size motor I had, they compared that to the year of my truck and the book told them I was supposed to have them. Then they looked to see if they were there.

Two more years and I don't have to get it inspected anymore. I guess I'll have to put off new tires for a couple of more months!

you can get it inspected without fixing this. My inspection guy went back to LA. I go to a bad part of town and look for inspection stations with lots of beaters in the parking lot. ThenI take the vehicle in in my overalls and ratty t-shirt. These guys usually don't make any money on inspections so they usually do not look too hard at olde vehicles.

 

[Jeepster]

federal law supersedes any state law so yes your -supposta- have them and any goodies that was on the rig. But......being so old I bet you can weezle a sticker from a blind inspector somewhere. Or put a 2 into 1 exhaust so that you only need 1 cat.

 

[Broncobowsher]

If you have the "unleaded fuel only" markings then it should have a cat or two on it. No markings, big filler neck, then leaded gas is acceptable and no cats should be on it.

No reason a set of generic aftermarket cats can't be installed. I know people who do this just so they don't have to smell there own exhaust on the trail and garage. Providing the engine is properly tuned then the cats should live a decent life. But properly tuned doesn't always mean running at it's best. Generally engines are set to the lean limit to keep enough air flowing to the cat or else it should have an air pump on it.

I know some people who have a set of test cats that go on for the inspections then get hung on the garage wall for the rest of the year.

The only way a junkyard can sell you a cat is if you buy the whole engine that it comes with as a package. It is against federal law to sell a used cat. Any junkyard that is selling them is just looking to be fined up there ...

 

[76 bronco J]

I'm going to try another station tomorrow, but I'm not expecting much better results.



They didn't look initially. When they asked what size motor I had, they compared that to the year of my truck and the book told them I was supposed to have them.

>>>>> good idea to try another station ,but as said above with the unleaded only sign staring them in the face they know it needs cats.... here in houston we have the visual check for vehicles older than 25 years & my little decal over the unleaded only sign with the old look of the bronco helps alot to keep them from thinking about emissions..... back then from 1975 to 79/80 I believe the cutoff for light duty or heavy duty classification was 6000 GVW & the bronco was well below.... catalytic convertors were not mandatory for 1975 light duty vehicles contrary to popular belief however almost all needed them, it was all about tail pipe emissions..... honda's 1500 cvcc engine was the exception which passed the 1975 clean air act requirements without the use of catalytic convertors http://world.honda.com/history/challenge/1972introducingthecvcc/index.html

 

[jboomer]

No reason a set of generic aftermarket cats can't be installed. .

Is this a difficult installation? Reading through some of the parts descriptions, I get the impression you don't have to cut the exhaust? I assumed you have to cut a section out and insert the cat, then pipe clamp them on. Am I missing something? Also, what tools will I need to do this?

 

[jboomer]

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=WLK%2D15038&N=700+4294923429+4294838974+115&autoview=sku

Does this look like a cheap, legit fix? It only has to last 2 years then my truck is 35 years old and I don't have to get it inspected anymore.

 

[bax]

We dont have a vehicle inspection in fla anymore. We used to. the inspection stickers had to be put in the lower left corner of the windshield. The stickers were color coded, a different color each year. I dont know how they do it in other states but with all the computer graphics and scanners I would think you could make a sticker pretty easy. You only need on for 2 more years.

 

[Jeepster]

We dont have a vehicle inspection in fla anymore. We used to. the inspection stickers had to be put in the lower left corner of the windshield. The stickers were color coded, a different color each year. I dont know how they do it in other states but with all the computer graphics and scanners I would think you could make a sticker pretty easy. You only need on for 2 more years.

Risky at best. NY has a simular system. When you renew a reggie they ask you to write the number on the sticker on the renewal form. That coupled with the bar code on the new stickers could mean trouble if pulled over.