Smog Check!

Quarter Horse · Sep 16, 2013

Hello All,
New to the Site and I have Posted all my Details in the New section so I won't Bore you with all that again. :grin: Just Quickly, I recently Picked up a Real Nice 95 GT 5.0 and have been lurking here for awhile reading over a lot of the Mods and How-To sections. I am Not new to the Hi-Performance world, but I am new to Mustangs & Fords in general(Yes, I have/WAS a Chevy Guy.... But I'm working on it lol)

My question is this, How are so Many of you guy's getting around these damn Smog laws??? I see a lot of threads were Most are removing EGR, Smog Pump, Cat's, Ect. :sign5: Is there something I am Missing on this?..... Are these cars NOT required to have this crap anymore(Please tell Me Yes lol), or are there Just people in the know and Have a Friend of a Friend? (I've had to do that b4 too..... Not really a Road I want to go down again)

I am having all kinds of Problems getting my 04 GMC 3/4ton 6.0 smogged right now, all because it has an after market CAI & Flow Masters....WTF??? Sorry if this seems like a Dumb question, I just want to keep my Car on the Road but would still like to Mod & Make it look Nice(Removing all that HP Robbing crap in the engine bay) If someone would prefer to PM me that would be cool too, Thanks in advance Fellas! :thumbsup:

DeepList · Sep 16, 2013

Quarter Horse said:
How are so Many of you guy's getting around these damn Smog laws??? I see a lot of threads were Most are removing EGR, Smog Pump, Cat's, Ect. Is there something I am Missing on this?

A lot of us live in areas that don't have any kind of emissions testing.

Stanimal · Sep 16, 2013

ironically, my 94 gt without cats passed emmissions with flying colors.... (we used a 03 chevy 6.0 for the test

). either have to live somewhere with no tests, or know someone.

Quarter Horse · Sep 16, 2013

DeepList said:
A lot of us live in areas that don't have any kind of emissions testing.

Ok, Gotcha.... Thanks. :thumbsup:

Stanimal said:
ironically, my 94 gt without cats passed emmissions with flying colors.... (we used a 03 chevy 6.0 for the test ). either have to live somewhere with no tests, or know someone.

Ok, Thanks.... Thats Kinda what I thought. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't loosing my Mind! Thanks Guy's

Ferocious · Sep 17, 2013

Lets just say I know a guy who knows a guy who knows another guy.

cobraracer46 · Sep 17, 2013

Quarter Horse said:
WTF??? Sorry if this seems like a Dumb question, I just want to keep my Car on the Road but would still like to Mod & Make it look Nice(Removing all that HP Robbing crap in the engine bay) , Thanks in advance Fellas! :thumbsup:

Well truth be told, EGR, air pump and cats don't "rob" power and they help clean up the air. Leave the smog stuff on and you will not have anything to worry about, problem solved. I myself deal with smog laws by following them, not getting around them. My 2001 Cobra just passed smog with no problems. The car is heavily modded, but the mods like the Vortech blower, JBA shorty headers are all CARB approved and 50 state legal. the factory 4 cat h pipe is on the car and its staying on. High flow or off road H pipes are worth no HP.

The mustang is my favorite car but some times is just makes me chuckle when I see mustangs running around with missing pollution control devices only to get blown away by something like this totally stock Lexus with satellite navigation and more.

CC'S95GT · Sep 17, 2013

what state do you live in?
I don't know why mufflers would cause you to fail. or the CAI for that matter either.

ttocs · Sep 17, 2013

A lot of people keep their stock cats and swap them in/out for the test but the majority of us do not have any inspections.

Quarter Horse · Sep 17, 2013

cobraracer46 said:
Well truth be told, EGR, air pump and cats don't "rob" power and they help clean up the air. Leave the smog stuff on and you will not have anything to worry about, problem solved. I myself deal with smog laws by following them, not getting around them. My 2001 Cobra just passed smog with no problems. The car is heavily modded, but the mods like the Vortech blower, JBA shorty headers are all CARB approved and 50 state legal. the factory 4 cat h pipe is on the car and its staying on. High flow or off road H pipes are worth no HP.

The mustang is my favorite car but some times is just makes me chuckle when I see mustangs running around with missing pollution control devices only to get blown away by something like this totally stock Lexus with satellite navigation and more.

True, you can Make Good HP with Smog EQ left on...... BUT, To say they don't "Rob" ANY HP is NOT exactly correct. :nono: Anytime you take spent exhaust and pump it Back into a NA air intake is not exactly optimal to get the most HP. Now, when you start talking Forced Induction or Power Adder's.... Then ya, you can over come most of this. Not to mention, IMHO, The engine bay just looks Nasty with all that Crap left on.

CC'S95GT said:
what state do you live in?
I don't know why mufflers would cause you to fail. or the CAI for that matter either.

I live in California, My CAI is not a K&N so I don't have one of those "50 State" legal stickers and the Flows are One Chambers. So it will pass the Emissions part But I fail the Visual inspection.

(And b4 someone asks.... Nope, I don't have the Stock air box anymore)

ttocs said:
A lot of people keep their stock cats and swap them in/out for the test but the majority of us do not have any inspections.

Ok Cool, I don't mind the Cat's so Much..... I have seen some Pretty impressive Numbers from Cat-Back systems and it still sounds Good. I would Rather be able to 86 the Smog Pump & EGR for a Nice after Market intake swap.

Thanks for the Reply's guys. :thumbsup:

DeepList · Sep 17, 2013

Quarter Horse said:
Anytime you take spent exhaust and pump it Back into a NA air intake is not exactly optimal to get the most HP.

Actually, it has been shown time and time again that taking the EGR stuff off does absolutely zero for HP gains. The only advantage to removing it would be for a cleaner engine bay. That's it.

Quarter Horse · Sep 17, 2013

DeepList said:
Actually, it has been shown time and time again that taking the EGR stuff off does absolutely zero for HP gains. The only advantage to removing it would be for a cleaner engine bay. That's it.

Hummm...... I'd like to see some info on this, maybe a Link? Not saying you haven't read what you've read.... I just question the Accuracy of the Source and was it a Apples to Apples Comparison?? Wonder why all the Hi-Horse Power intakes don't have smog on them? Why doesn't Pro-Stock(or ANY Major racing Sanction) run Smog Pumps & EGR's on their engines? Sorry..... I am Not trying to be a D![k, Just not buying that by leaving Smog EQ on our engines it's Not costing us HP.

DeepList · Sep 17, 2013

Quarter Horse said:
I'd like to see some info on this, maybe a Link? Not saying you haven't read what you've read.... I just question the Accuracy of the Source and was it a Apples to Apples Comparison??

I don't need to cite a bunch of sources if you understand the basic functionality of how the EGR works. The EGR system only operates at "cruise" speed because if there's no vacuum in the system it shuts off. So really, there's no "performance gain" to be had by taking it off. End of story.

Quarter Horse · Sep 17, 2013

DeepList said:
I don't need to cite a bunch of sources if you understand the basic functionality of how the EGR works. The EGR system only operates at "cruise" speed because if there's no vacuum in the system it shuts off. So really, there's no "performance gain" to be had by taking it off. End of story.

I Completely understand How Exhaust Gas Recirculation works, and when we started this debate it was more towards "ALL" the Smog EQ in totality, Not just one piece. I will agree to disagree with you Sir.

I started this thread for a different reason, Sorry it has taken a left Turn. Thank you for your advise DeepList. :wink:

MustangChris · Sep 17, 2013

youre fighting an uphill battle. we have countless knowledgeable members here who are all-for keeping emissions equipment on our cars...

they rob no power, they rob no TQ, they are a pain to remove, they are a pain to put back (in case of sale or inspection), and they keep our air clean..... .... .. why the hell waste the time and effort to only do harm?

....

the only benefit would be the smog pump on the 5.0 if you're looking to clean up the looks of the engine bay.

I specifically left EGR on my 2004 cobra..... why? because why fight something that robs no power.

Quarter Horse · Sep 17, 2013

MustangChris said:
youre fighting an uphill battle. we have countless knowledgeable members here who are all-for keeping emissions equipment on our cars...

they rob no power, they rob no TQ, they are a pain to remove, they are a pain to put back (in case of sale or inspection), and they keep our air clean..... .... .. why the hell waste the time and effort to only do harm?

....

the only benefit would be the smog pump on the 5.0 if you're looking to clean up the looks of the engine bay.

I specifically left EGR on my 2004 cobra..... why? because why fight something that robs no power.

,

Wow.... Ok, Thanks.

MustangChris · Sep 17, 2013

Quarter Horse said:
,

Wow.... Ok, Thanks.

whats your budget? we can help give some input on performance bumps on a budget, if that's what you're hunting for

the5.ohh · Sep 18, 2013

You gotta know someone thats it... Mines a 95. Here in NY they only check 96' and up. I roll in, stickers waiting to be slapped on. I have no cats, no egr, no smog pump. no emissions basically. Deeplist has a point. I never felt a difference in power taking the egr and smog pump off. Did shed some weight though! Find a small mom and pop shop that'll pass u