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Dodge Ram 1985

My husband had a mental breakdown and bought the truck of his dreams, a dodge ram, 1985. only problem is that it won't pass emissions. it doesn't even have a cat on it or half of the exhaust pipe. its a dual exhaust and so far i've only seen one muffler. its needs spark plugs and the timing adjusted. he's a very smart man (besides this impulse buy) and i think he and a buddy of his could do the work. but, i am in desperate need of advice. should we have a mechanic do some, then do the rest ourselves? please help! thanks

ps. i know how to do most of the easy stuff on cars (change oil, lights, brakes, what certain problems sound like, etc.) but he knows less than i.

Reply to
greasy_mama
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An '85 model and emissions problems, what a mess. Your best bet, IMHO, is to sell it to the next sucker. Failing in that, find an unmolested junkyard denizen and snag all your missing parts from that truck. Most likely this truck was originally a 2 barrel carb, you'll need that, the single exhaust system in lieu of the current dual "system", a catalytic converter if yours is missing, probably have to be new, I don't think you can buy a used one. Most likely your smog pump is MIA, be sure to get that as well and all the associated plumbing. With luck, most of your EGR system is intact, if not, many more parts to get.

Getting past the visual portion of the inspection is a start. After a fresh tune-up and oil change retard the timing from the factory specs a few degrees and see where you're at. Good luck to you.

Reply to
BigIronRam

First things first. Where are you? Go to your local emissions certification center - not testing station. Find out exactly what the emissions requirements are. Once you know exactly what they are, you'll have a game plan for meeting them.

Smog limits for older vehicles are often pretty lax (depending on where you live). If the vehicle can't meet the sniffer test, then it's running so poorly you don't want to drive it anyway.

Get a factory service manual from a local Dodge dealership. Best $100 you'll ever spend on that truck.

Most vehicles fail emissions because certain required items are non-functional or nonexistent. A good tune up, air filter, oil change, and component function test is the best place to start. The service manual will tell you how to test each component.

In an old truck, the fuel system will need to be thoroughly cleaned, and fresh gasoline run through it. If it's been sitting unused, the fuel is bad and needs to be drained and refill with the proper vintage (fresh).

Federal smog regs require the cat to be in the original location and configuration. Easiest thing to do is go to a local muffler shop and have them build you a new legal exhaust. Exhaust system work in your driver is doable, but a real pain and I prefer not to do it.

Reply to
.boB

we're in conyers, GA. if the truck was three years older, it wouldn't need the emissions test. i do have the factory manual for the truck (one good thing that came with it). the guy we bought it from did a lot of work (new drive shaft, tranny, water pump, front brakes rotors and celanoids) on it. the truck is surprisingly quiet when it gets up to speed. if i take it to a muffler shop, anyone have a estimate on how much it'll be for muffler, cat, and exhaust? most mechanics around here are sleazy and i really don't want to get ripped off. thanks for all the advice thus far. :)

Reply to
greasy_mama via CarKB.com

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