Vehicle License Renewal Question....

[Scarpozzi]

So I have a 1986 F150 Pickup truck... The Catalyctic coverter in this sucker went out a few years ago and the previous owner gutted it and bolted it back on the exaust system to save $200. Since then, they started Emissions testing in my city. So, I'll have to pay to get this fixed, or trade the truck in at a dealership (I could sell it to an individual outside the county too).

Suppose I wanted to fix it....my problem is that my tags expired in November. I was too busy with school and low on cash b/c of Xmas, property taxes, and paying for my honeymoon. Can I drive my truck to the emissions testing place legally without valid tags or do I need to get one of those temporary tags somehow and pencil in a date on it like they do in car dealerships?

 

[captains]

register it first

 

[KLin]

The emissions certificate is required before getting new tags. I believe the answer is no, but you may want to check your state's laws.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Originally posted by: KLin
The emissions certificate is required before getting new tags. I believe the answer is no, but you may want to check your state's laws.

I don't understand how you can register a car if you can't drive it to the place to get it tested.... It's ridiculous the hoops they make people jump through just to turn a buck and keep in accordance with federal emmission standards. (you know $10/car is a tax that far exceeds the cost of running emmissions testing operations) They have only 4-5 county-run stations throughout the city for testing....

 

[BoomerD]

Start the registration process. Most likely, they'll issue a temporary permit to allow you to drive it for repair.

 

[Parasitic]

Just go for it, and when a cop stops you just tell him that you are going to get your smog and emission checked/fixed.
Unless the guy is an extreme arsehat he'll probably understand and let you off.

 

[funboy6942]

You need to get a 30 day temp tag, hell your truck is so old I bet the damn thing will pass without the cat. As long as the cat can is still there thats all they will check for by eye. They cant tell really if it has been gutted. If it fails go to the nearest muffler place and have the $99 cat universal put on and take it back.

But before dumping money into it I would see if it will pass first with it gutted, you have nothing to really lose. If it hasnt had a tune up in a while though I would look into that, thats a main cause of failing the emissions tests.

And some secrets:
Use low octane fuel
Find the pcv hose and stick a wad of paper in it so it wont pull the fumes from the crank back through the system, make sure after the testing is done to pull the wad of paper out so not to gum up your motor.
Make sure your running her really hot, like beat the living snot out of it on the way there
If you do a tune up, go up a heat range on the plugs.
Take the air cleaner out or put a new one in, a high flow air cleaner if you can afford one.
Advance the timing slightly if you can

Yours is a ford so the throttle body behind the throttle plates gets very gummy with carbon. Take all the air cleaner parts off and if you can the throttle body off, and clean behind the butterfly valves, the things that open and let the air in. Carbon on the older fords builds up behind there and at a idle starves the engine for air and will make it fail the test. If you cannot take it off give it some gas and shoot some carb cleaner down it, then turn off the engine and use rag and get in there and clean out as much as you can. Its best if you can take it off and get a old tooth brush and can of cleaner and clean it that way, but get as much of it as you can so it will have a clean air path when at a idle. Will make a huge diff in taking the test.