Hello I am Teagar from north Sacramento.
I have a 1976 Ford Ranger XLT trailer special. I bought the truck when I lived in Oregon. I only use this truck to tow a 8000 pound fifth wheel. I have a 460 motor with 80k or 180 k on it, Auto trans , carter afb carb,electronic ignition
. The truck is all stock even has the original stickers on the valve covers. The only smog device this truck has is a pcv valve no smog pump, catalytic converter ect. I had hoped that this truck would become smog exempt but they changed the laws this year and it will never be smog exempt as I am told from the DMV. I have Current Oregon tags so I want to figure out this smog stuff before I go to DMV ect. Basically the truck runs good so I am mostly worried what junk I need to please the testers.
I think the truck could use a valve job which I might send the head to the shop before getting it smogged. Just kind of one of those big old truck that just runs and runs but uses lots of gasoline. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Teagar again;
I read some of the articles farther down and found alot of help but I still need to figure out what I need to pass the visual inspection. I have dual gas tanks and the caps are vented in the air not seal like some. Being a non california model alot of gas station nozzels will not fit correctly inside to pump gas. It is kind of a neat truck it has a spotlight on the drivers side , five running lights on top of the cab and a tool box built into the passenger side. I have never seen one like it but I ran into one in the forums on this site.

 

try the 73-79 forum also being in nor cal you should use the nor cal forum this is the so cal forum.


being that your valve covers are stock there is a calibration code by the tune up specs take that to any smog station they will print you out a sheet with all the stock parts. most will do it for 5.00

 

Greeting agian everyone. I have lived in North California , South California, Oregon , and Washington in the last 20 years. Kind of Great people all who are always willing to help out other people with advise. I new that there was some very knowlegeable people here who could give me some pointers to solving my problem. Thank you for any help on my problems you can give I might just have to buy a house down in central California so I can hang out with both chapters.

 

While you're buying extra houses, get one in Oregon so you can register the truck.

 

Been there done that. To use a well worn cliche.

Actually the truck is tagged for two year still with Oregon plates. I still have relatives in Oregon and keep the option of going back there open always.

I like the old truck but it is a gas hog and parked for now.

 

It is possible that your truck came from the factory without smog. Heavy trucks had no smog gear other than a PCV system. I have a 77 F-100 and it has EGR, CC BUT NO SMOG PUMP. The F-150 and larger didn't even have that stuff. Back then they were considered heavy trucks and were smog exempt. I know cause I stuck a 460 in my F-100 and because that engine was not an option, I would have had to conform to 77 pasenger car specs. If it was an F-150, no smog equipment required. I had to pull the 460 and put my 6 back in in order to comply with the new 75 and older law. I say, take it to a smog referee and let them decide.