I am blessed to live in Wa. state, where my Dart (76) is free of testing. So I was wondering if it would work to gut the emissions stuff out of my 225. Would that cause any problems, and how much power gain could I expect to get. I'm learning as I go along, so any information is helpful and interesting. Also, I won't have any backpressure issues if I cut the cat and put a 2.25 in. exhaust in it, will I? If anybody has done this, will it sound a lot different? Thanks.

You won't have any back pressure issues if you use 2.25" pipe.. infact plenty of people with slants out there run the clifford dual outlet headers with 2 separate runs of 2.25" pipe just fine. As for sound, if your just cutting the cat out and replacing it with a 2.25" pipe (same muffler etc...) I don't think you'll notice much a difference in sound.

People say their engines run better with leanburn (i'm assuming thats what you mean by emissions stuff). I would not expect a boatload of power, but just overall better performance

Unless your converter is plugged up you probably won't see any difference at all. I switched my Duster to 2-1/4" pipe and about the only difference it made was that the exhaust filled up with condensation all the time.

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Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

Some performance can be found if you re-curve the distributor, some of the emissions distributors had pretty slow advance and some systems will lock-out vacuum advance untill the engine is warm.
DD

My advice is to get rid of all of that smog junk that you can. Keep it stored, just in case, but I bet that your slant will run better without any of it. Plus, it'll be less cluttered when you pop the hood.
Just my 2 cents. Of course, this is for off-road purposes.

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"Ja, Ich fahre ein altes auto."
'78 Volare 225
'67 Charger 318

Sure it is Wes...........

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Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

Like I said earlier, I'm learning as I go along (this is my first car), but I guess mostly what I would like to get rid of is the closed crankcase ventilation system/vacuum stuff. I'm not sure what all the hoses going to the air cleaner are, but I'd like just a simple chrome open sided air cleaner. Also, what was the purpose of the charcoal canister, as opposed to running the fuel line straight to the carb? I'd like to get rid of all the extras, and just have a basic engine that I might be able to figure out how to work on... Hope that explains things a little better.

You can pull the vaccuum canister off the top of the slant and put it in box with all the spaghetti that comes with it. Get an EGR gasket from your local partshouse and pull the EGR filp it 180 and reinstall with the new gasket. find the hose that runs from the OSAC valve on your air cleaner to the carb and to the distributor...replace with one long hose from the carb to the distributor (this'll make sure you get the advance you deserve to start with...). since you live up north and I'm sure your winters are kinda cold you can leave the heat stove, also the PCV is a nicer touch than cleaning off the valve cover when the 'breather' pukes oil over it...
Also if you have the smog pump or 'AIR reactor' pull the pump and hose, then plug/plate off the hole in the back of the head.

That should get you started....wish you were in my neighborhood, we'd have that done in an hour...

-D.Idiot

I'm using a 3" cat. converter with my 3" system It made no differance as far as decible readings so I assume no differace in back pressure,Ive got a breather connected to a crome edlebrock aircleaner and pvc valve connected to a 600cfm edlebrock carb I used an O2 senser to tune it I have to comply to 78 "car" standards which include a smog pump,(which my truck never had and never will) now if I can pass With a 270 degree duration cam and 9.5 to1 compression It tells me that I've got a nearly compleat burn of the fuel I'm putting in to it, and that equates to PERFORMANCE as mentioned ignition recurving helps(Like my MSD timing computor) and I belive a MSD 6 ignition is something that will eventualy pay for itself. For those who read an earlyer post of mine on DEQ compliance, This is how I licked the decible problem I Intalled a 4"x10"x20" (2" in and out) muffler allong side of my 6"x16"(3"in and out) Dynomax. I made a bypass valve that would direct the exhast through the quiet muffler normaly it tested at 105 db the first time thru I set the lever at half way, tested 95, third time thru set the lever all the way closed tested 90db and passed, left the premises and made the logical ajustment. Bruce Johnson

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78b4ramSnortbed/6

I'm with wes on this one: if you take it off, put it in a box and keep it stored out of the way on a high shelf in the garage. Maybe make a sketch of how it all hooks up. Seems like smog regs are a constantly-moving target: you never know when / how they may change, so it's a good idea to hang onto the OEM stuff. 'Course, I'm in CA, were all that is true in spades.

---Red

I noticed when I took my charcole canaster out my engine seemed to have alittle more "pep" to it. Probably because it got rid of the T fitting in the vacuum advance line. I know some people keep it in but only leave the vent line from the fuel tank connected. I put a cheap-o little fuel filter on the end of some fuel line and stuck it on the end of the vent line, just to make sure no dirt got in. Even thought I left the bowl vent open on the carb., I never notice any fuel oder.

If You take off charcoal canister, it's good to connect that hose, what comes from tank, to the bowl vent at carb.

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Sorry, my english is not very good

Thats why you put the filter at the end, so the tank will still vent. In my B body, that would be a 3+ft hose if I did that!

WOW! Thanks guys! Now if I could undersand all that, I'd be set. I'm looking everything up in my Haynes manual, so I think I get what is being talked about. My grandparents are up for the rest of this week, so I'll rip into it on Monday! Thanks far the help and advice. I'll let you know how it goes.

Duster Idiot, I wish I were in your neighborhood, too! I wouldn't mind someone who knew what they were doing sometimes...

Ok. I just snuck out and took a look over all the emissions trash on my 225. D.Idiot said to keep the EGR valve. Do I leave hose connected to it? It's hose runs to the CCERG valve? in the front of the head, right beside the valve cover. That in turn, has a hose running to the Vacuum amplifier. The Vacuum amplifier also has hoses to the carb, and the Manifold vacuum somethingorother. Which has another hose to some weird solenoid? at the very front of the engine bay, on the fender. The Heat sensor goes to the Vacuum diaphram and the carb. The Vacuum diaphram also has the big hose out the bottom. How much of this can dissapear into a box? I don't want to take out something it needs, but want to get rid of as much extra as I can. Also, if you disconnect any of the hoses to the carb, should where they were connected be plugged, or just left open? Can I gut everything I've mentioned (except of course the carb)? I'd like to learn, so why or why not? Thanks a ton (or two)!