Did the 1979 Lil Red Express come with an air pump?

[George Jets]

All that added pollution control equipment sure is taxing on a simple V8, 4 barrel engine.

Not to mention all that stuff is 45 years old and it all has to work if it is going to pass the emissions tests.

If the truck has been sitting around and not being driven regularly, all the worse.

Lucky it's not a Lean Burn, or a Throttle Body with an old computer besides. Capacitors on the computer boards start leaking rendering them useless.


☆☆☆☆☆

 

[Lance Lot Link]

I got a look at a Mitchell emissions book and another book I can't remember the name of today.

Answers are still fuzzy but this is what I learned. It goes by year, type of vehicle (truck/van) and gross vehicle weight. 1978 has much less in the way of emissions because Dodge utilized the loophole by listing the truck at 6050lbs, just over the 6000lb limit.

1978 360 requires PCV, EVAP, EGR and Spark control.

1979 360 requires PCV, ACL (thermostatic air cleaner), EVAP, Catalytic Converter, EGR, FR (fuel pipe restrictor), Spark control and Air Pump. BUT....air pump has a little "6" annotation by it which says "Except 4-BBL carburetor". Below that it says it needs EVAP-VC, EI (only if it's an auto) and SPK-OSAC. I know what an OSAC valve is but I'm not sure what EVAP-VC and EI are.

-----------------------

Here's what's confusing with the other book.

There's a chart titled "California models w/GVW 6000lbs or less & Federal model w/GVW 8500lbs or less"

1979 360 V8 has an annotation for the Air Pump that says "Except Little Red Truck with 360 HP engine, pump type; Little Red Truck with 360 HP engine, aspirator".

Here's where it's confusing. Under that is a chart "California models w/GVW 6001lbs to 8500lbs"

1979 360 V8 requires an Air Pump.

------

What's odd is the 1979 LRE has a GVW of 6050lbs. I'm looking at a picture of the door sticker and it says it right there. What's even more odd is it says "GVWR 06050lbs-02722kgs". If you run a kgs to lbs converter, 2722kgs is 6000.983lbs. Just under the 6001lb limit of that last chart. What the??

Either way it's good to know that the Mitchell book says no pump is required if it's a 360 4BBL and the other book at least has an annotation showing that the LRE doesn't have a pump, even if the weight part is goofy and confusing.

I did say I would get a pic of my 1980, W150 (I think), California truck and it does show an air pump with tubes like the ones in the post of Mr. George Jetson. I'm wondering if it's the same Jetson from the TV show but probably not or his son Elroy was nickname? The pump still has vender sticker with what looks like a part number. The engine still has UPC with part # 411?351. 360 engine, 4 barrel, 4 speed, short box.
I was wondering, could I get a friend a LRE engine in this plain Jane pickup in 1980? No, but in a 1979 plain jane? Yes, I could and we did do certain "upgrades" for friends, management types (shirts), or for fees. I did not do the fee part it was only a favor.

 

[A-Body III]

I'm getting serious about buying one in CA and I know CA has/had stricter emissions than the rest of the states but I can't find out for the life of me whether or not an air pump was ever on one of these things.

I read some articles that stated that Mopar was able to use some loopholes in 78/79 to skirt the "performance" 360 through for the LREs because of their weight but they don't say anything exact and they certainly don't mention anything special about CA.

I called a couple smog shops asking if they had a book that could tell me what exactly I needed to be connected emissions wise to pass inspection and they either wouldn't tell me or they said they just go off of whatever is on the emissions sticker. I found an emissions sticker for I believe a 79 Ramcharger on ebay and it mentions catalyst, EGR, PCV and cannister but no mention of an air pump.

Due to CA. noise regulations, LRE's were not allowed to be sold in CA. when they were new. That's why there is no mention of CA. emissions on the LRE emission label as can be found on all other 78-79 Dodge Trucks.