Carburetors and California

[dtsol]

Hi All,

Just bought a 77 Tradesman B200 a few days ago. It's my first van, but I've wanted one since I was a kid, so I'm super excited about it. I've never really worked on cars, so I have a lot to learn. I'm working on the van with a mechanic friend and also about to move from Massachusetts to California.

Here are my questions:
The van is really rough when taking off from a stop, and it runs quite rich. It's got a 1-BBL carb, which is kind of weird since it's supposed to have a 2-BBL, and the folks I bought it from were the original owners and supposedly never changed the carb. My friend is suggesting we put in an Edelbrock 1405 4-BBL with a Performer manifold to adapt the 1-BBL to a 4.

1. Anyone have any thoughts about this particular carb mod?

2. Am I going to have trouble getting this vehicle smogged in CA? It has no catalytic converter-- I think maybe it was bought in Canada--there's no 49 or 50 states sticker under the hood. If the smog is going to be a problem, I'm less eager about putting the money into changing the carb.

Any advice would be most welcome.

Thanks,

Dan

[Dodgevanman]

Before we go any further into this...what engine do you have?

[dtsol]

It's a 318. The number imprinted on the bottom of the case is

4006-730-318-13


Thanks,

Dan

[Dodgevanman]

Okay...you probably don't have a 1bbl. carburetor. Most likely what you have is a Carter BBD 2bbl. It does have a narrow throat which makes it look like a 1bbl., but it's a 2bbl.

An Edelbrock 1405 (500cfm) carb. with Edelbrock Performer intake would be good for that engine. Get the carb. with the electric choke, that way you can eliminate the heat riser valve in the exhaust manifold. These seize up over time anyway and it's hard to find the rebuild kits. I would also recommend upgrading to a dual exhaust system when swapping to a 4bbl. carburetor. There are two types of Performer intakes...one with EGR and one without. You'll need the intake with EGR since your engine has an EGR valve. Trucks/Vans of that era didn't have catalytic converters on them until about 1978 or 1979, but California may be different. If your engine has any kind of emission equipment, you'll need to retain it and make sure it's in good working order. I would call the California motor vehicle administration for information on older vehicles being registered in the state.