TBI, vortec, and emissions

[hefftone]

In my area (metro Atlanta) yearly emissions testing is required, and for pre-obd2 vehicles a Sniffer test on a dyno is the norm.
My (recently accquired) truck has failed emissions and I'm pretty sure its due to a head gasket, or the coolant killing the O2 sensor.
So if I gotta pull the heads, I want to upgrade. I already picked up some vortec heads. But my concern is ability to pass emissions without egr. Does anybody have experience with emissions testing and egr delete? My truck wont be exempt until 2015.

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[DRAGGIN95]

We don't have emissions testing here so I am not sure, but I would think if you swapped to vortec head's and used the GMPP conversion intake and the matching driver's side manifold or header with the EGR tube then you should be fine!

 

[copernicusd]

heard something about if you tune the computer to say it has no egr, then when they scan with their computer it wont notice its not there
not sure if this is true or not,anyone know

 

[DRAGGIN95]

Yeah I would personally keep the egr if you need to staty emissions legal!

 

[hefftone]

Would it function properly to adapt the egr valve (or one from another car) to receive exhaust gas from the AIR plug in the exhaust manifold, and then plum it through a fitting in a Carb spacer below the TBI?
Would it be off calibration? Can the computer compensate?
I'm trying to avoid using the gmpp vortec TBI manifold.

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[tylers88]

I'm trying to avoid using the gmpp vortec TBI manifold.

I hear ya, thing is expensive $400 for an intake is highway robbery

 

[copernicusd]

would there be anyway to take a intake with no egr, and drill it out to make a place to put the egr?
even if you had to make like an adapter or something to make it all fit in right, cut up an old stock intake or something

 

[DRAGGIN95]

You should see how much a FAST intake is for for the LS truck motor. It's just over $1K

 

[hefftone]

would there be anyway to take a intake with no egr, and drill it out to make a place to put the egr?
even if you had to make like an adapter or something to make it all fit in right, cut up an old stock intake or something

Sure you could drill a hole, but the thing about EGR manifolds is there is passage that bring exhaust to the intake side of the head, i think they call it an exhaust crossover. From there is the Diaprhagm valve that opens when it recieves a vacuum source, which comes from a solenoid that is activated by the computer.

Personally, I wouldn't want to drill a hole into the manifold, there are already several ports to choose from (PCV connection), or put a fitting in a carb spacer. The part I'm not sure of is where it should be placed to keep from screwing up atomization.

It would be fairly easy to make the connections using the EGR valves gasket as a pattern. I don't posses the welding skills or the metal cutting ability, but should be pretty simple for a fabricator.
I just passed emissions testing yesterday, If I go ahead and test again, That will get me through until May of 2014...and I will have to pass the test just one more time. So I have some time to get it together.....then again if I can instead run more cam and get the proper overlap, I may be able to avoid working with EGR....I don't really know.....anybody????

Personally I really don't want to switch to a carb to pickup power. If I change my fuel delivery I would want multi-port injection, but it seems like there would be a lot of stuff to buy. I'll have to look into that, but I get the feeling I would need later model computer and another timing sensor somewhere. Not to mention I hate wiring.