Re: Did Dealers remove SMOG?
 

In '69 I don't think the L34 and L35 powered cars got the AIR pump. California may have been the exception. Back as far as '66 California L79 cars got the AIR pump.

Re: Did Dealers remove SMOG?
 

On a Claifornia side note....there were special emission requirements as early as 1961...no road draft tubes on Cali. cars ...Charlie or ??? how early did Cal. require emissions ?

Re: Did Dealers remove SMOG?
 

In 69, V8 Camaros and Novas had a air pump if they had a manual transmission, but they did not if they have an automatic. The reference books used at the smog check stations here in California erroneously state that the big block automatic cars have a thermal air cleaner. I used to have to put one on, along with a nox kit, to pass the smog test. My understanding is that the air pumps were on all of the cars sold in the US, not just California.

Re: Did Dealers remove SMOG?
 

Poking around in the books I see the carbs were different for w/o A.I.R. If you look through the Holley carb listings they show 1967 396 with or without A.I.R. Then in 1968 - 69 they do not specify with or without A.I.R. for the L78, L72 Holley. It looks like there was only one carb listed for the L72 which I believe is for A.I.R. On the 1969 Q-Jet listing the third digit of part number designates a w/o A.I.R. carb. My listing shows 396 325hp and 350hp Qjets had no A.I.R. in 69 but then in 1970 they list CA and non-CA for 49 state emission carbs. (The people in Cali just have to be different). I think the 49 state emission rule started in 69 and was also an option in 69 but my carb listing does not show it. I will post this question on some sites to see what they say. Also a fan belt listing should show a different part number for w/o A.I.R.

Re: Did Dealers remove SMOG?
 

In December 1969 I purchased a new SS396, 325HP, M-20 and it had the AIR pump (which I promptly removed). My 69 Yenko Camaro had the original ext. manifolds when I purchased it. They were plugged and all other smog items were missing.
Sometime back I read a tech article (I believe it was in the Chevele Report published by Mark Meekins), that all manual transmission 1969 Chevrolet passenger cars had the AIR system. If memory serves me, this was done to counteract the emission out-put caused by the many different driving skills and techniques of manual transmission operators vs. automatic transmission drivers. In effect factory set shift points vs. operator shift points.

Re: Did Dealers remove SMOG?
 

So, would an auto car be different? From reading the above, it seems everyone agrees the manual cars got the AIR pumps, but we are "iffy" on the auto cars...?

Re: Did Dealers remove SMOG?
 

I believe the article went on to say that all solid lifter cars, manual and automatic, had the AIR system. Can't recall the "rule" for California built and sold cars.
My Camaro is a M-21.
Sorry for not including this in my original reply.
Thanks
Don Stowers

Re: Did Dealers remove SMOG?
 

A gentleman that I know had his Corvette at a local show back in March and brought much of the paper documentation for the car along with him. It seems that a previous owner had made inquiries to GM of Canada (it was originally a Canadian delivered L-88) about the possibility that it was delivered without the A.I.R. equipment. He received paperwork back from GM regarding Canadian specific options, in particular, an option called KD1 which allowed the buyer to delete the A.I.R. equipment (subject to local laws). It was listed as available for all passenger cars with the exception of Corvette.

I have no idea if this was a "paper option" or if people actually ordered it, but it is certainly worth researching.

Regards,

Stan Falenski

Re: Did Dealers remove SMOG?
 

I was looking through our copy of "The COPO Connection", in the back of the book, where it shows the AMA specs for the ZL-1 & the L-72, it has a heading for the smog pump, but it also show an asterisk (*). When you refer to the footnote, it says "manual trans cars only".

So, is this something that was incorrectly printed due to lead time or...?

Re: Did Dealers remove SMOG?
 

2 relevant posts from John Z from the CRG site:

Factory smog calibration in those days was simpler on automatics due to the relatively constant and progressive engine load conditions; with a manual, engine loads (and carb metering variations) varied widely, and A.I.R. was required to overcome the rich mixture "spikes" during acceleration and manual gear-changing. Same issue at idle - automatic cars were under an even, constant engine load, but manual cars weren't - that's why A.I.R. cars had retarded base timing, ported spark, and later advance curves - created a rich idle condition, which ensured there was enough unburned fuel in the exhaust gases at idle to "keep the afterburner lit" in the exhaust manifolds with the injected air to keep tailpipe HC numbers down at idle (this also created more heat and higher coolant temperatures at idle). That rich idle condition is why Gary had such a battle trying to pass the HC portion of the Delaware emissions test without the A.I.R. system in place and operating to burn off the excess hydrocarbons in the exhaust manifolds. Later on, catalytic converters simplified calibration somewhat, and even later computer-controlled closed-loop port fuel injection systems coupled with catalytic converters solved it entirely (at VERY high cost).

(The above) post applied to the SB issue; the big-block Camaros were a separate issue, and Jerry is quite correct that ALL big-block '69 Camaros (L34/35/78/89) had A.I.R. systems, regardless of transmission application. EPA emission certification was done not only by powertrain, but by carline application, vehicle weight, aero drag, and coast-down horsepower testing, which created many variables. Every different situation required full EPA certification, including 50,000-mile durability testing, and Chevrolet apparently decided that rather than go to the time and expense of developing and certifying eight different low-volume Camaro big-block combinations, they'd go with only four, that they knew would pass and certify with A.I.R. For the high-volume passenger cars, however (Impala/Caprice), which were built in Nine assembly plants at 7,500 per day (vs. only one plant of Camaros when you factor out the Firebirds at Norwood), it made sense to certify high-volume passenger car combinations as much as possible without the added per-unit cost of the A.I.R. system, so many full-size Impala/Caprice big-block applications were developed and certified WITHOUT the A.I.R. system. I had a brand-new '69 Caprice 2-door hardtop with the 427/THM400 combination, and it didn't have A.I.R. either. Full-size cars and Camaros were totally different certification situations.