1966 427 -450 HP California car question......
Did GM put an emissions air pump on the Corvette 427-450 (425) HP 4-speed cars shipped to California for the 1966 model year? Mine doesnt look like it ever had brackets/mount holes, etc. on the IP engine.
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Re: 1966 427 -450 HP California car question......
The latest 1966 Technical Manual and Judging Guide shows that the 327/300 HP, 327/350 HP and 427/390 engines all could have A.I.R. or be A.I.R equipped.
However, the 427/425 (or 450) HP cars were excluded/exempt. This is the IP and IK code engines only.
Larry -
Re: 1966 427 -450 HP California car question......
Thanks Larry, I should get a new 66 Tech manual.
Larry SchuylerComment
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Re: 1966 427 -450 HP California car question......
Larry------
I can guarantee you that 1966 Corvettes with L-72 originally delivered to California were not equipped with K-19. If one finds such a car so-equipped, it means that a California smog inspection station or referee station did not know that and forced an owner to install it to pass smog inspection.
Things changed for 1967, though. All 1967 Corvettes originally delivered to California were equipped with K-19 except L-88 (I wonder how many of the 20 cars were originally delivered to California?).In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Re: 1966 427 -450 HP California car question......
We've had this discussion before, but all new cars sold in California in 1966 had to meet California emission standards, and that would have required the AIR pump and ported vacuum advance.
I've never seen any documentation that "exempted" any engine configuration.
The '67 L-88 was technically illegal to register for road use anywhere in the USA, because it did not have a closed PCV system that was required for all cars sold in the USA beginning in 1963, and it was required on all cars sold in CA beginning in 1961.
The '67 L-88 that I helped disassemble in Seattle in the Spring of 1967 was flatbedded to the owner's garage and was never registered for road use during its tenure with the first owner.
DukeComment
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Re: 1966 427 -450 HP California car question......
Here's what the Chevrolet Service 1966 New Product Training Program Booklet (Aug 1965) has to say:
The A.I.R. system is mandatory on all Chevrolet, Chevelle, Chevy II, Corvette and Corvair engines in California (except the 90hp 153 cu.in L-4, and the 425hp -- 427 cu.in. V8) and on all 10 and 20 series trucks. It is available optionally (RPO K19) in all other states.Comment
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Re: 1966 427 -450 HP California car question......
Does it say why? Can you scan and post the document? I am still curious as to how this was possible. Does the K-66 section of the '66 AIM have anything about installing K-66 on L-72? Does the '66 AIM say anything about adjusting the idle mixture for CA cars. I don't see how, with a high overlap cam, they could have meet the '66 CA HC and CO standards without the air pump.
DukeComment
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Re: 1966 427 -450 HP California car question......
I also have a copy of the 1966 New Product Training Book and it does state as Wayne has stated that the 427 cu in - 425HP engine does not have the K19 air injection system. Also, I probably went and looked at every new Corvette with the 427 engine option that came into our dealership at that time. The early 450 HP and then the 425 HP did not have the air pumps on them. The Chevelle product with 396 engines did have the air pumps.
Ray
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Re: 1966 427 -450 HP California car question......
Ray------
One exception on the Chevelles: 1966 Chevelle SS 396 with the L-78 engine were not equipped with AIR. A friend of mine bought one brand new in 1966 and it did not have AIR. I recollect that very well. I saw several other California-delivered 1966 SS 396 Chevelles that also did not have AIR. However, 1966 L-78's were pretty rare. For 1967 and later the L-78's did have AIR.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Re: 1966 427 -450 HP California car question......
Ray------
I have always wondered why they were not required to have K-19 but I can guarantee you that they did not. A guy I worked with at Safeway while I was in college bought a new 1966 L-72 and I recall very well that it was not equipped with K-19. I saw quite a few others that did not have it, either. AIR was one of the first things I looked for under the hood of cars back in that period. Why I was so focused on it, I don't know. One thing might be that I then thought of it as the "ultimate bad". I learned a lot more later and came to realize it was really not all that bad, at all. In fact, I believe that's why GM used it on 1970-71 SHP engines while most other engines used CCS, a much cheaper (but greater performance-robbing) exhaust emissions control system.
By the way, the only "common denominator" I've been able to come up with as far as 1966 California K-19 "exemption" requirements is that it was somehow related to mechanical lifters. All the engines involved (4 cyl, L-72, and L-78) were mechanical lifter engines. Those were the only engines for that year that were mechanical lifter and all were somehow "exempted". As far as some specific exemption in the California regs. I've never found any. However, there must have been one, explicitly stated or otherwise stated in some esoteric verbage.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Re: 1966 427 -450 HP California car question......
Michael -- here's another magazine shot, probably of the same car (Calif MFG 015 licence plates). This one was in PHR (Popular Hot Rod ?); don't know the specific issue. Your photo appears in a March '66 issue of Motor Trend.
But this brings up another point. In the road test photo, the exhaust manifolds are not drilled and tapped with NPT plugs for the A.I.R. piping (ie. that would be required for a California L36).
My 2nd and 3rd images are from a '828' (RH) manifold I have with a C(or G)_8_7 cast date [probably G=July 1967]. Checking my P&A30 Oct 1965 issue, Gr 3.601, it shows 3880828 as RH for '66 Corvette (427) (exc. A.I.R.), and Passenger w/Sp/HPer. (427). Same for the left hand 3880827. For the '66 Corvette with A.I.R. (ie. 390 hp) it lists #3880833/84 for the left/right manifolds. I assume these would be drilled and tapped with the nozzles for the A.I.R. piping. Would they also have used the basic casting 827/828 ?Comment
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Re: 1966 427 -450 HP California car question......
Joe,
I believe that you are correct with regard to the 1966 Chevelle and the L-78 engine option in that they did not have the AIR system. Do not recall if we ever had one at the dealership, as you say they were rare. The 325 and 360HP options did have them. The engine code for 1966 EH ( L-78 ) no AIR referenced, but for 1967, as you stated, engine code EX ( L-78 ) Special High Performance with AIR.
My personal opinion on the L-72 427 - 450 /425 HP engines for the '66 Corvette is that somehow GM was able to convince the state of California that this would be a low production option and low volume sales and thus were able to get the state of California to wave the K-19 requirement for those engines. The Series 10 & 20 trucks exemption I think had to do with the GVWR ratings for those vehicles, being higher than passenger ratings.
Looked for you at San Diego convention, wanted to say hello.
Ray
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Re: 1966 427 -450 HP California car question......
Great shot of the new 425 HP engine. Thanks.
Yes, If I remember correctly, the same casting and casting number was used for both drilled and undrilled manifolds for both 427's in 66. (and 67) The part number changed if the manifolds had the holes for AIR.
Did you notice anything strange in my photo? Look close. There are a few interesting things.Comment
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