Engine repair / upgrade after road trip

HMS Beagle wrote:
You have a strategy to get through the biannual smog check? Used to be California didn't check diesels, that has changed.

x2.
Diesels starting with MY 1998 are subject to smog on CA.
In the past, it was "visual only" so when I took my Mercedes diesel for smog, the technician open the hood, TRIED too look smart and closed the hood.
I don't live in CA anymore, but I heard that starting in 2020 they do sniff test for particles and suppose on rolls.
Will keep eye on this thread to hear outcome.
I used to own two on PS 7.3 Both of them worked very hard for me, with F450 hauling 30,000 lb more than once. Both of them sold running perfect with over 300k miles on each. Both were stock.
Once I was pulling heavy trailer on WB I-80 in Truckee. Noticed guy with same model truck pulling like 30' TT. Roughly he was having the same weight to haul I did, yet he passed me easily.
It wasn't till about 1/2 long grade when something happen to his engine, who started to smoke heavily and guy dropped like 20 mph, so I passed him easy. At the time I posted the incident on FTE forum and common response was that he had to blew the tune.
Either way, not something I was looking to have.
Sounds like you should afford to have 6.7l truck.
Get 1 of those puppies and enjoy family life, instead of spending quality time under the hood.