X-ZZ4

I'm considering adding headers, but I want to stay smog legal. So far, the only Cali legal headers I've found are these......

http://www.jbaheaders.com/headerdetail.asp?PartNum=1817 ?

How much HP increase should be expected from a set of shorty headers like these? And.....does anyone know of a better set that's also legal in Cali???

SFVetteman

B&B makes the smog legal shorty headers that I have. They are made of T-304 stainless steel as compared with the JBA mild steel for superior durability. The B&B utilizes 1.75 inch diameter tubing with larger radius bends and a merge collector compared with to the 1.625 inch diameter JBA headers. I have heard of a few people that said the JBA headers did not line up right with the exhaust flanges. I have heard of no such problem with the B&B headers.

My before and after dyno, which also included a change from 2.73 gears to 3.43 gears, showed a loss of 5 rwhp and a gain of 5 rwtq. When you factor in the gear change, I gained a few rwhp and perhaps 8 rwtq. Given the small gains with any shorty header, I would be patient and look for a set to buy used for around $400 to $500 rather than pay the new price.

I had my B&B headers Jet-Hot coated for $200 in order to get the significant benefit of lower under hood temps.

To check if any aftermarket part you are considering is smog legal, check this CARB link: http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/aftermk...es/amquery.php

X-ZZ4

Very good info.....thanks!


But damn....with those little gains I might just forget about shorties......now I'm wondering if Long Tubes might just be worth the smog woes.....Or maybe forget about headers altogether......

Perfusion

Don't forget about 'em altogether - there are many '74+ Vettes running LT headers... You just have to find a "friendly" shop. If you run cats, it shouldn't be a problem to pass the sniffer at all - it's just the visual you have to get past (i.e., the tech doing the visual).

X-ZZ4

I know.....and now I'm leaning back towards LT's. I just hate the thought of being smog illegal again. Been there done that with the '84......not fun.

4DCYKEY

I had Belanger long tube Headers on my C5. They were excellent quality (even the muffler man commented on their craftsmanship and ease of installing) and they made a real difference in mid rpm range and up power. With headers, Donaldson, and Borlas the car had 331 rwhp and 337 rwtq, if memory serves me correctly. Make sure you get your headers jet coated, you'll feel the heat difference under the hood. If I buy the new 2006 Z06, I'll probably try the LG Racing headers which look excellent from the pictures and have pretty good dyno results.

I wouldn't worry too much about being "legal". Most of the tech at your local gas station don't even look at the car, they just administer the test, which is OK by me...

Dave68

I went through the same thing with my 68 - hence the ZZ3 engine installation. CF members have failed smog just because they had Blackwing filters installed. You play Russian roulette when you hope that the smog tech won't see something. And in the case of LTs, you're talking about a very expensive removal/replacement/removal/replacement job if you decided to revert back to the headers after you finally passed the visual.

Check my sig for HP figures without headers. They're not that far behind those with headers and my torque surpasses quite a few. I can swap out my intake in 30 minutes and that's what I'll do, come smog time. Doing the same with headers is a much bigger task.

WALLstAL

I have had mine since 2001, I have just used other methods when dealing with the smog woes!!

oldace84

I want to pass the smog teast.
Don't make any change's.
No way!

BlueRag

In case you are interested...
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=969927

X-ZZ4

Yeah, I've u$ed other method$ too in dealing with $mog.....but you just never know when those "nice guy$" aren't going to be $o nice anymore....