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I have a built LS1 with a maggie, but had to put stock manifolds on to pass smog. Are there any really cool CA legal headers? or does everyone in California just swap them over?
You will need to buy a set of "shorty" headers with a CARB Executive Order number if you want to pass smog with anything other than stock manifolds.
I have a set of B&B shorty headers and they have a CARB EO number. I bought them mostly to save some weight as I added a KB supercharger. Plus I like the look of headers.
Long tubes give you more, but they won't pass the smog visual test if the tech looks.
I cant believe the cost of shorty headers! I have to remain smog legal and wil l eventually get them but ill wait for a used set that will eventually come along.
Don't waste your time on short tubes. Just get some american races headers or lgs with cats and find a good smog shop. They will pass through the sniffer just not visual.
I have LG Pro Longtubes, X-pipe, Met Cats, and just picked up a set of stock manifolds and Cat H pipe.
There is never an issue with passing at the tailpipe, any well tuned car with cats will pass with flying colors. It's the damn visual test. A visual fail is just as good as a tailpipe fail. You can get kicked to the 'gross polluter' list way too easy. You are then in for yearly tailpipe tests and also the time consuming annoying IM240 chassis dyno test that tests for NOx, so you can't just lean it out with tuning or it will send the combustion chamber temps up and create more NOx and earn you a fail. You definitely don't want to be on that list.
I am going to try a test pass with the LT's on and see if the guy will let it slide. If he says no I go home and swap them out, swap the tune also since two of the O2's are turned off for the headers and they do plug into the ALDL now for the test. Some smog techs check everything, others just glance and let things slide. Pure luck as to which you get if you don't know the place.
Same deal with my Halltech CAI, no CARB EO# so got a stock airbox for the test, that's a quick easy swap.
Don't waste your time on short tubes. Just get some american races headers or lgs with cats and find a good smog shop. They will pass through the sniffer just not visual.
I'm not worried about smog shops passing. I get pulled over and told to open my hood frequently and dont need the hassle by cops for illegal mods under the hood. Cops are real dick heads around here in regards to illegal parts under the hood and will ticket you for them.
I dont need every last bit of hp "good" headers will give me. I can just up my boost more if I want more and still stay legal.
I have a built LS1 with a maggie, but had to put stock manifolds on to pass smog. Are there any really cool CA legal headers? or does everyone in California just swap them over?
B&B shorties I believe are about the only set of CA legal headers.
My smog guys do not have an issue at all with LT's just as long as all the smog stuff is there and it passes clean with no codes or being fat!
You might just ask your smog guy how he feels about thaving them on before you take them off again You might be suprised at what he says
that link states or 97-98, I have a 99, are they the same?
The difference is that to use these headers on your '99 you have to twist the air tubes so they align up with your air tubes. We have done it before, it is not hard to do. Bob