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Unless you are careless about laws and civic responsibility, anything without the stock sensor locations in the exhaust will need to be changed. My information is old, like me, and should be double checked if money is involved.
You will also need a smog certificate to register the car after any change of ownership. California has some of the worst smog in the nation, and is still documenting kids with life long lung damage in some poor areas. It used to be much worse, with twelve` year old kids getting what was called surfers cough, from too much exercise in bad air. I remember burning eyes and not being able to see the three colors in the stop lights at the end of a city block, only the red traveled to my sight, when I went into the San Fernando valley .
As others have mentioned nobody makes a CARB approved long tube header for the C5. There are some shorty headers that are CARB approved, but even those are not legal on the C5 Z06, just base model C5. The same is true on most of the aftermarket air intakes. Many are ok on the base model, but most aren't on the Z06. I'm good friends with a Smog shop owner in the North Bay and he is very careful with anything that doesn't look like factory equipment and always requires full documentation to prove CARB legal status. Even with the paperwork he still verifies everything on the CARB website. He told me that the state has sent sting operations to his shop more than once to try and catch them off guard. If they allow a vehicle to pass with non approved parts they get a huge fine for the 1st offence and can be shut down for any offenses after that, so it's not worth it to them to let anything slide.
Here is where it is a little weird for the LS6 motor....the Billy Boat shorties are only CARB approved for the LS1. But JBA lists a shorty header that's in their catalog (and the CARB Exemption number registered with the state of California) lists it CARB legal for both the 01-04 LS1/LS6 engines in the C5 Corvette. Their non coated part number 1817S-5.
I have no experience with the JBA's, but they appear the only smog legal header for the Z06 motor. Not sure if the cost is worth the hp return for shorties, but you'll probably shave 10-15 lbs off the engine.
Technically, if the O2 sensors are moved anywhere other than stock, you'll probably not be able to get a CARB exemption number as a manufacturer. That is why long tubes are pretty much impossible to make CARB approved IMO.
Last edited by TrackAire; Oct 11, 2017 at 06:42 PM.
Unless you are careless about laws and civic responsibility, anything without the stock sensor locations in the exhaust will need to be changed. My information is old, like me, and should be double checked if money is involved.
You will also need a smog certificate to register the car after any change of ownership. California has some of the worst smog in the nation, and is still documenting kids with life long lung damage in some poor areas. It used to be much worse, with twelve` year old kids getting what was called surfers cough, from too much exercise in bad air. I remember burning eyes and not being able to see the three colors in the stop lights at the end of a city block, only the red traveled to my sight, when I went into the San Fernando valley .
No, no, I'm not trying to be careless about laws and civic responsibility; there are long tube systems that DO include catalytic converters which emit NO MORE pollution than stock. The law in CA is that you cannot move the stock catalytic converters from their original placement.
Here is where it is a little weird for the LS6 motor....the Billy Boat shorties are only CARB approved for the LS1. But JBA lists a shorty header that's in their catalog (and the CARB Exemption number registered with the state of California) lists it CARB legal for both the 01-04 LS1/LS6 engines in the C5 Corvette. Their non coated part number 1817S-5.
I have no experience with the JBA's, but they appear the only smog legal header for the Z06 motor. Not sure if the cost is worth the hp return for shorties, but you'll probably shave 10-15 lbs off the engine.
Technically, if the O2 sensors are moved anywhere other than stock, you'll probably not be able to get a CARB exemption number as a manufacturer. That is why long tubes are pretty much impossible to make CARB approved IMO.
The reason that BB CARB approval is only for LS1 is that the company does not want to go through the process and cost to get the CARB approval for LS6. I'm not trying to evade catalytic converters and all that; just looking for a way to get LT's on. The law prevents the relocation of the catalytic converters regardless of whether or not the car would pass in terms of pollution.
As others have mentioned nobody makes a CARB approved long tube header for the C5. There are some shorty headers that are CARB approved, but even those are not legal on the C5 Z06, just base model C5. The same is true on most of the aftermarket air intakes. Many are ok on the base model, but most aren't on the Z06. I'm good friends with a Smog shop owner in the North Bay and he is very careful with anything that doesn't look like factory equipment and always requires full documentation to prove CARB legal status. Even with the paperwork he still verifies everything on the CARB website. He told me that the state has sent sting operations to his shop more than once to try and catch them off guard. If they allow a vehicle to pass with non approved parts they get a huge fine for the 1st offence and can be shut down for any offenses after that, so it's not worth it to them to let anything slide.
Steve
Yeah, I hear you. I guess it's just an unfortunate reality of the situation. Thank you for the note.
I have heard of some guys that put long tubes and switched them with the factory set up every two years when the smog test comes around but that's a pain in the A$$ if you asked me.