Bought a 2004 CE Z06 in Ohio and it is missing the Cats which are required in Pa.

I have no choice but to put on a stock exhaust manifold and the Cats or short tube headers plus Cats.

I wonder if the long tube headers will fit my 1979 Corvette?

 

Odds are against it fitting since the chassis is so much different.

 

 

I will be taking the car to a Chevy dealer and seeing my options. They have a mechanic who specializes on Corvettes. I will keep this option in mind.

Thanks.

 

 

The car is brand new to me and I do not know what will or won't fit. The headers are long tube headers that is about all I know right now.

I thought the long tubes did away with the x pipe but maybe not.

I would love to keep the long tube headers and put in some high flow cats.

I will have to wait and see what the mechanic says once he looks at it.

 

I live in PA with a catless xpipe on my car. Here is the inspection criteria for the Pittsburgh area..

What type of emissions inspection will be required in the Pittsburgh Region?
By March 31, 2004:
• Most 1996 and newer model-year vehicles will be required to have an OBD I/M
Check and a Gas Cap Test performed annually.
• Most 1975-1995 model-year vehicles will continue to receive the annual
emissions inspections required under the current program which includes: Tailpipe Tests, Gas Cap Tests and Visual Anti-Tampering Check

You would fall into the 1996 and newer OBD II check and gas cap test. If your car doesn’t have a check engine light you will pass.

 

I live in Pa and have Kooks headers with the high flow cats. I would keep the headers on. Make a big difference in power and sound.

 

guy's he the dealership has a "expert corvette mechanic" really ?? how many vette's does this expert see even more so C5 corvette's? my guess is prob very few and most are prob. new vette's at that...take the advise from the people on the forum..there is more knowledge on here then any one single "expert corvette mechanic" can ever offer esp if they work at a dealership..imo

 

That's a much better option than tossing out a very good mod on the car.

 

There's really no need to ridicule me or the technician you know nothing about. Keep guessing in private please, your input is not constructive.

Colussy Chevorlet is well known in the area for the servicing of Corvettes. Their technician does it every day and works on new and old models.

Thank you.

 

Could be the dealer tech has to follow specific guidelines.

Maybe a private shop would be more lenient.

I was under the impression that Pa law states the cats HAVE to be on the car for 2004.

I need to do more research.

Thanks.

 

What type of garage do you take your car to for inspections in Pa?

I previously lived in Illinois and there was no modification or removal of factory cats on newer cars so I am learning what really is acceptable here in Pa.

Thanks.

 

The way I interrupt this living in the Pittsburgh area I will have a technician do a visual inspection and the cats have to be in place.

§ 177.51. Program requirements.

(a) Network type. Testing shall be performed through a decentralized system of privately owned and operated, Department-certified facilities.

(b) Test-and-repair. Emission inspection stations may conduct both testing and repairing of subject vehicles.

(c) Inspection. Subject vehicles shall be emission inspected annually in coordination with a safety inspection according to procedures established by the Bureau, subject to paragraphs (1)—(3). A safety inspection certificate for a vehicle subject to an emission inspection may not be affixed to the vehicle until the subject vehicle has passed an emission inspection or received an exemption or a waiver as provided in § 177.281 (relating to issuance of waiver). The term ‘‘safety inspection certificate’’ as used in this subsection does not include temporary inspection approval indicators as defined in § 175.2 (relating to definitions). Safety inspection stations are not required to conduct emission inspections to maintain certification as safety inspection stations.

(3) Prior to the date established in accordance with § 177.22, subject vehicles registered in counties in the Pittsburgh Region will be required to undergo the following tests:

Model Year Test Type
1975-1980 One-speed idle test; gas cap test; visual inspection.
1981 and newer Two-speed idle test, gas cap test; visual inspection.

(4) On and after the date established in accordance with § 177.22, subject vehicles MY 1996 and newer registered in counties in the Pittsburgh Region will be required to undergo the following tests:
Model Year Test Type
1996 and newer vehicles 8,500 GVWR and under. OBD-I/M check; gas cap test.
1996 and newer vehicles between 8,501 and 9,000 GVWR. Two speed idle test, visual inspection and gas cap test.

All subject vehicles MY 1975-1995 registered in counties in the Pittsburgh Region shall be tested in accordance with the following table:
2018
1975-1992 vehicles.Gas cap test; visual inspection.
1993-1995 vehicles.Two speed idle test; gas cap test; visual inspection.

 

I really don't see anyone ridiculing you, but my guess is that dealership you are taking your car to, has Dollar symbols for eyes. By the time they fill you with fabricated things you will walk out of there thousands of dollars less. If you can take pictures of the bottom of your car where the headers connect, and then the underhood maybe someone here can tell you what type of headers you have so you can get a correct cat pipe, or you can take everything off and spend 900.00 on a stock hpipe, 700.00 for stock exhaust manifolds, and then 6 hours of labor at dealership price which would be way more then just going to a muffler shop and having them weld in 2 aftermarket cats or getting the proper cat xpipe for your application.

 

Take it to a private shop, give the guy an extra $20 and tell him to put an inspection sticker on it. Problem solved, no work required.

 

Don't need a mechanic, just an exhaust shop that knows Corvettes. Or not. Any decent exhaust shop could fit in some Magnaflow or similar cats and fit that to the headers and back end portion for not much moula.

 

Does the OP need to factor in the O2 sensors when reinstalling cats?

I'm assuming if it doesn't have cats then it has a CEL or the O2's have been tuned out.

 

As for the dealer..... I haven't encountered very many dealers that like dealing with modified vehicles, not usually their cup of tea. And you're probably looking at $90 - $120 just to have the tech look at it.

 

The car is still at the dealer but he sent me some pics I requested.

From my limited knowledge of computer cars with O2 sensors, all I need is a retune to include the sensors and a x pipe with some cats.

It sure is clean for 42,000 miles.