Best Emissions Legal Catted Header & Exhaust?

[regal]

Originally Posted by thehapaone

Know a smog shop or put it back to stock when you have to smog...those are the only ways to avoid trouble. Even with that running non stock cats carries huge fines in CA (around 10k+ per missing cat) haven't heard of anybody getting these fines, but theoretically any cop could write you a ticket for running non stock cats

In CA's predicament reaming the stock header car (off-road only disclaimer) makes most sense to me
.
Why spend upwards of a 1k for a header cat that does nothing for the environment and limits the tuning. Doesn't take much burning fuel to disintegrate the little cat and have the egr aspect of the exhaust suck sharp metal shards into the heads (IHO.)


The whole thing just isn't worth it for the street. If you have to have it for competition rules you better drop that header and inspect the cat frequently until you are comfortable the tune isn't killing the little cat.

[akahenry]

Originally Posted by eSOLOR

I'm new to modding. So there's no legal way to run any header? What's the worse that could happen? How can one avoid getting in trouble if they decide to get one? (Especially in California). It seems like many people are installing them anyway.

People install them because they can haha. Honestly, passing smog and etc happens every few years, so people don't really care about the restrictions, regulations, and emissions. As long as one does not drive like an asshole, he or she will not get a "fix-it ticket." I live in California and I'm planning to install headers into my car, as soon as I save up enough money to buy the headers haha.

[xwd]

If your car is not throwing a CEL then the header will pass a OBDII check and likely pass a smog check. In GA the car doesn't have to be checked until it is 4 years old, and it's just a OBDII check.

My P&L catted header does not throw a CEL so it would pass. They do not do visual inspections here at all. I would say your best options are the JDL or P&L like others have said.

[regal]

Originally Posted by dwx

If your car is not throwing a CEL then the header will pass a OBDII check and likely pass a smog check. In GA the car doesn't have to be checked until it is 4 years old, and it's just a OBDII check.

My P&L catted header does not throw a CEL so it would pass. They do not do visual inspections here at all. I would say your best options are the JDL or P&L like others have said.

The poor guys in CA get an intense visual inspection, some people think that a catted header will allow a pass. I doubt it since the little header cat is going to be a red flag.


In CA just ream the stock manifold cat and turn off the cel with a tune. The stock manifold is very well designed.

[Whitigir]

According to the law, any Tampering to the Emission system of the car is Illegal. That means all are Illeggal.

Now, if you just want to pass the smog test while having some more power is a different story

[regal]

Originally Posted by Whitigir

According to the law, any Tampering to the Emission system of the car is Illegal. That means all are Illeggal.

Now, if you just want to pass the smog test while having some more power is a different story

Pretty much any engine/exhuat mod is for off-road use only. A tune is for off-road use only. I think technically even CARB approved mods wouldn't pass muster in a federal court. But that's not the subject which is passing the strict CA inspections.

[Whitigir]

Originally Posted by regal

Pretty much any engine/exhuat mod is for off-road use only. A tune is for off-road use only. I think technically even CARB approved mods wouldn't pass muster in a federal court. But that's not the subject which is passing the strict CA inspections.

Yah, I was just clarifying the point of the Op Thread Title

[fx35s]

Originally Posted by akahenry

People install them because they can haha. Honestly, passing smog and etc happens every few years, so people don't really care about the restrictions, regulations, and emissions. As long as one does not drive like an asshole, he or she will not get a "fix-it ticket." I live in California and I'm planning to install headers into my car, as soon as I save up enough money to buy the headers haha.

Do you have a header installed on yours?
I have M7 as well and I wonder how it'd sound... I was looking into JDL UEL header. What about you?

[akahenry]

Originally Posted by fx35s

Do you have a header installed on yours?
I have M7 as well and I wonder how it'd sound... I was looking into JDL UEL header. What about you?

I actually don't have a header on my car yet (broke ass college student & financing is hard enough already lol). I'm pretty sure an UEL with the M7 will definitely be quite rumbly (which I LOVE) and loud. There's a video of a FRS with Revworks UEL Headers paired to a M7. It sounds rumbles just the way I like down in the lower RPMs (2k ~ 5K), but it also somewhat raspy higher in the RPM's. As far as what UEL I'll be getting, it'll be between JDL or the Borla. Why Borla? because it has a lifetime warranty lol. I'll most likely go JDL though, cause there are almost zero bad reviews on it. I'll probably be grabbing some headers later in the fall of this year or maybe in the summer.

[fx35s]

Originally Posted by akahenry

I actually don't have a header on my car yet (broke ass college student & financing is hard enough already lol). I'm pretty sure an UEL with the M7 will definitely be quite rumbly (which I LOVE) and loud. There's a video of a FRS with Revworks UEL Headers paired to a M7. It sounds rumbles just the way I like down in the lower RPMs (2k ~ 5K), but it also somewhat raspy higher in the RPM's. As far as what UEL I'll be getting, it'll be between JDL or the Borla. Why Borla? because it has a lifetime warranty lol. I'll most likely go JDL though, cause there are almost zero bad reviews on it. I'll probably be grabbing some headers later in the fall of this year or maybe in the summer.

Nice!!!
Do you mind giving me a link for that FRS with UEL and M7?
What I feared originally was the possibility of having a raspy exhaust note when UEL is mated to M7 because Tomeis sound quite similar to ours and it gets quite raspy with JDL UEL header.

Anyways, RevWorks sounds like a solid choice,too!
Or JDL for that matter.

Oh and if you go to JDL UEL route... since it looks like you live in Cali it won't be CARB certified for sure. How do you plan to pass the CEL & Emissions test?
I mean, I guess with a tune you can get away from the CEL but I'm not sure about emissions test.. if they use the sniffer? or w/e that is.

[Infamous Performance]

No header is legal in California. Technically no header is legal in the USA. California is now checking for tunes. Tuning is also technically illegal unless the tune has an EO number. Turning off CEL's from within the tune will now fail a car in California.

[mav1178]

Originally Posted by fx35s

How do you plan to pass the CEL & Emissions test?
I mean, I guess with a tune you can get away from the CEL but I'm not sure about emissions test.. if they use the sniffer? or w/e that is.

New cars are smog-exempt for first 2 biennial smog tests, so you would only need to smog the car starting the 6th year of ownership in CA.

Out of state cars need to have a smog check done the first time they are registered in CA. The above rule applies afterwards.

-alex

[rice_classic]

WA State does no testing on cars for first 5 years. After that it's only an OBDII plug in check for codes for 1996 and newer and it's only done every 2 years (not every year).

If you're OBDII port doesn't work or the car is older than 1996 then you get the sniffer.

[fx35s]

Originally Posted by Infamous Performance

No header is legal in California. Technically no header is legal in the USA. California is now checking for tunes. Tuning is also technically illegal unless the tune has an EO number. Turning off CEL's from within the tune will now fail a car in California.

I live in NJ but I was planning to move to Cali soon...
DAMN IT! WHY!!!!!!!!!!!