Guys i have a 96 z28 thats stock except for a cold ait intake and magnaflow cat back. I am looking to buy a good set of headers and y pipe thats coated. Keep in mind i have emmisions here so it will have to pass that. With that being said what header and y pipe did you guys buy that will pass emmisions and have good hp gains as well as sound? I have heard alot about kooks but also that hooker has good flow as well and pacesetter. What way did you go and where is a place i can buy them. Thanks for the ideas..

 

How strict is the check? Putting headers on, with a cat (or cats) will not affect the vehicles ability to pass a tailpipe emissions check. But it may cause problems if they do a visual check. If they are strict, they will be looking for the CARB-EO emissions number, on a tag welded to the header primary. Since you have a dual cat setup, the options for a CARB certified system is very limited. JBA, maybe old SLP stuff, a couple others. And the header designs are weak, because they have to keep the cats in the stock locations to be legal. Long tubes would be out of the question, since they relocate the cats.

Comes down to what type of emissions checks they do. Plugging into the ALDL port and looking for codes - no problem. Tailpipe check - no problem. Visual - could be a problem, if they even know what they are looking for.

 

So far in my searches I have found three that are CA legal with an EO number:

Hooker -- http://www.holley.com/2062-1HKR.asp

Edelbrock -- http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_...s_shorty.shtml

Heddman -- http://www.hedman.com/products/?id=3479

They are all "shorty style" which has to be an improvement over the stock cast truck manifold. As far as I know all the other shorty styles do not have EO numbers nor do any of the mid-length or long tube headers. If you find any more post them here.

PS: think you have the dual cat set-up in 1996 which I have read is good for 10 hp. If you do not, while not technically legal to change out stock cat configuration anymore in CA, might be worth it though is expensive, at appx $700 for the set of two cats/pipes/hanger

 

It might help if we knew what state you were in. I just put Stainless works on with catted Y pipe. I live in PA and had my mechanic friend look at it and he could not believe those little bullets were cats. We don't have a code or tail pipe test so as long as they are there its good to go. I like the headers I put on they look good and have good clearance around the plugs and off the ground. Few hundred cheaper than kooks.

 

I live in Tennessee. When i go to marta they plug the car in and start it, i havent had them do a visual check so i think i would be ok with the longs and cated y pipe.

 

I searched this a while ago, the best CA legal headers I found was MAC midtubes. Sad part is they are back ordered till around the first of the year. I just tried to order them. Now I am going with the RKsport mids. No carb code, but they will pass sniffer
http://rksport.com/main/part_detail....mdid=1&catid=3

 

Did not know that there were a set of 1-3/4 mid-lengths that had a CA EO. Wondering what flows better 1-5/8 shorties with dual 2.5 inch cats or 1-3/4 mids with a single 3 inch cat? The shorties with the dual cats has about 40% more area to flow through the cats or are you better off with the larger 1-3/4 primaries.