Installing LTs on East Coast

[Infern0]

I feel like I'm missing something here...

From what I've read, installing long tube headers will throw a check engine light, or not throw the light, but still read a trouble code of some kind during an emissions test.

There's no way around this? No one on the east coast is legally running long tube headers in their daily drivers? I'd also find it hard to believe that everyone who may have LTs is swapping them out for stock every two years just to get their emissions test done.

It seems that here in north virginia they actually plug in and read codes, so even if the light isn't present, it wouldn't make a difference on the pass/fail because the code would still show something funny.

Reading more after posting this makes it seem that a tune may prevent the code as well as the light?

Ugh, wanna do long tubes so bad!!

[BigMatt]

It all depends on where you live, every state/county is different

[axis]

The code is most commonly a cat efficiency code from physically moving the cats further back. It takes them longer to heat up, hense the code. Whether highflow cats pass the sniffer test remains to be seen. From what i've heard, it's not the sniffer test that's the problem, it's the visual test that it will fail since you moved them. Maybe someone can comment on them passing the sniffer test.

[Infern0]

Any other takers? Looking for people in emissions controlled states who have done this specifically.

[Garys16SS]

Originally Posted by Infern0

Any other takers? Looking for people in emissions controlled states who have done this specifically.

I live in Pennsylvania and are required to do an emission test once a year and I pass all the time with headers on my Vettes, Camaros, Vipers, etc., over my lifetime. No problems.

[Infern0]

Originally Posted by Garys10SSRS

I live in Pennsylvania and are required to do an emission test once a year and I pass all the time with headers on my Vettes, Camaros, Vipers, etc., over my lifetime. No problems.

So you have LTs with high flow cats? Do they hook up to your comp to read codes or do they just do the sniff test?

[HIGHOCTANE]

In NC they do the OBDII scan....ie they hook up to the computer..I had no issues with Fords that were flash tuned and had LTs...now I did have a car that had an actual chip insead of a flash tune and it wouldn't pass..but a different tuner set that up so maybe it was something in the tune?

Doubtful it will pass without a tune,but there is one sre way to find out....

[danhr]

Do you want to run cats or no cats?

Running longtubes is easy

If you want to run cats, everything is legit. run cats and hook up all 4 of your oxegen sensors in the proper place. You will pass everything with flying colors (i'm assuming the rest of your car is stock btw)

if you don't want to run cats. There are a few ways to get around this.

First problem is the "check engine light" That's an easy solution. They are called oxygen simulators or oxygen sims

Some counties have a visual inspection, where they will physically look for cats on your car. You can either install dummy ones, hope the inspector doesn't car and is a car guy, or swap out to catted mid pipes when you go get inspected.

[SK360]

All you need to do is have P0420 and P0430 DTC's set to No Error Reported by somebody with an HPTuners cable ($100 for credits to unlock the car on that cable) and then it will pass ODBII Scan no problem.... if you are planning on getting the car properly tuned after the headers then it can be taken care of then. 99% of aftermarket cats will trip the P0420 and P0430 codes as well due to being less efficient then the stockers.

**** o2 sims and the like, it takes 2 minutes to disable via software.

[danhr]

Originally Posted by SK360

All you need to do is have P0420 and P0430 DTC's set to No Error Reported by somebody with an HPTuners cable ($100 for credits to unlock the car on that cable) and then it will pass ODBII Scan no problem.... if you are planning on getting the car properly tuned after the headers then it can be taken care of then.

doing that is an irreversible way to void his warranty though

voiding warranty just for headers... c'mon.

p.s.... i hate you... diaf

[SK360]

Well installing LT's and not planning on having the car properly tuned is kinda dumb imo lol.

[danhr]

We have warranties still on our cars booger.

Installing headers = easily reversed, won't effect warranty

Tune, of any kind = instant voidage of warranty.

If I told you, right now, you could have a 100,000 mile warranty on your car for ~10 rwhp, with 30,000 of that being bumper to bumper.... yeah...

and the car still makes lots of power without proper tune.

[thesnoopster]

Hey Infern0, Im putting LT's with cats on mines probably later this month or next month (pending on how much my son will break me for his birthday gifts LOL) , there is a away around the system of the emmissions tests . But you do have some muscle cars that are running LT's and cats in the Nova area and I think everything is fine with them. I will be getting mines tuned right after I put them on.

[SK360]

Originally Posted by danhr

We have warranties still on our cars booger.

Installing headers = easily reversed, won't effect warranty

Tune, of any kind = instant voidage of warranty.

If I told you, right now, you could have a 100,000 mile warranty on your car for ~10 rwhp, with 30,000 of that being bumper to bumper.... yeah...

and the car still makes lots of power without proper tune.

Warranty is for the birds... it's an LS motor, what's gonna break? (Besides the T6060 )

They aren't going to void your warranty on door lock actuators or window motors due to having a reflashed PCM