do you need the air system to pass emmisions? i need headers but the ones with the air tubes are like 40 million bucks well not really but normal headers are like 100 bucks. if someone can clear this up for me that would be great. thanks. ooh and one other thing what is the best way to do exhause with performance but still have it be street legal? thanks.

 

Where do you live, California?

The A.I.R. tubes to the exhaust manifolds operate primarily when the ECM is in open loop, but there are conditions where the flow goes there during closed loop de-acceleration - primarily with TPI cars.

You typically won't pass an emissions visual inspection without the A.I.R. system on the headers. I managed to pass without the EFE valve - I guess they just didn't know what to look for (it wasn't on their checklist).

Edelbrock is the only company that makes headers specifically for carb'd applications. You can get others, intended for TPI applications, to work on a carb'd car (I used Hooker 2055HKRs on a carb'd application).

A.I.R. to the cat will definitely lower emissions.

But, food for thought: Hooker 2055HKR's are about $430 from Summit. Getting $100 headers hooked up, especially if you need to have a shop fabricate things for you, will likely cost you a lot more than $330. And, $100 headers are typically 1-1/2" primary tubes - death to anything over 305 cubic inches.

 

interasting... have you heard this theory? my friend told me about it, if you get rid of the air system completly and get a new cat for a new car like a vette for example then you would pass emissions. it sounds right but i dont know. do the air tubes have to actualy be seen or can i go with shortys with out the tubes and advance my cat?

 

you need the tubes to pass visual inspection.

 

He's exactly right. Honestly, save your money until you can afford the 2055's. They are a big chunk of change but the quality is good on them and they will, performance wise, be better than most headers out there. Plus they are easy to install.

 

alright cool. thanks for all the help guys!

 

http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku are they any good?

 

those only have 2.5" collector (that's really enough but if you want 3" you need a different set)

There really is no reason for anyone to go with 3" duals unless you drag or do something racial,

or like saying "look man, i got 3" pipe on my camaro (or firebird),it gives me more horsepower and lets it breath"

 

hahaha im probably going to do 2.5inch threw out the hole thing and just run dual hidden side pipes

 

I don't believe Summit's description is correct in this case. The primary tubes are (or at least, used to be) 1-1/2".

See above about 1-1/2" primary tubes.

 

When I went through my emissions test this year, I had a 1yr old Magnaflow cat (non-AIR tube cat), ,no smog pump, but I still have stock manifolds with the AIR tubes on them, for the visual part of the inspection...

High Speed-2692rpm
HC 220-standard-229 my reading-4
CO% 1.20-standard-1.20 my reading-0

Idle
HC 220-standard-22 my reading-16
CO% 1.20-standard-1.2 my reading-0.01

So you can see...With a good cat, we don't need AIR tubes, smog pumps, etc., to pass. Just for visual. My HC could climb 216, and my CO% could climb 1.19, to cause me to fail.

Which is also my biggest problem with the inspection rules. Stick your probe in my tail pipe (MY CARS! ), never pop the hood...Who cares HOW I got the #s, as long as I got them!

 

look again the primary tubes are 1 5/8 not 1.5.

 

damm visual test! why do they need to look? ha

 

just weld your hood closed and tell them that's how it cam from factory

 

but i have a fiberglass hood haha

 

If your hood wont open and you need to pass a visual inspection, the tech will fail you. Been there, done that.

The AIR system works when the engine is cold and at idle to reduce emissions. Idling engines put out the most smog. When you're driving, the air diverter solenoids dump the air from the pump back into the atmosphere thru the tube on the back of its assembly. It would have no effect on the numbers from a smog test.

 

Yeah....Instead of hitting up a place 2 miles away, I drove to a shop, random shop, no "friendly" inspector, 15 miles away. I was just Joe-Blow off the street.

Hot engines do help lower your #s. Cold cats don't do squat, but a hot cat helps tremendously.

 

I thought the pump pumped air into the manifolds when the engine is cold, then when it warmed up it diverts to the cat?

 

Look at what again, the Summit description?

 

? talking about my post? it's 1 5/8 not 1.5. and i was joking. if you can't open your hood then you hav bigger problems... lik when is the last tim eyou chcked you ngine oil and such... unless you were also being sarcastic. I'm confused

 

The Pacesetter headers, linked by the originator, have 1-1/2" tubes. Summit's description is in error.

 

I've taken several cars with NO part of the AIR system installed through the state test here in RI ( and to 2 different stations ) and as long as the car passes the sniffer test the techs have never opened the hood.

The last one was my father in laws car about 2-3 months ago........ he failed the first time though and after buring a tank of super unleaded + fuel system cleaner and installing a new set of plugs the car passed. The Techs never said "boo" about the fact that his emissions tubes were plugged and there was no part of the AIR system installed on the car.

 

im confused now haha i dont know if i need them or not i know i can can pass the sniffer with the new exhaust im looking at but do they always look for the tubes or do you think they'll let you slide

 

Well, John in RI, either you dont have a strict visual test, or your techs arent doing their jobs. That kind of stuff would never work for those of us that have a visual check as part of our smog check.

Draglover, if your smog check has a visual inspection, you must have the AIR system and every other smog stuff the car came with. If you dont have a visual check, then I would talk to your local smog check station and see what they say.

 

alright thanks for clearing that up for me.