I've just bought '98 Camaro Z28. According to previous owner, it has been modified with long tube headers, no cats, off road y-pipe, LS1 Hot cam (218/227 .525"/.525" 112 LSA) with LS6 valve springs, ported heads to match Hot cam specs. It passed Texas inspection (where it originally came from).

At RPM 800, HC measured 2000 PPM where 100 PPM is the maximum in CA; for CO, it measured 2.18 % where 1.00 % is max in CA.

At RPM 2438, HC measured 214 PPM where 130 PPM is the max; for CO, it measured 0.49 % where 1.00 % is the max.

Failed visual inspection due to no cats. It has been labeled as Gross Polluter.

So, I have no choice but to install factory catalytic converters and probably shorty headers w/ CARB#'s.

The question is: Should I also replace the cam to something tamer? Or would the Cats alone help pass the smog check?

I would appreciate any tips!

 

Why would you take the car in for smog, WHEN YOU KNOW IT"S GOING TO FAIL? BTW, I have never seen them test at idle......

The cam is fine, put some cats on it and get it tuned. It's guys like you that bring something in thats a basket case, that make it harder for the rest of us to get our stuff through.

 

Did they tell you that you only needed to have some cats? They didn't say nothing about the long tube headers?

 

 

Long tube headers must go - no CARB# on it.

 

I don't know what's your problem... I've had no idea whether if it would pass or not - it's my first modified vehicle I've purchased. I've lived in California for 18 years and they have always tested at idle.

 

thats like trying to have a monster truck inspected man! i'd just move if i was you you shoulda stayed in texas with the car

 

My problem is idiots like you.

You though it would pass with no cats????? Really, then your a bigger dumbass than I thought. Go buy a Honda or a Mustang.

 

from what I've read the hotcam will not pass either because it has to much overlap. I would put nw cats on it and take it to a professional shop and hve them tune it, and see what they can do to make you pass. As far as longtubes, they won;t pass visual, but there are shops that don't care as long as you pass emissions. When looking for a few cars out in cali I came across a few with longtubes and none made a big deal about having them and getting them to pass. Of course they didn't show me a paper that showed they passed, but it is likely that some shops will do it.

 

Put some cats on, get a good tune and the cam should be O.K. Check with some speed shop, they do have connections.

 

Thanks for all the tips... I'm newbie and learning! I've never done any mods to my cars. According to previous owner, he had passed Texas inspection after he made the mod's. It had current Texas sticker....

It's good idea to check with speed shop - I've never thought of that.

 

Whoa, spool down turbo...some people are just starting to learn about things that (some/many) of us already know...

 

He did not know a lack of cats would fail smog....... o.k., I have a bridge for sale.....

 

Not only is it widely known that CA has extremely tough emission requirements but a quick look through the DMV website would let you know. Texas on the other hand is known for more relaxed standards and 'good ol' boy' racing. Using a search here or asking ANYONE with a car or even a smog check facility would have saved you a lot of time. I am stationed here in NC presently but will be getting transferred back to CA and then after my retirement, many years down the line returning to live permanently. I am building my car to maintain CA standards and still perform to the level that I would like. Keep these things in mind and ASK QUESTIONS before blowing too much money on things you need to change back out.

 

hahahahahahaha..... someone actually took a car to smog it with no cats? this can't be for real. somebody has to be trolling, cause no one could be that stupid.

If this is for real, dump the cam, try to find a complete stock exhaust setup (manifolds to cats) from the classifieds, same model year. You could probably keep the heads on. That cam will not pass smog without tuning even with cats on.

My advice is to just take the car back to texas and sell it. The vehicle is now in the system as a 'problem' car, and every time you go smog it will be test only, which means if you ever want to try to put longtubes or other 'questionable' mods on and try to find a 'friendly' place, they'll laugh at you.

 

keep the long tubes, buy some factory manifolds from someone who just swapped them out and just put them on for smog purposes, and then swap them back out. you're in CA, welcome to the game. while i am not as passionate as 2c5s about it, it should have clicked somewhere in your head that "hey, i have a modded car, maybe i should look into whether my mods are legal or not". that just makes sense man. texas is still the wild west in a lot of ways, trust me. i moved here from ny, and i love it. i'm gonna roll up and get inspected w/o LT's, ORY, smellin a good bit rich, and they're just gonna smile at me and hand me a sticker.

 

here in Ca, cant have mids or LT's becuase of them pushing the stock location of the cats further down the exhuast system. cali says that if the cats are pushed even an inch past the stock location that they will not work as efficent. biggest cam u can go and still pass smog is a 224/224 114 lsa, ive heard of the same cam but in a 112lsa pass aswell but u have to have a great tuner to do that. or just do some dirty work and find a guy to hot smog the car!

 

On the technical side true, reality is a friendly smog shop could care less about the visual. There are a bunch of them out there. Going in with no cats is just dumb.

 

Dont forget that its probably missing the rear o2 sensors, add that into the parts list. Is the egr and air pump still functional/installed? Good luck. John

 

His car is in the system as a gross poluter. Those friendly smog shops won't be as friendly when that vin pops up in their computer, and he will be 'test-only' for the rest of that cars life.