Just remember that the referee at the State Bureau of Automotive Repair can override whatever happens at the independent test site that you select. If you fail, go to a BAR station and see if they grant you an exemption. Tell them something like "your manifolds cracked and you got the headers for free." You never know. This could just work to your favor, especially if they see that you kept the cats and tapped the headers for the O2 sensors. That in itself, I would think, would convince them that you made an attempt to keep it legal despite adding the headers. Just trying to be optimistic here.

 

They never asked me upon "visual inspection."

Keep in mind... the inspection is only some high school drop out you need to get by.

If your truck passes the sniffer... your visual inspection is a joke.

Mike

 

When I smogged our 76 MGB, the guy ALMOST failed me because my gas cap didn't seal to the spec that the computer called for... He got really beligerent and told me that I was VERY VERY LUCKY that he was going to pass me... Trust me, those douchy inspectors are out there...

 

go to another one then. There are hundreds in CA.

 

You missed my point... My point is that I don't know any smoggers personally, so there is still a chance of me getting another douche like the aforementioned... It's just not a chance I want to take...

 

I agree with Mr. M, Just find a place with good people and stay with them. Your age is also a factor when I was about your age I got all kinds of hell from the inspectors. I live in a nonemissions county now and have to get my truck inspected in my county. The old man I went to made me wait until he finished his dinner and bitched the whole time, So I will be finding a new place next year.

 

man i'm glad in don't live in CA anymore..
took my old 84 bronco (sold it)/w its 300 in for testing (Maricopa county, AZ), had a cracked/warped exhaust manifold, air pump "looked" like it was all connected up..the vacuum solenoids(and their wiring) were all melted., and half of the exhaust leaked out before it reached the tail pipe and they still let me pass because it read in-spec on the sniffer.. and there was no way they could have NOT noticed the exhaust leaks.. the stink was horrible if you stood near the front of the truck with the hood open..however they did fail my 88 ranger because the GAS cap failed the test.. they also failed my old 78 motorhome because the crankcase breather filter tube came off(i just replaced the filter, and i guess i didn't get it on all the way), stuffed it back on and ran through again...good ole' AZ..
i'd just take the truck in as-is and give it a shot.. you might get lucky.

 

'Truck as-is' = stock manifolds. Haven't gotten the longtubes on yet... Just a clarification there...

 

Option 1:Heres what I would do if I got cought somehow, PLAY STUPID. Just say, "Huh, the guy who I bough them from and installed for me said they were completely legal"

Or option 2: The day before the inspection, swap your manifolds back on, then once you get your pass, put the longtubes back on and forget about it in 2 years.

 

Just to clearify the smog process in California for all of you. You have to pass the visual inspection before they will even smog the vehicle( it doesn't matter if it will pass the sniffer test or not). Then inspect the ignition timing and if you have and OBD port they just plug in, if there is a fault in the ecu you dont get tested. Finally the sniffer test(almost all in cal. have to go on the dyno unless in farm country or very low populated area or above 11,000gvw I think.) Then they test the gas caps after the sniffer. In california those of us with older vehicles are getting called into the test only facilities for our smogs and these are not high schoolers. Not to mention roadside sniffers being set up for the day in random areas. Now a question for the long tube headers what is the power curve like, because peak numbers look good but don't drive good generally unless the rest of the engine and drive train have been altered enough to really need them.

 

That smog procedure is exactly my experience... STRICT!!

As for the power curves, here are the printouts of a Dyno simulation program on my computer:

Bone stock 351:


Bone stock WITH longtubes:

 

so ure lookin at about a 100 gain in torqe and maybe 50 in hp if you can find a set of leagal long tubes

 

More like about 50 ft-lbs and 30-40hp

 

yeah i was readin it wrong. y don tyou tru goin to an exauhst shop and see if they can get ahold of somthin thats leagal

 

i would put carb certified shorties on as a stock replacement and call it day , i agree about the smog *****, these guys dont care and can do as they please , i agree with the post about the long tubes being a waste without other mods as well