After Market Catalitic Converters & CA's SMOG test help,


The car is a 97 Ls, will I have a problem passing CA's SMOG test using a aftermarket hi-flow cat?
what are the recommended brands that are CA carb compliant?

I've found a few cats on the web however the local mufler shop refuses to install other tahn OEM equipment for my car, because according to them is against CA's Smog laws.

help me out pickt he right one

 

The only one I know of that is OBD2 CARB exempt for CA is the Carsound cat 43000 series. EPA/CARB OBD2 approved. I ordered mine from www.kteller.com and it should be here in the next couple of days. $155 for the 2.25" cat with O2 bung and flanges, proper length for the 97 LS. I had the same problem, and it took me a while to find this.

 

And it's only a matter of time before I will too. h:

If you don't mind, I'd like to integrate this into our FAQ thread.

 

Thanks,
BTW did they ever questioned you having a aftermarket cat? did they do a visual inspection? and also do the cats come w/ sopme sort of CARB certification like some headers do?

Thanks fo the help

 

Another question, what is the propper lenght for the 97 Ls? and how many O2 bung would I need? (front and/or rear)

 

Good call, Brett just made a thread on this topic not to long ago. This topic gets beat like a red headed step child.

 

You need one O2 bung after the cat, and the length is 17-5/8"...2 bolt flange in, 3 bolt flange out. At a smog test they always do a visual inspection to see if a cat is in place. They never questioned if I had an aftermarket one, since I had the stock one on. All that happened was I failed the sniff test miserably, and then they questioned if I had modified it at all. I think they thought that I hollowed it out, because of how badly it failed. As for CARB certification, the cat should come with paperwork that has the CARB number on it.

 

im in ny and i have a high flow but arent most cats supposed to be carb legal, well any way cali has some messed up smog rules i wish i lived there for the easy distance to good shops but not for the laws, the only shop around here is vision of speed (the only 1 and i mean it) i could and probly am wrong about the high flow cats
they do say on some for off road use only right

 

I was on the EPA air admission bored web site and there is NO legal aftermarket cat for OBD 2 cars, have to use stock (in Cali), (this is not to say u can't get away with a high flow), but if they go and look under the car then u are SOL and it all depends on what mods u have done as well, Also Random Flow which makes a lot of CARB approved cats confirmed this with me as well about the OBD 2 cars that are in cali can't have a aftermarket cat

 

The Carsound OBD2 Carb/EPA approved cat is legal in CA.