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It's time for me to get my 5 letter inspected here in Virginia. Really, I was supposed to do it last December but it kinda stopped running lol. Thanks to everyone's friend Corona, now that it's running I haven't been pulled over despite being 5 months expired. That won't past forever though, so it's time to get rid of the fireballs and put on a catalytic converter.
The first time I got it inspected I didn't have a cat on and they passed me, but now they care apparently and won't pass me without one. I used to have one on previously to pass my 2019 inspection, but the shop that did it took off my RB presilencer and chopped on the back pressure pipe after I told them not to. They then replaced it with either (A) one of those ~$200 catalytic converters that have a backpressure pipe sticking out the side or (B) chopped up my presilencer and a cat to make their own bootleg version the charges me 800 bucks for that and some new belts. Needless to say, I don't plan on going back there again.
What I'd like to try and do is get a smaller catalytic converter welded into the connector pipe between the muffler pipe and the presilencer. To me, it looks like there is plenty of space, but I don't see any commercial offerings and whoever the shop went to for welding told them it was impossible. The second option is just spending $200 on a magnaflo one piece catlytic converter with the backpressure pipe sticking out the side. The one they had on mine didn't seem to work as well as the RB presilencer and really delayed the opening of those extra ports, it kicked in around 5k rpm instead of at 4k.
What do you guys think is the best option here? I do plan on keeping the cat on permanently, not just for passing this inspection. Any help would be greatly appreciated, hope you all are staying healthy.
Do you still have your air pump? If not the cats gonna be hollowed out is short order.
Do what I'm going to do, get vintage/antique plates, then no more inspections. If it's a daily driver, may not work.
If you have the pump and want it all legit, get a good cat, I'd have flanges welded on so it can be removed without cutting it up it you need to do work in the future.
It's time for me to get my 5 letter inspected here in Virginia. Really, I was supposed to do it last December but it kinda stopped running lol. Thanks to everyone's friend Corona, now that it's running I haven't been pulled over despite being 5 months expired. That won't past forever though, so it's time to get rid of the fireballs and put on a catalytic converter.
The first time I got it inspected I didn't have a cat on and they passed me, but now they care apparently and won't pass me without one. I used to have one on previously to pass my 2019 inspection, but the shop that did it took off my RB presilencer and chopped on the back pressure pipe after I told them not to. They then replaced it with either (A) one of those ~$200 catalytic converters that have a backpressure pipe sticking out the side or (B) chopped up my presilencer and a cat to make their own bootleg version the charges me 800 bucks for that and some new belts. Needless to say, I don't plan on going back there again.
What I'd like to try and do is get a smaller catalytic converter welded into the connector pipe between the muffler pipe and the presilencer. To me, it looks like there is plenty of space, but I don't see any commercial offerings and whoever the shop went to for welding told them it was impossible. The second option is just spending $200 on a magnaflo one piece catlytic converter with the backpressure pipe sticking out the side. The one they had on mine didn't seem to work as well as the RB presilencer and really delayed the opening of those extra ports, it kicked in around 5k rpm instead of at 4k.
What do you guys think is the best option here? I do plan on keeping the cat on permanently, not just for passing this inspection. Any help would be greatly appreciated, hope you all are staying healthy.
Thanks for the link man, what I've been told the past couple times is that I must still have all original equipment even if I am emissions exempt. I'll try to stop by a shop sometime this week and see what they have to say.
You mean for an annual safety inspection? Some of these morons overstep their authority and write the rules as they go along. Virginia should stop requiring these ridiculous safety inspections. Recommend that you go to a different shop.
When you get your registration renewal from VA DMV, it will state on the bottom of the renewal "Emission test not required". If emission was required, than you couldn't renew your plates unless an emission test was done. The last emission test that I had done on my '90 was in 2014.
Sorry for rambling on, but I'm not implying that you shouldn't run a cat even though it wouldn't prevent you from registering your car in VA. My '90 is completely emission legal. I run a cat because the smell of the rotary exhaust fumes are overwhelming.
Yes, you don't need an inspection from the actual sniff. What is required, is the physical inspection to make sure everything is on the car, i.e. cat, smog pump, gas filler restricter, etc.
That's why I'm opting for historic plates. Yes, I'm sure there's some shops that will pass it just like every other state, but in rural Virginia not many choices.
VA sounds like PA. Vehicles 25 years and older don't need a sniffer test but DO require a visual check on the emissions. They look for the CAT, at the least, and any smog/air pumps if they know what they're looking for on that particular car. I registered mine as "classic registration" so I can change whatever I want - even engine swaps - as long as it passes the safety inspection. Brakes, headlights and turn signals? Good to go, even if I had a blown big block sticking through the hood.
Spoke to a guy at another inspection place. He told me it is really up to the discretion of the inspector, but odds are that without a cat I'm not going to pass. Given I haven't been passed so far, that's probably a fair assessment lol.
I think what I'll try to do is weld one into the connector pipe, or maybe have a local shop make me a new pipe as mine is rather old and rusted. Anybody got an idea what the exhaust diameter of the racing beat exhaust system is? If I get a new one made I'd like to match the RB system but they don't have it listed on their site.
Oops, reread your first post and saw that you're aware of the Magnaflow option. I dont see my RB exhaust ever coming off for any reason and Michigan doesn't require smog tests. If you're interested in my MF cat, pay for shipping and she's yours.
*Edit: Had to grab some campfire chairs from the attic and brought this down in case there's interest.
Last edited by MIVet28; May 23, 2020 at 09:26 AM.
Reason: Added pics only
